Rule evolution
Rule 704.4
Earliest archived Rules release: 2009-10-01 · 3 wording revisions · 0 renumberings
Earliest archived Rules release704.4Details
Unlike triggered abilities, state-based actions pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability. Example: A player controls a creature with the ability "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and casts a spell whose effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards." The creature will temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based actions are checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.
Wording changed704.4Details
Unlike triggered abilities, state-based actions pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability. Example:Example: A player controls a creature with the ability "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and casts a spell whose effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards." The creature will temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based actions are checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.
Wording changed704.4Details
Unlike triggered abilities, state-based actions pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability. Example:
Example:A player controls a creature with the ability "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and casts a spell whose effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards." The creature will temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell finishes resolving. Thus the creature will survive when state-based actions are checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.Wording changed704.4Details
Unlike triggered abilities, state-based actions pay no attention to what happens during the resolution of a spell or ability. Example: A player controls Maro, a creature with the ability "
This creatureMaro's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your hand" and casts a spell whose effect is "Discard your hand, then draw seven cards."TheMarocreaturewill temporarily have toughness 0 in the middle of the spell's resolution but will be back up to toughness 7 when the spell finishes resolving. ThustheMarocreaturewill survive when state-based actions are checked. In contrast, an ability that triggers when the player has no cards in hand goes on the stack after the spell resolves, because its trigger event happened during resolution.