Creatures with flash or animated lands are generally a good thing to have when you’re being attacked. They can’t be destroyed or removed by sorceries before blocking, and you’ll know exactly which creatures your opponent is attacking with before you have to decide whether you want to cast or animate them.

As the attacking player, though, you’ve still got options to deal with these pesky creatures. Because both players have to pass priority on an empty stack in order for the game to proceed to the next step or phase, that means your opponent can’t declare blockers right away. After a spell or ability resolves, priority gets passed back to the active player – and if you’re attacking, that player is you! If you have an instant or activated ability of your own, you can play it still during the declare attackers step to kill whatever new creature your opponent has sprung on you.

For example, you attack with a 1/1 human token, and your opponent activates an Inkmoth Nexus. After the animation ability resolves but before the player gets to move on and declare blockers, you will get priority to cast your Gut Shot, and your token will go unblocked unless that player has some other creature.

Today’s Rules Tip written by
Jen Wong, Level 1 judge from Irvine, CA