While Triggered Abilities may seem confusing at first, there is profit to be made by understanding them! First, let’s review how to identify a triggered ability. Triggered abilities are identifiable using 3 key words:

1) When
2) Whenever
3) At

If you see one of these words, you’re in trigger-town! If you can memorize these three words, you can learn how to handle triggers. Now that we know how to spot a triggered ability, how can we capitalize on them? Let’s focus on one particular aspect: APNAP.

APNAP stands for Active Player, Non-Active Player. This is the order that things are done in the game of Magic, and triggers are no exception… but watch out! The stack resolves as last in, first out, so either look for a way you can use this to your advantage or avoid unfavorable situations.

Consider a game where you control a Flayer of the Hatebound and your opponent controls a Vorapede, both with no counters. What will happen if Flayer attacks and the Vorapede blocks? What if Voripede attacks and Flayer blocks? Even though the situations start the same (both creatures will die during combat, and their Undying abilites will trigger) the results will be very different. In the first case, it is your turn. You are the active player, so Flayer’s ability will go on the stack followed by Vorapede’s–and since it was the last in, Vorapede’s ability will resolve first and return to the battlefield first. Now it is your Flayer’s turn. It will return to the battlefield and his damage-dealing ability will trigger. Looking around, he sees and can choose to target (and re-kill) the Vorapede! In the second case, it is your oponent’s turn. Vorapede’s ability will go on the stack first, followed by Flayer’s–and Flayer will return to the battlefield first. At this point, his ability triggers… but the Vorapede isn’t there yet since its Undying ability hasn’t resolved. You have to target something else, and the Vorapede will stick its landing!

All else being equal, one of these probably works out better for you. Choose wisely!

Today’s Strategy Tip written by
David Hibbs, Level 3 judge from League City, TX