I cast Solemn Simulacrum while you control Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. What happens?

After a creature spell resolves, a player receives priority. But it’s not as simple as that. Before priority can be received, first the game has to check for state-based actions (SBAs) – things like creatures with lethal damage dying, or +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters canceling each other out. Then after it makes a check where no SBAs are performed, the game checks for triggered abilities that have triggered since the last time a player received priority, and dumps them all on the stack. Finally, the player receives priority.

So let’s apply this in practice to our Sad Robot. He resolves, and his enters-the-battlefield ability triggers. Because of Elesh Norn, he is a 0/0 – and therefore he dies when SBAs are checked, which causes his leaves-the battlefield ability to trigger. Because two abilities triggered since the last time a player received priority, they go onto the stack at the same time, and I can order them in any way I choose – it doesn’t matter that one ability triggered before the other one. If I know what card is on top of my library and I want to draw it, I can do that, then search for a basic land card. Or I can search for the land first to reduce the chances that I’ll draw another land from Solemn’s death trigger.

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