Hi everyone, it’s Friday! Let’s talk about a card that you’ve probably seen a lot of at your local FNM (whether it be standard or draft): Gray Merchant of Asphodel. The question of the day is: what happens to the Gray Merchant’s ability if the Merchant leaves the battlefield before it resolves?

Hopefully, by now you’ve figured out that once an ability is on the stack, it exists independent of the source that made it. That means that killing the Merchant won’t do anything to remove the trigger that’s already on the stack. However, removing the Merchant isn’t the worst thing in the world. The opponent’s devotion to black only matters at one point, and that’s when the Merchant’s triggered ability resolves. That means that you can remove the Merchant with its enter the battlefield trigger on the stack, and when the ability resolves, since the Merchant is no longer on the battlefield, it will not contribute to the opponent’s devotion to black, and you’ll be drained for two less than you would have been otherwise.

Hopefully you remember this trick the next time your opponent plays a Gray Merchant while you’re at a low life total. I hope everyone enjoyed this tip and has a great weekend!

Today’s Rules Tip written by Nathan Long