Countering spells while Knowledge Pool is out?

Asked by DingoDan 13 years ago

If Knowledge Pool is on the battlefield, my opponent casts a spell and I want to counter it (ie. make it not got into the pool, and thus not making him able to cast one from the pool). Question is, what exactly happens?

Gatherer comment (which should originate from an official article) says:

"Any spell cast by any player from their hand does not resolve. Instead, it gets exiled to the pool. This counts as imprinting that spell for later use. If the spell gets countered or otherwise removed from the stack in some manner before the pool trigger resolves, the spell is not imprinted and the player doesn't get a freebie replacement from the pool."

So spells does not resolve, but it seems they enter the stack anyhow. So when my opponent plays his spell, it enters the stack, I get priority, I play a counterspell, he gets priority, he passes, counterspell "resolves", but that should just mean that it would enter the pool, and thus not countering anything?

airy says... #1

  1. He plays a spell
  2. You play Counterspell
  3. Your Counterspell goes in the Pool
  4. If there is another Counterspell in the Pool you can cast this one and counter his spell. if there is'nt you can cast another exiled spell.
February 8, 2011 10:43 a.m.

mafteechr says... Accepted answer #2

airy is basically correct. To be completely precise:

  1. Opponent casts a spell. It is now on the stack.
  2. Knowledge Pool 's triggered ability now goes on the stack above his spell. Priority is passed.
  3. You play a counterspell. It is on the stack above the triggered ability.
  4. A second triggered ability goes on the stack above your counterspell.
  5. Resolution begins. The triggered ability resolves and your counterspell is exiled.
  6. You may now play a spell already in exile. If there is a counterspell, you can play it and counter your opponents original spell. If not, you play a different spell.
  7. If you did not play a counterspell from exile, the first triggered ability from Knowledge Pool resolves and your opponent's original spell is exiled and he can play a spell from exile.
February 8, 2011 11:07 a.m.

peppyhare says... #3

Airy's right. Alternatively you could try this one..

  1. He plays a spell
  2. You play any spell
  3. You play a counterspell
  4. Counterspell resolves, is exiled, you can cast any exiled spell
  5. Your spell resolves, is exiled, you can cast your exiled counterspell on the opponent's spell
February 8, 2011 11:07 a.m.

theemptyquiver says... #4

I liked mathteacher's explanation the best.

I also really like knowledge pool, a little bit more each time I read it.

February 8, 2011 1:39 p.m.

JamesR404 says... #5

@peppyhare Problem with that is that your opponent can say 'stop' after point 4 to play any spell, resolve, is exiled, play your counter spell before you play it. .. Euh, and then casts anything else to have an alternative legal target for it. Gah! Knowledge pool is freaking me out :P

March 8, 2011 4:06 a.m.

This discussion has been closed