What exactly is an "interrupt" ability?
Asked by BaconCleric 13 years ago
This is probably a really silly question, but I'm still a little new to the game. Can someone give a definition of an "interrupt" ability and also give me a few examples of it? Much appreciated!
emblasochist says... #2
Can you give us an example? There used to be Interrupt as a spell type, so that's why I ask. If that is what you are referring to, its an outdated mechanic that no longer is played. Interrupt spells were similar to spells with Split Second, but not quite.
January 4, 2011 5:51 p.m.
luckyfirefox16 says... #3
Interrupts were a card type from the beginnings of the game. Interrupts trumped Instant-speed spells. The hierarchy of spell speed was as follows: Interrupt, Activated Abilities, Instant, [Sorcery, Enchantment, Creature, Artifact]. Interrupts were given errata that gives them instant speed (think of older and newer versions of Counterspell ) now due to the initial confusion they caused and the institution of the "Stack". Essentially the use of Interrupts was phased out, but you can see the intention of the cards in spells with the Split Second keyword from the Time Spiral block. I would just play them as instants if I were you, it doesn't really make a difference now.
Old Counterspell : http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=3898
January 4, 2011 5:56 p.m.
emblasochist says... #4
No, they do not. Interrupt was a spell type that was played in the past but became too confusing to new players, because it ignored the stack, unless another player casted another interrupt. An example of an interrupt was http://tappedout.net/mtg-card/fork/. The R&D department eventually just decided to make the game more playable to remove the card type and spend a lot more effort redesigning the stack.
January 4, 2011 5:58 p.m.
Before the 6th edition rules change, there were two types of spell that could be cast during an opponent's turn - instant and interrupt. Instants were basically the same thing as they are now. Interrupts were 'faster', if you will - they resolved off the batch (precursor to the stack - don't go there) before instants. Counterspells, for example, were instants. Now, anything printed as 'interrupt' is considered to be an instant.
Split second was intended to have the same flavour as interrupt, but with a rules definition that actually works.
January 4, 2011 6 p.m.
MagnorCriol says... #6
ResonateSky is the closest.
"Interrupt" and "Instant" aren't quite the same thing, but in current game terms, older cards with the type "Interrupt" are treated as instants.
"Interrupt" itself is from an older construction of the rules, basically. It was when things worked differently as far as timing goes. I'm afraid I wasn't around MtG myself back then - these were some of the original several sets - so I can't explain it more vividly than that.
Nowadays, if you have an Interrupt card, go look it up on Gatherer and see what the official, Oracle wording of the card is. They've updated all those old cards to fit new rules and verbage, though of course they can't actually edit the physical cards. =p
January 4, 2011 6:01 p.m.
luckyfirefox16 says... #7
Thanks sporkife- I think emblasochist and I were on the same page, different wavelength there... thanks for the clarity!
January 4, 2011 6:04 p.m.
BaconCleric says... #8
Yeah, that helps a lot. I had no idea what an example of one was, I just kept hearing people talk about "interrupts" all the time and had no idea what they meant. And I didn't wanna seem like a total noob for not knowing something that could be really simple. =P
January 4, 2011 6:05 p.m.
emblasochist says... #9
The rules worked for interrupts, but just for players that had been around the game for some time. Split Second is SIMILAR to the concept of Interrupts, but is strictly better because Split Second spells are forced to resolve, whereas you could still Counterspell a Counterspell, or Fork a Dark Ritual, and the opposing player could not, for instance Lightning Bolt your 1/1.
January 4, 2011 6:06 p.m.
MagnorCriol says... #10
Whoa, super-ninja'd.
Just to avoid potential ruffled feathers, when I started typing mine, ResonateSky was the last poster. luckyfirefox16, emblasochist and sporkife all know what they're talking about. I'm at a really slow connection right now so I couldn't double-check before I posted...
January 4, 2011 6:12 p.m.
no kidding...i never check back, and there were only 4 posts when i started typing...hahafail.
BaconCleric says... #1
Ok. So, what is so special about them then?
January 4, 2011 5:46 p.m.