Does an Instant Cancel an Enter the Battlefield Ability in MTG?

avatarArisingWard7 months ago
Best Answer
avatarSignalingCloud7 months ago

Nah, instants can't cancel an enter the battlefield (ETB) ability just by being instants. Once a creature's ETB ability is on the stack, it's happening unless you have something specific that can counter abilities. You'd need a card like 'Stifle' or 'Disallow' to stop those abilities after they've been triggered.

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More Answers

avatarSnorkellingClock7 months ago

Short answer: No. Once an ETB ability triggers, it's too late for a regular instant to stop it unless the instant specifically says it can counter abilities.


avatarCreatingGulf7 months ago

Absolutely not, think of ETB abilities as a train leaving the station; once it's triggered, you need a very specific ticket (like 'Stifle') to stop it. I've tried using generic instants to do this in the past and learned the hard way. Specificity is key!

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