Does this not all hinge on how the players have been playing the game previously? It is quite easy for the active player to be fishing to gain an advantage?

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Originally posted by Graham Theobalds:

Does this not all hinge on how the players have been playing the game previously? It is quite easy for the active player to be fishing to gain an advantage?

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There's a little bit of precedent to be worked out, but generally, “damage?” is not considered to be a shortcut.

It's the non-active player asking to move to damage. If AP asks to move to damage, and NAP says OK then AP can definitely not do anything. NAP is always controlling the flow of the turn, and that remains true here.

Easy way out on this one–ask N what they meant when they asked “Damage?”

They'll likely answer “I wanted to know if A had any effects before damage–(I'm the last one who gets priority before damage is done.)” If the game hasn't progressed since then, A will likely respond “Oh, I was confused by that” and you'll carry on your merry way with N acting after A has passed priority in the declare blockers step.

Framing things as a miscommunication rather than a breach in rules can be a useful tool in your toolbox.

Nissa can activate her Nantuko Husk - no need to be there.

The logic is exactly the same as the “Declare blockers?” question: Nissa is the last person to get priority here, so she cannot gain any information by asking the question.

I've had a similar situation at GP Paris this year, and an appeal to the HJ resulted in HJ standing firmly on the side of NAP. Players go to the next step when all of them pass in succesion in APNAP order. So if NAP said “damage” first, she can still do her stuff, even if AP agrees, because priority would anyway go back to her.

Let's keep in mind that AP can now respond to the activation of the Husk's ability (Spatial Contortion the Husk, perhaps? or pump their Tracker?) - NAP hasn't caused AP to miss anything here.

d:^D

The important distinction here is that it is NAP that is asking to move to the specific step. NAP asking AP if he wish to move to Damage will cause NAP to have priority no matter what. Therefore NAP will be able to cast spells or activate abilities.

Had the situation been reversed and AP was suggestion they move to damage, we would not allow AP to regain priority as it was passed by suggestion the shortcut.

It is important that we try and avoid players “getting” the opponent. NAP asking if AP passes priority is not one of these. No priority passes are forced or skipped.

According to this thread (http://apps.magicjudges.org/forum/topic/27443/), a question such as “damage?” or “move to blocks?” is not a shortcut and simply counts as passing priority, or a request for priority, depending on who asked.

Tracker 5/4 blocking the 2/2 Husk is a winning situation for AP, so NAP here can't get any information using this shortcut.
Sacing his Loam Dryad will let AP doing something in response or after the ability resolves.
NAP is here asking to his opponent if he passes priority.
For me there is no problem here in letting NAP putting Husk's ability in the stack.