My opponent says that both effects from
Profane Command happen at the same time, meaning that his creature gets -3/-3 and that I bring back the
Fleshbag Marauder at the same time.
No, not that it really matters.
Quote:
608.2c The controller of the spell or ability follows its instructions in the order written. However, replacement effects may modify these actions. In some cases, later text on the card may modify the meaning of earlier text (for example, “Destroy target creature. It can’t be regenerated” or “Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on top of its owner’s library instead of into its owner’s graveyard.”) Don’t just apply effects step by step without thinking in these cases—read the whole text and apply the rules of English to the text.
So he chooses to sacrifice the
Caustic Caterpillar in response to the
Fleshbag Marauder's enter the battlefield ability and the -3/-3 effect from
Profane Command doesn't have a legal target anymore unless I choose to have the -x/-x done to the only remaining legal target (
managorger hydra).
Then my sequence becomes this:
- Your main phase begins.
- You get priority and cast Profane Command. You choose the second and fourth modes and X=3. Your target for the second mode is the Fleshbag Marauder card in your graveyard, and your target for the fourth mode is opponent's Caustic Caterpillar. You pay the cost using obtained in an unspecified way. This triggers the ability of Managorger Hydra.
- You would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. Opponent puts "Whenever a player casts a spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Managorger Hydra." on the stack.
- You get priority and pass.
- Opponent gets priority and passes.
- The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 3) resolves. Opponent puts another +1/+1 counter on Managorger Hydra.
- You get priority and pass.
- Opponent gets priority and passes.
- The top object on the stack (the spell cast in step 2) resolves. The second mode returns Fleshbag Marauder to the battlefield, triggering its ability, and the fourth mode gives -3/-3 to the Caustic Caterpillar, reducing it to -2/-2.
- You would get priority, but there is a state-based action to process. Caustic Caterpillar's toughness is nonpositive, so it is destroyed.
- You would get priority, but there is a triggered ability to put on the stack. You put "When Fleshbag Marauder enters the battlefield, each player sacrifices a creature." on the stack.
- You get priority and pass.
- Opponent gets priority and passes. He might want to sacrifice Caustic Caterpillar to its ability at this time, but he can't because it isn't there anymore. Sacrificing it to something that is going to resolve Real Soon Now is out of the question for two reasons.
- The top object on the stack (the ability put there in step 11) resolves. You sacrifice a creature (either Fleshbag Marauder or some other creature you have on the battlefield). Opponent sacrifices a creature - this means he moves a creature (probably Managorger Hydra) from the battlefield to the graveyard, not that he reminisces about a creature he moved to the graveyard way back in step 10.
- You get priority and ....
Maybe he thought that Fleshbag Marauder's triggered ability would resolve before you proceeded to the fourth mode? (Also, changing the target of something like the fourth mode requires something more than "The original target isn't there anymore.")
Quote:
603.2. Whenever a game event or game state matches a triggered ability’s trigger event, that ability automatically triggers. The ability doesn’t do anything at this point.
603.3. Once an ability has triggered, its controller puts it on the stack as an object that’s not a card the next time a player would receive priority. See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.” The ability becomes the topmost object on the stack. It has the text of the ability that created it, and no other characteristics. It remains on the stack until it’s countered, it resolves, a rule causes it to be removed from the stack, or an effect moves it elsewhere.