3

Humble Defector reads

{T}: Draw two cards. Target opponent gains control of Humble Defector. Activate this ability only during your turn.

Anthony controls Humble Defector and Butcher of the Horde. He activates Humble Defector's ability and holds priority. He then sacrifices Humble Defector to activate Butcher of the Horde's ability.

When Humble Defector's ability resolves, does Anthony draw two cards?

ikegami
  • 47,712
  • 3
  • 83
  • 167
Rainbolt
  • 13,749
  • 2
  • 45
  • 123
  • @ikegami You have added a broken card link to the post. – Rainbolt Jan 06 '15 at 19:55
  • I noticed. But I'm tempted to leave it anyway. I presume it's a new card that hasn't been added to Gatherer yet? If so, the link will start working . Up to you. – ikegami Jan 06 '15 at 19:56
  • @ikegami Good point. Let's leave it. – Rainbolt Jan 06 '15 at 19:56
  • Same question for triggered abilities: http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/q/18647 and for activated abilities with returning to hand instead of sacrificing: http://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/7893/does-an-activated-ability-resolve-if-the-card-with-the-ability-is-returned-to-it – Cascabel Jan 07 '15 at 01:02
  • Love the flavourful example with Butcher. – Mephy Jan 07 '15 at 01:59
  • @Jefromi Edited the title of the older question. This one is now an exact duplicate. – Rainbolt Jan 07 '15 at 14:07

2 Answers2

6

Yes. Abilities exist on the stack independently of their source.

112.7a Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability. [...]

That means that even if the object that has the ability changes or ceases to exist, the ability spawned from it will go on to resolve as normal.

In this case, that means you get to draw two cards, then the targeted opponent attempts to gain control of Humble Defector and fails to do so.

ikegami
  • 47,712
  • 3
  • 83
  • 167
6

Yes, because there is nothing in the ability that requires the Defector to still be on the battlefield as it resolves, and an ability on the stack exists independently of its source it will happily resolve and do as much as it can. In this case giving an opponent control of the card is impossible so you will just ignore that text and do as much as you can, in this case draw 2 cards.

101.3. Any part of an instruction that's impossible to perform is ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesn't, there's no effect.)

112.7a Once activated or triggered, an ability exists on the stack independently of its source. Destruction or removal of the source after that time won’t affect the ability. ...

Community
  • 1
diego
  • 20,138
  • 2
  • 54
  • 95