<p>The spell on the stack will resolve successfully, even if you name it with <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547" rel="noreferrer">Meddling Mage</a>.</p>
<p>The rulings for <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547" rel="noreferrer">Meddling Mage</a> say the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>2/1/2006</strong> If you somehow manage to cast this while other spells are on the stack, those spells won't be countered.</p>
<p><strong>5/1/2009</strong> Spells with the chosen name that somehow happen to already be on the stack when Meddling Mage enters the battlefield are not affected by <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547" rel="noreferrer">Meddling Mage</a>'s ability.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>To clarify the old &quot;played&quot; phrasing (which some people confuse with resolve), the Oracle text actually says:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>The named card can't be cast.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Since the named spell has already been cast, the existing spell on the stack will still be on the stack after <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547" rel="noreferrer">Meddling Mage</a> has entered, and will still resolve.</p>
<p>If you did have a creature that was able to counter or exile a spell on the stack (as opposed to the &quot;named card can't be cast&quot; effect) like <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139429" rel="noreferrer">Spellstutter Sprite</a>, you could put that into play with <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212630" rel="noreferrer">Æther Vial</a> and have it work they way you're intending.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-11T18:40:37.337Z
2012-01-11T18:45:44.740Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
Ian Pugsley
<p>If a player activated an <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212630" rel="nofollow">Æther Vial</a> with two counters on it to drop in a <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547" rel="nofollow">Meddling Mage</a> and named a spell already on the stack, would the named spell resolve?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T21:58:51.110Z
A famous match once hinged on using a similar trick. It only worked due to an odd gap in the rules for madness, which has since been removed.
Sean McMillan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-13T20:33:10.873Z
Brent, there seems to be a good answer here. Any chance you can mark it as accepted (click the tick)?
deworde
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-17T06:17:22.360Z
Sorry, still pretty new, I don't see where on my screen to mark this as accepted.
Brent Allen Hydorn
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-17T13:15:05.433Z
@BrentAllenHydorn: just below the answer's points there is a outline of a V, click there.
o0'.
<magic-the-gathering>
Can Meddling Mage Be Used as a Counter?
Brent Allen Hydorn
# Can Meddling Mage Be Used as a Counter?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-11)

If a player activated an [Æther Vial](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212630) with two counters on it to drop in a [Meddling Mage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547) and named a spell already on the stack, would the named spell resolve?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: A famous match once hinged on using a similar trick. It only worked due to an odd gap in the rules for madness, which has since been removed.  
> **username_2**: Brent, there seems to be a good answer here. Any chance you can mark it as accepted (click the tick)?  
> **username_0**: Sorry, still pretty new, I don't see where on my screen to mark this as accepted.  
> **username_3**: @BrentAllenHydorn: just below the answer's points there is a outline of a V, click there.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2012-01-11. Score: 12

The spell on the stack will resolve successfully, even if you name it with [Meddling Mage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547).

The rulings for [Meddling Mage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547) say the following:

> **2/1/2006** If you somehow manage to cast this while other spells are on the stack, those spells won't be countered.
>
> **5/1/2009** Spells with the chosen name that somehow happen to already be on the stack when Meddling Mage enters the battlefield are not affected by [Meddling Mage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547)'s ability.

To clarify the old "played" phrasing (which some people confuse with resolve), the Oracle text actually says:

> The named card can't be cast.

Since the named spell has already been cast, the existing spell on the stack will still be on the stack after [Meddling Mage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=179547) has entered, and will still resolve.

If you did have a creature that was able to counter or exile a spell on the stack (as opposed to the "named card can't be cast" effect) like [Spellstutter Sprite](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139429), you could put that into play with [Æther Vial](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=212630) and have it work they way you're intending.


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