<p><strong>You cannot react to the even/odd choice in Extinction Event because that choice is made during the spell's resolution.</strong></p>
<p>In general, you don't make all kinds of choices while casting a spell. As specified in <a href="https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Casting_spells" rel="nofollow noreferrer">rules 601.2b-d</a>, you choose modes, splices, other cost modifiers, targets, and how to divide or distribute an effect among targets. Any other choice, like even/odd in Extinction Event, doesn't happen until the spell resolves.</p>
<p>While the choice on Extinction Event may look similar to a modal choice, a modal choice specifically requires you to choose from a list of actions, so an instruction to &quot;choose&quot; other things is different.</p>
<hr />
<p>This fact is also mentioned in a Gatherer ruling on Extinction Event:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You choose odd or even while Extinction Event is resolving. Players can’t take any actions between the time you make that choice and the time some creatures go extinct.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-28T11:30:14.773Z
Thanks, I was exactly thinking about the modal choice (did not know the name), which is also why it looked weird to me. I should have checked if for rulings first though.
eXPRESS
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-30T06:34:39.757Z
You also make decisions related to costs during casting, but that's pretty obvious.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-30T06:59:37.830Z
You're right. I expanded that part a little to make it more accurate.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-11-27T16:07:49.160Z
2020-11-30T06:59:26.530Z
2020-11-30T06:59:26.530Z
murgatroid99
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bExtinction%20Event%5d">Extinction Event</a> reads</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Choose odd or even. Exile each creature with converted mana cost of the chosen value.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Why can't I respond to my opponent's choice of odd/even, for example by activating my <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWitch%27s%5d%2b%5bOven%5d">Witch&#39;s Oven</a>? Making this choice is the part of the spell so once the player chooses, shouldn't I be able to react as it still should be on the stack? Is this just an Arena bug?</p>

<magic-the-gathering><mtg-stack><mtg-arena>
Why don't I get an chance to respond to the Extinction Event choice?
eXPRESS
# Why don't I get an chance to respond to the Extinction Event choice?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-11-27)

[Extinction Event](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bExtinction%20Event%5d) reads

> Choose odd or even. Exile each creature with converted mana cost of the chosen value.

Why can't I respond to my opponent's choice of odd/even, for example by activating my [Witch's Oven](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bWitch%27s%5d%2b%5bOven%5d)? Making this choice is the part of the spell so once the player chooses, shouldn't I be able to react as it still should be on the stack? Is this just an Arena bug?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, mtg-stack, mtg-arena


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-11-27. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

**You cannot react to the even/odd choice in Extinction Event because that choice is made during the spell's resolution.**

In general, you don't make all kinds of choices while casting a spell. As specified in [rules 601.2b-d](https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Casting_spells), you choose modes, splices, other cost modifiers, targets, and how to divide or distribute an effect among targets. Any other choice, like even/odd in Extinction Event, doesn't happen until the spell resolves.

While the choice on Extinction Event may look similar to a modal choice, a modal choice specifically requires you to choose from a list of actions, so an instruction to "choose" other things is different.

---

This fact is also mentioned in a Gatherer ruling on Extinction Event:

> You choose odd or even while Extinction Event is resolving. Players can’t take any actions between the time you make that choice and the time some creatures go extinct.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks, I was exactly thinking about the modal choice (did not know the name), which is also why it looked weird to me. I should have checked if for rulings first though.  
> **username_2**: You also make decisions related to costs during casting, but that's pretty obvious.  
> **username_1**: You're right. I expanded that part a little to make it more accurate.  

---

