<p>Yes, the creature would die as a State Based Action.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>704.1. State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions (listed below) are met. State-based actions don't use the stack.</p>
<p>704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, &quot;Timing and Priority&quot;), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, the state based effects would get checked after Dismember resolves.</p>
<p>Then, this SBA would happen</p>
<blockquote>
<p>704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, before the Giant Growth would get a chance to resolve, the Llanowar Elf would die.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-04T18:45:57.803Z
Maybe also nice to mention is that SBAs don't happen during the resolution of a spell or ability so if a creature's toughness becomes 0 but increases again during the same spell it will survive. An example would be casting Windfall with a Maro on the field
Ivo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-05T23:10:47.577Z
It's also ignoring the fact that a Llanowar Elf with a giant growth on it still dies to dismember :)
Skyl3lazer
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-03T12:07:13.490Z
2015-07-03T12:16:31.787Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
Skyl3lazer
<p>The creature would die and go to the graveyard immediatly. </p>

<p>Others spells targeting it can not resolve themselves so they are like countered, they go to the graveyard too.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-03T11:26:34.720Z
2015-07-03T11:26:34.720Z
Kaijiro
<p>If a creature's toughness were to reach 0 before the stack is finished resolving, does it die, or does the stack finish. For example, if a Llanowar Elf had Gigantic growth cast on it and the growth was responded to by Dismember what would happen? Would Dismember bring it to 0 and Gigantic raise it to 3 before it could die? Or does it bite the dust?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-07-03T16:33:13.083Z
If you replace Dismember with Lightnig Bolt, the answer is exactly the same. SBA move the creature to the graveyard before Giant Growth raises its toughness.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-03T18:42:41.287Z
Note that Dismember lowers the elf's toughness to -4, and Giant Growth would raise it (if it weren't dead already) to -1 so it would still die.
diego
<magic-the-gathering>
Toughness and the Stack
Drasticmtg
# Toughness and the Stack

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-03)

If a creature's toughness were to reach 0 before the stack is finished resolving, does it die, or does the stack finish. For example, if a Llanowar Elf had Gigantic growth cast on it and the growth was responded to by Dismember what would happen? Would Dismember bring it to 0 and Gigantic raise it to 3 before it could die? Or does it bite the dust?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: If you replace Dismember with Lightnig Bolt, the answer is exactly the same. SBA move the creature to the graveyard before Giant Growth raises its toughness.  
> **username_2**: Note that Dismember lowers the elf's toughness to -4, and Giant Growth would raise it (if it weren't dead already) to -1 so it would still die.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-07-03. Score: 5

Yes, the creature would die as a State Based Action.

> 704.1. State-based actions are game actions that happen automatically whenever certain conditions (listed below) are met. State-based actions don't use the stack.
>
> 704.3. Whenever a player would get priority (see rule 116, "Timing and Priority"), the game checks for any of the listed conditions for state-based actions, then performs all applicable state-based actions simultaneously as a single event.

So, the state based effects would get checked after Dismember resolves.

Then, this SBA would happen

> 704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.

So, before the Giant Growth would get a chance to resolve, the Llanowar Elf would die.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Maybe also nice to mention is that SBAs don't happen during the resolution of a spell or ability so if a creature's toughness becomes 0 but increases again during the same spell it will survive. An example would be casting Windfall with a Maro on the field  
> **username_3**: It's also ignoring the fact that a Llanowar Elf with a giant growth on it still dies to dismember :)  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2015-07-03. Score: 1

The creature would die and go to the graveyard immediatly.

Others spells targeting it can not resolve themselves so they are like countered, they go to the graveyard too.


---

