<p>Yes. Abilities still resolve if the creature that created them is gone*, or cards like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Torch%20Fiend">Torch Fiend</a> would be a little bit useless. This is because of the following rule:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>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. [...]</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So in this case: your Akroan Crusader gets targeted by a spell, and puts a triggered ability on the stack. Even if the Crusader goes away, the ability still resolves. Then your Nyxborn Rollicker enters the battlefield as a creature instead, since its target is gone.</p>
<p><sup>* Other stuff can make it fail to resolve, such as if the ability has targets and all its targets are now illegal - see <a href="http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Resolving_Spells_and_Abilities" rel="nofollow noreferrer">rule 608.2b</a>. But <em>the originating creature dying</em> won't do anything to prevent the ability from resolving.</sup></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-19T08:28:21.790Z
Good point about the Torch Fiend. I hadn't thought about it that way.
Matt Ellen
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T03:48:14.037Z
You might want to add that the ability still resolves **if it still has legal targets**. If it targets the creature it came from, for example, it would not resolve.
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T04:06:15.727Z
@murgatroid99 added, sound ok?
doppelgreener
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-26T04:06:46.757Z
Looks good to me
murgatroid99
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-06-19T12:27:12.210Z
I was like "Why should the Rollicker resolve? It will surely fizzle". Then I read up on the Bestow ability and was surprised that it actually works the way you describe. +1
M.Herzkamp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-19T08:26:54.073Z
2014-08-26T04:06:02.287Z
2014-08-26T04:06:02.287Z
doppelgreener
<p>Having read <a href="https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/18175/when-does-heroic-trigger">When does Heroic trigger?</a> I think the answer is yes, but I'd just like to double check:</p>

<p>I have <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bAkroan%20Crusader%5d">Akroan Crusader</a> and I cast <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bNyxborn%20Rollicker%5d">Nyxborn Rollicker</a> for its bestow cost so my stack looks like (LIFO):</p>

<ul>
<li>heroic trigger (token creature)</li>
<li>Rollicker</li>
</ul>

<p>My opponent then casts <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bDisperse%5d">Disperse</a> on my crusader:</p>

<ul>
<li>Disperse targeting crusader</li>
<li>heroic trigger (token creature)</li>
<li>Rollicker</li>
</ul>

<p>That's the final play, so after the stack resolves the creatures I should have are a 1/1 red soldier with haste (token) and a Nyxborn Rollicker. Is that correct?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-19T11:10:15.317Z
Abilities on the stack exist independently of their source. If information about its source is required and the source no longer exists, use last known information (LKI).
ikegami
<magic-the-gathering>
Does a heroic trigger still resolve if the heroic creature is gone?
Matt Ellen
# Does a heroic trigger still resolve if the heroic creature is gone?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-19)

Having read [When does Heroic trigger?](https://boardgames.stackexchange.com/questions/18175/when-does-heroic-trigger) I think the answer is yes, but I'd just like to double check:

I have [Akroan Crusader](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bAkroan%20Crusader%5d) and I cast [Nyxborn Rollicker](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bNyxborn%20Rollicker%5d) for its bestow cost so my stack looks like (LIFO):

* heroic trigger (token creature)
* Rollicker

My opponent then casts [Disperse](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bDisperse%5d) on my crusader:

* Disperse targeting crusader
* heroic trigger (token creature)
* Rollicker

That's the final play, so after the stack resolves the creatures I should have are a 1/1 red soldier with haste (token) and a Nyxborn Rollicker. Is that correct?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Abilities on the stack exist independently of their source. If information about its source is required and the source no longer exists, use last known information (LKI).  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-08-19. Score: 5 | Accepted answer

Yes. Abilities still resolve if the creature that created them is gone\*, or cards like [Torch Fiend](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Torch%20Fiend) would be a little bit useless. This is because of the following rule:

> 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. [...]

So in this case: your Akroan Crusader gets targeted by a spell, and puts a triggered ability on the stack. Even if the Crusader goes away, the ability still resolves. Then your Nyxborn Rollicker enters the battlefield as a creature instead, since its target is gone.

\* Other stuff can make it fail to resolve, such as if the ability has targets and all its targets are now illegal - see [rule 608.2b](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Resolving_Spells_and_Abilities). But *the originating creature dying* won't do anything to prevent the ability from resolving.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Good point about the Torch Fiend. I hadn't thought about it that way.  
> **username_3**: You might want to add that the ability still resolves **if it still has legal targets**. If it targets the creature it came from, for example, it would not resolve.  
> **username_2**: @username_3 added, sound ok?  
> **username_3**: Looks good to me  
> **username_4**: I was like "Why should the Rollicker resolve? It will surely fizzle". Then I read up on the Bestow ability and was surprised that it actually works the way you describe. +1  

---

