<p>You cannot.</p>

<p>From the ruling on Gatherer for <a href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=464049" rel="noreferrer">Plague Engineer</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>The choice of creature type is made as Plague Engineer enters the battlefield. Players can’t respond to this choice. The -1/-1 effect starts applying immediately.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The reason this is the case is because plague engineer's ability is static. You can't respond to the choice of creature type because it's not an ETB trigger. For as long as the engineer exists on the battlefield his ability is in effect, and he needs to be on the battlefield in order to target him, so once you are able to target him your goblins have been dead for a while.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T13:15:16.553Z
2019-08-07T17:06:54.997Z
2019-08-07T17:06:54.997Z
ApotheosisCM
<p>To go a little further with ApotheosisCM's answer, the effect on Plague Engineer </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>As Plague Engineer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>is a replacement effect, which means that, instead of the creature entering the battlefield normally, you take an additional step as he enters the battlefield i.e. choose "Goblin".  The critical thing to note is that this does not use the stack, it just takes place as a part of the Plague Engineer resolving.</p>

<p>Replacement effects can generally be distinguished from triggered abilities due to the use of the word "As" at the beginning of the effect.  If the ability was instead worded as </p>

<blockquote>
  <p><strong>When</strong> Plague Engineer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Then it would be a triggered ability, and you would have a chance to respond with Fatal Push.  However, I don't know if there are any cards that are phrased this way.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T14:39:05.193Z
2019-08-07T19:50:05.267Z
2019-08-07T19:50:05.267Z
DenisS
<p>Unfortunately not. In order for you to target <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d">Plague Engineer</a> with your <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bFatal%20Push%5d">Fatal Push</a> it has to already be on the battlefield. That means that it's effect has already occured and your gobbos are gone. If you had countered it with a <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCounterspell%5d">Counterspell</a> then it wouldn't hit the battlefield and your 1/1s would be safe.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T19:01:32.770Z
Yes, I think I figured it out after I asked the question. Just like if Goblin Ringleader enters the battlefield and dies, immediately I would lose the Ringleader but still would be able to reveal 4 cards putting the Goblins in my hand. This is correct, isn;t it? Better get sleeving up some Icon of Ancestroys then!
Padjinski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T19:02:46.583Z
Could I save the Goblins by Vialing in a Goblin Chieftain?
Padjinski
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T20:37:41.033Z
@Padjinski Yes, [Aether Vial](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=438778)ing in something that would boost their toughness, like a chieftain, while the Engineer is on the stack will save the goblins.
ApotheosisCM
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-07T09:52:42.993Z
2019-08-07T09:58:35.673Z
2019-08-07T09:58:35.673Z
tomdemaine
<p>If I have a lot of 1/1 Goblins on the battlefield and my opponent casts <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d">Plague Engineer</a> can I save them all by responding with <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bFatal%20Push%5d">Fatal Push</a> on the <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d">Plague Engineer</a> or does the -1/-1 effect occur before I can kill <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d">Plague Engineer</a>? Sorry, I seem to be struggling with a very basic rule here.</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Responding to Plague Engineer
Padjinski
# Responding to Plague Engineer

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-07)

If I have a lot of 1/1 Goblins on the battlefield and my opponent casts [Plague Engineer](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d) can I save them all by responding with [Fatal Push](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bFatal%20Push%5d) on the [Plague Engineer](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d) or does the -1/-1 effect occur before I can kill [Plague Engineer](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d)? Sorry, I seem to be struggling with a very basic rule here.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2019-08-07. Score: 8

You cannot.

From the ruling on Gatherer for [Plague Engineer](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=464049):

> The choice of creature type is made as Plague Engineer enters the battlefield. Players can’t respond to this choice. The -1/-1 effect starts applying immediately.

The reason this is the case is because plague engineer's ability is static. You can't respond to the choice of creature type because it's not an ETB trigger. For as long as the engineer exists on the battlefield his ability is in effect, and he needs to be on the battlefield in order to target him, so once you are able to target him your goblins have been dead for a while.


---

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-08-07. Score: 7

To go a little further with username_1's answer, the effect on Plague Engineer

> As Plague Engineer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

is a replacement effect, which means that, instead of the creature entering the battlefield normally, you take an additional step as he enters the battlefield i.e. choose "Goblin". The critical thing to note is that this does not use the stack, it just takes place as a part of the Plague Engineer resolving.

Replacement effects can generally be distinguished from triggered abilities due to the use of the word "As" at the beginning of the effect. If the ability was instead worded as

> **When** Plague Engineer enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

Then it would be a triggered ability, and you would have a chance to respond with Fatal Push. However, I don't know if there are any cards that are phrased this way.


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### Answer by username_3 on 2019-08-07. Score: 1

Unfortunately not. In order for you to target [Plague Engineer](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPlague%20Engineer%5d) with your [Fatal Push](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bFatal%20Push%5d) it has to already be on the battlefield. That means that it's effect has already occured and your gobbos are gone. If you had countered it with a [Counterspell](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bCounterspell%5d) then it wouldn't hit the battlefield and your 1/1s would be safe.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Yes, I think I figured it out after I asked the question. Just like if Goblin Ringleader enters the battlefield and dies, immediately I would lose the Ringleader but still would be able to reveal 4 cards putting the Goblins in my hand. This is correct, isn;t it? Better get sleeving up some Icon of Ancestroys then!  
> **username_0**: Could I save the Goblins by Vialing in a Goblin Chieftain?  
> **username_1**: @username_0 Yes, [Aether Vial](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=438778)ing in something that would boost their toughness, like a chieftain, while the Engineer is on the stack will save the goblins.  

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