<p>No, you cannot look for Black Sun's Zenith when playing it and activating Razaketh the Foulblooded's ability.</p>
<p>To see why, let's look at the stack:</p>
<ul>
<li>You play Black Sun's Zenith: this means paying its cost and placing the card itself on the stack. As per <a href="http://media.wizards.com/2017/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020170825.txt" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the rules</a>:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p>601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), <strong>put it on the stack</strong>, and pay its costs, [...]</p>
</blockquote>
<ul>
<li>Before the X -1/-1 counters are distributed, you activate Razaketh's ability. You can't do it after, because Razaketh will be gone by then if we assume Zenith's X is 8, as you propose:</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<ol start="704">
<li>State-Based Actions [...]</li>
</ol>
<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>
<ul>
<li>Razaketh's ability resolves first, but since Black Sun's Zenith is still on the stack physically, you can't look for it in your library.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-20T20:51:07.343Z
2017-09-20T20:51:07.343Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
steenbergh
<p>No.</p>

<p>The State-Based Action that would put Razaketh into the graveyard happens the next time a player would get priority after Razaketh gets the -1/-1 counters, so it happens before you get priority to activate Razaketh's activated ability.</p>

<p>The last chance you have to activate Razaketh's activated ability occurs before Black Sun's Zenith starts resolving, and Black Sun's Zenith isn't in your library at that point.</p>

<hr>

<p>If Black Sun's Zenith was an instant (or <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382398" rel="nofollow noreferrer">gained flash</a>), then you could make it work. You'd start by activating Razaketh's activated ability, then cast Black Sun's Zenith in response. Black Sun's Zenith would resolve first, then Razaketh would die, then Razaketh's activated ability would resolve.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-09-20T19:51:13.190Z
2017-09-21T08:15:28.817Z
2017-09-21T08:15:28.817Z
ikegami
<p>I was wondering about the interactions between <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRazaketh%2c%20the%20Foulblooded%5d">Razaketh, the Foulblooded</a> and <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bBlack%5d%2b%5bSun%27s%5d%2b%5bZenith%5d">Black Sun&#39;s Zenith</a>. If I cast Black Sun's Zenith, choosing at least 8 for X, can I use Razaketh's ability to tutor for Black Sun before he dies?</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/I0vTE.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/I0vTE.png" alt="Razaketh the Foulblooded"></a><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4oLGQ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4oLGQ.png" alt="Black Sun&#39;s Zenith"></a></p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Interactions with Razaketh and Black Sun's Zenith
The Man
# Interactions with Razaketh and Black Sun's Zenith

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-09-20)

I was wondering about the interactions between [Razaketh, the Foulblooded](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRazaketh%2c%20the%20Foulblooded%5d) and [Black Sun's Zenith](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bBlack%5d%2b%5bSun%27s%5d%2b%5bZenith%5d). If I cast Black Sun's Zenith, choosing at least 8 for X, can I use Razaketh's ability to tutor for Black Sun before he dies?

[![Razaketh the Foulblooded](https://i.sstatic.net/I0vTE.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/I0vTE.png)[![Black Sun's Zenith](https://i.sstatic.net/4oLGQ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/4oLGQ.png)

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-09-20. Score: 9 | Accepted answer

No.

The State-Based Action that would put Razaketh into the graveyard happens the next time a player would get priority after Razaketh gets the -1/-1 counters, so it happens before you get priority to activate Razaketh's activated ability.

The last chance you have to activate Razaketh's activated ability occurs before Black Sun's Zenith starts resolving, and Black Sun's Zenith isn't in your library at that point.

---

If Black Sun's Zenith was an instant (or [gained flash](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=382398)), then you could make it work. You'd start by activating Razaketh's activated ability, then cast Black Sun's Zenith in response. Black Sun's Zenith would resolve first, then Razaketh would die, then Razaketh's activated ability would resolve.


---

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-09-20. Score: 4

No, you cannot look for Black Sun's Zenith when playing it and activating Razaketh the Foulblooded's ability.

To see why, let's look at the stack:

* You play Black Sun's Zenith: this means paying its cost and placing the card itself on the stack. As per [the rules](http://media.wizards.com/2017/downloads/MagicCompRules%2020170825.txt):

> 601.2. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), **put it on the stack**, and pay its costs, [...]

* Before the X -1/-1 counters are distributed, you activate Razaketh's ability. You can't do it after, because Razaketh will be gone by then if we assume Zenith's X is 8, as you propose:

> 704. State-Based Actions [...]
>
> 704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. Regeneration can’t replace this event.

* Razaketh's ability resolves first, but since Black Sun's Zenith is still on the stack physically, you can't look for it in your library.


---

