Commander Play situation

[BigRed40]

So I was Playing Magic last Tuesday. My Partner plays 'Seek The Horizon', our opponent plays 'Opposition Agent' then goes to grab my partners deck to search. I say hold on, I drop 'Sudden Spoil' does this stop him from searching my Partners Library if not would you Please be kind enough to Explain?

[ApothecaryGeist]

The answer is that it depends on the precise timing.   It can be done.


Seek the Horizons is on the stack.  Opposition Agent is cast in response.  You need to let Opposition Agent resolve.  Then, with Seek the Horizons still on the stack, cast Sudden Spoiling.  This will erase Opposition Agent's abilities.


The reason for this timing is that the wording of Sudden Spoiling is that it affects only the creatures that the player has on field at the time Sudden Spoiling resolves.  If you cast Sudden Spoiling while Opposition Agent is still on the stack, Spoiling will resolve first, then the agent with all abilities intact.

[BigRed40]

as he flashed in Opposition Agent I said hold on, it now hit the board.... then I Played Sudden Spoil which I would think in that order I would stop my opponent from searching my partners deck.

[stuffnsuch]

Yeah, technically, if you wait until the Opposition Agent's replacement trigger is on the stack it's too late and if you don't wait until the Opposition Agent hits the field you're too early, but if your group doesn't play that carefully with timing (as is generally the case in my experience), I'd accept the premise that casting Sudden Spoiling is sufficient as long as the opponent has cast the Opposition Agent and not started searching a deck.