Flash Kik-Jikki and Activated Abilities

[LotusHead]

Q: With the recent restoration of Phyrexian Dreadnought when can we expect similar worded cards, such as Mox Diamond and Lotus Vale, to also be restored?
–John, Lynchburg, VA, USA

A: From Kelly Digges, Magic Editor:

This is a question we've received a lot ever since the return of Flash to its original functionality, and even more since the Tenth Edition update bulletin and the announcement that Phyrexian Dreadnought would be similarly restored. It seems at first glance that the printed wordings of Flash and Phyrexian Dreadnought represent the same case as the printed wordings of Mox Diamond, Lotus Vale, Scorched Ruins, and similar cards with comes-into-play drawbacks. Let's look at the printed wordings:

Hmmm. Those look the same to me—so similar that I asked Rules Manager Mark Gottlieb (who is way too busy keeping the rules from disintegrating to answer Ask Wizards questions) what the difference was. He didn't deign to answer—he speaks mostly in cryptic riddles these days—but he did email me the URL of the Weatherlight FAQ. Now we're getting somewhere. This historical document dates back to the set's release (though not, one supposes, in its online form). Maybe I can find a passing reference to it, or... ah, this should do:

Can I tap Lotus Vale for mana before I sacrifice the two lands?

No. You must deal with a card's coming-into-play cost before you may activate any of its abilities.

There you have it. Under pre-Sixth Edition rules, comes-into-play costs—much like phase costs such as echo—had to be paid before any of a permanent's abilities could be used. Lotus Vale and company could never be tapped for mana without paying the proper costs, and so their current Oracle wordings reflect only the changing rules, not changing functionality. By contrast, Phyrexian Dreadnought doesn't have any activated abilities, and Flash doesn't give you the chance to use them—the creature comes into play and leaves play (if you don't pay) all during the spell's resolution.

So don't expect to see errata for Mox Diamond, Lotus Vale, or Scorched Ruins. We might revisit them to get them even closer to intended functionality—you'll notice an interaction change with Ankh of Mishra, for instance—but all evidence indicates that they currently work the way they always did in the majority of cases.

If I flashed a Kiki-Jikki into play, I couldn't get a free swipe of it's ability? (It has haste already)
I assume that if I flashed a Sundering Titan into play, basic land types would die, but Kiki Jikki has limits on when you can tap it for it's activated ability?

I wasn't aware of limits on when one can use activated abilities outside of Declare Attackers/Blockers and Draw a Card durning Draw step.

Would someone care to elaborate on why Kiki-Jiki can't tap mid-flash?

[Chill79]

You don't get priority to use that ability.Next time you could use kiki-jiki's ability is when flash is resolved.

[BigBarn]

Yeah, one of the basic rules that often gets glossed over is that the only things you can do during resolution of a spell or ability is exactly what those specfic instructions of the spell or ability are.  In this scenario, when Flash resolves the only thing you can do is "may put a creature card from your hand into play. If you do, sacrifice it unless you pay its mana cost reduced by up to  ."  That's it.  You can't do anything else until after the those instructions are followed, and anything that triggers in the middle of following the instructions (say, I don't know - Sundering Titan's comes-into-play and leaves-play abilities?), waits to go on the stack until immediately after Flash is resolved.

Casting Flash and then using Kiki's ability before it was sacrificed would be like casting Brainstorm, and then before putting 3 cards back you cycled Street Wraith.  Sorry, not allowed - you didn't follow all of the instructions yet.

Of course, one thing you can obviously always do in the middle of resolution, however, is concede.

[someone_unimportan]

You can also use mana abilities during a resolution. This is why the Ol' Chromatic Star-Thoughtcast trick worked. It's also why Lion's Eye Diamond was errata'd to be able to use only when you could play an instant. LED was SOOOOO much more broken back then . . .

[parallax]

You can't use mana abilities while a spell is resolving unless the spell instructs you to pay mana.

You can play mana abilities while playing a spell.

[andrewpate]

Essentially, you can play mana abilities whenever you're given a chance to spend mana.  One time when you can do that is during the announcement of a spell at the part when you're asked to pay all costs.  This is pursuant to rule 409.1f:

409.1f The player determines the total cost of the spell or ability. Usually this is just the mana cost (for spells) or activation cost (for abilities). Some cards list additional or alternative costs in their text, and some effects may increase or reduce the cost to pay. Costs may include paying mana, tapping permanents, sacrificing permanents, discarding cards, and so on. The total cost is the mana or activation cost, plus all cost increases and minus all cost reductions. Once the total cost is determined, it becomes “locked in,” and the player then has a chance to play mana abilities (see rule 411, “Playing Mana Abilities”). Once the player has enough mana in his or her mana pool, he or she pays all costs in any order. Partial payments are not allowed. If effects would change the total cost after this time, they have no effect. Playing a spell or ability that alters costs won’t do anything to spells and abilities that are already on the stack.

as well as rule 411.2

411.2. A player may play an activated mana ability whenever he or she has priority. A player may also play one whenever a rule or effect asks for a mana payment, even in the middle of playing or resolving a spell or ability.

The clause you speak of which restricts the use of Lion's Eye Diamond's ability exists in order to prevent players from announcing a spell from their hand and then using LED's ability to pay for it once it is no longer in their hands.  It was never possible to, for example, activate Lion's Eye Diamond between dealing damage and gaining life with Lightning Helix.

[Clariax]

You cannot activate Kiki-Jiki during the resolution of flash because you do not get priority during the resolution of Flash.  You can only play activated abilities (except mana abilities, more on those in a second) when you have priority.  Players do not get priority during the resolution of a spell/ability.  Players get priority before Flash resolves (at which point Kiki-Jiki is still in hand) and players get priority after Flash resolves (at which point Kiki-Jiki is in the graveyard).

There are a few rules which cover special times at which a mana ability may be played.  CR411.2 the various times a player may play a mana ability

[andrewpate]

Yes, I accidentally quoted an obsolete version of the CR.  This is 100% my mistake.  I'll be much more careful on this in the future.