[Newbie of the day] LED functionality

[Wizbane]

Simple questions, hopefully simple answers for simple mind  

Once I have LED in play, can I:
1.
- cast a spell (put it on the stack, let's say Necropotence)
- sacrifice LED for black in response, discard the hand, get the mana, resolve the spell on the stack?

2.
- sacrifice LED, discard the hand, get the mana
- cast an instant spell from my hand in response before discarding it?

Thanks,
W.

[Lockdown]

1) Yes.  Since the spell is on the stack already, it will resolve, even after you discard your hand.
2) No.  Discarding your hand is part of the cost.  You can play madness off LED because you end of removing the card from the game when you discard it and playing it later (more complicated, but look in Rules FAQ up top).  Here, the card will be in the graveyard before you get priority to cast spells.

502.24 - Madness

    * 502.24a - Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player's hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. The phrase "Madness [cost]" means "If a player would discard this card from his or her hand, that player discards it, but may remove it from the game instead of putting it into his or her graveyard" and "When this card is removed from the game this way, until that player passes next, the player may play it any time he or she could play an instant as though it were in his or her hand by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. When the player passes next, he or she puts this card into his or her graveyard." [CompRules 2003/10/01]

[Jaapmans]

1) Yes.  Since the spell is on the stack already, it will resolve, even after you discard your hand.

Just to make sure there is no misunderstanding: you can't sack the LED to pay for the Necropotence.

The current oracle wording of LED includes "play this ability only whenever you can play an instant". Basically preventing you from using the mana-ability to pay for a spell during announcement.

Jaap

[Wizbane]

Thanks for answers. Sorry if I'll sound as an hardhead...

Number #2 is also clear to me, now. The instant card previously in my hand will already be in the graveyard when I'll get the mana. Eventually, I will be able to play it with LED mana if it has, for example, a flashback cost.

Madness is also clear.

About number #1: if I get it well, the mana from LED can only be used on madness cards, flashback cards, permanent cards already in play, some other effects that I'm probably skipping.
I can't use the LED mana to play *any* kind of direct spell I could have in my hand, regardless of type (my hand being the hand that I'm going to discard for LED, not counting eventual effects that can put a card in my hand later, after the discarding and while LED mana is still floating).

W.

Edit: from pseudo-pseudo-english to pseudo-english  

[Jacob Orlove]

You can, however, activate it in response to cards that you've already paid for. Two excellent examples of such cards would be Yawgmoth's Will and Wheel of Fortune. Popping the LED with either of those on the stack will give you mana that you can use to directly cast spells.

[carlossb]

One of the most common uses of LED is to sacrifice it in response to your Timetwister, or to a draw-7.
Or to your Yawgmoth´s will, or to the combination of a Vampiric Tutor (an instant tutor) plus a Chromatic Sphere.

Combo is so good...

[Wizbane]

Yes ok, I got it. Almost.  

W.