The Battlefield

Luminous Broodmoth

$2.23

Phyrexian Altar

$51.12

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Luminous Broodmoth + Phyrexian Altar

Overview

If you sacrifice a nonflying creature you control to Phyrexian Altar, the sacrifice moves that creature from the battlefield to its owner’s graveyard (sacrifice) , which causes Luminous Broodmoth’s triggered ability to trigger (it triggers “Whenever a creature you control without flying dies ...”). That triggered ability will be put on the stack and, when it resolves, return the creature to the battlefield with a flying counter on it (subject to token/ replacement-effect exceptions) .

Step 1

You activate Phyrexian Altar’s ability and, as part of paying that activation’s cost, you sacrifice a creature you control — that moves it from the battlefield to its owner’s graveyard as a sacrifice .

Step 2

When the creature is put into the graveyard from the battlefield, that event is the trigger condition for Luminous Broodmoth’s ability (“Whenever a creature you control without flying dies ...”), so that triggered ability is created and waiting to be put on the stack.

Step 3

As part of the activation sequence the Phyrexian Altar ability is placed on the stack after costs are paid. Then, before players receive priority, the game processes state‑based actions and places any waiting triggered abilities on the stack . The Broodmoth trigger will be put on the stack on top of the Altar’s activated ability.

Step 4

When the top triggered ability (Broodmoth’s) resolves, it returns the creature from the graveyard to the battlefield under its owner’s control with a flying counter on it (provided it’s still in a zone it can be returned from).

Step 5

Later the Altar’s activated ability resolves (it simply adds mana); the Altar’s ability does not prevent Broodmoth’s trigger from returning the creature.

Resolution

Activating Phyrexian Altar and sacrificing a nonflying, non‑token creature you control causes the creature to be put into its owner’s graveyard as a result of the sacrifice . Luminous Broodmoth sees that event and its triggered ability triggers; that trigger will be placed on the stack and, when it resolves, return the creature to the battlefield with a flying counter on it (tokens can’t be returned because they cease to exist when they leave the battlefield ). See Ruling [2020-04-17] for the related simultaneous-death case.

Feedback