The Battlefield

Necroskitter

$2.65

The Reaper, King No More

$2.24

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Necroskitter + The Reaper, King No More

Overview

Both Necroskitter and The Reaper, King No More use triggered abilities that trigger when “a creature an opponent controls with a -1/-1 counter on it dies.” Wither causes damage to become -1/-1 counters and damage that creates those counters is described in rule . When such a creature dies, both creatures’ triggered abilities can trigger and be put on the stack . When one of those triggers resolves and returns the card to the battlefield, the other trigger can no longer return that same card because it is no longer in the graveyard. The Reaper’s ability also contains the built‑in restriction “Do this only once each turn,” so The Reaper can only perform such a return once that turn (the card text enforces that restriction). Returned creatures enter the battlefield without those -1/-1 counters (Ruling [2008-08-01]).

Step 1

A creature an opponent controls acquires one or more -1/-1 counters (for example, Necroskitter dealt damage with wither or The Reaper’s ETB put counters on it); wither causes damage to be applied as -1/-1 counters .

Step 2

The creature then dies (is put into its owner’s graveyard) because of lethal damage, toughness 0, or another effect; creatures are put into their owners’ graveyards by state‑based actions when appropriate .

Step 3

When that creature dies, Necroskitter’s and The Reaper’s triggered abilities that watch for “a creature an opponent controls with a -1/-1 counter on it dies” trigger and are placed in the pool of triggered abilities to be put on the stack .

Step 4

Those triggered abilities are later put on the stack in the game’s normal way and will resolve in turn. Each ability, when it resolves, attempts to return the creature card from the graveyard to the battlefield under that ability’s controller’s control.

Step 5

If the first resolving trigger returns the creature card to the battlefield, the card is no longer in the graveyard, so the next resolving trigger cannot return that same card (it has to be in the graveyard to be returned).

Step 6

If The Reaper’s trigger resolves and would perform the return but The Reaper has already used its “Do this only once each turn” for that turn, that resolution will not return the card (the restriction in the card text prevents doing it more than once that turn).

Step 7

Any creature returned this way enters the battlefield without the -1/-1 counters it had when it died (Ruling [2008-08-01]).

Resolution

When an opponent’s creature that has a -1/-1 counter dies, Necroskitter’s and The Reaper’s triggered abilities will each trigger and be put on the stack . Either trigger that resolves first can return the creature card from the graveyard to the battlefield; once one ability returns the card it is no longer in the graveyard, so the other trigger cannot return that same card. In addition, The Reaper’s ability can only cause such a return once per turn (its card text imposes that restriction). The creature returned enters the battlefield without the -1/-1 counters it had on it (Ruling [2008-08-01]).

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