Can you activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell triggering during cleanup, before losing control of the battlefield?
Ruling: Yes, you can activate Hidden Within in response to Deathknell before losing control of the battlefield. When cleanup finishes, Deathknell is placed on the chain as a pending trigger, and you must resolve the chain before proceeding to the step where control is lost.
Sequence:
- During cleanup, triggered abilities like Deathknell become pending but cannot be added to the chain yet
- Once cleanup finishes, pending triggers are finalized onto the chain
- The chain must be fully resolved before moving to the control-loss step
- During chain resolution, you still control the battlefield and can activate abilities like Hidden Within
- Only after the chain resolves does the game proceed to losing control of the battlefield
Nuances:
- While cleanup is ongoing, no spells or abilities can be activated - triggers only wait as pending
- Deathknell effectively stops the loss of control until it resolves because the chain must be resolved first