Swerve/Young Pyromancer interaction
Asked by Baloney 8 years ago
Okay I have a special question concerning the Swerve card and the Young Pyromancer one on removal spells played against ourselves.
Let's say we have a Young Pyromancer on the battlefield and probably some other creatures too (it does not really matter) and the opponent decides to play an Abrupt Decay on one of our creatures.
Once this is done, I decide to Swerve his Abrupt Decay to another creature. My question is: can the 1/1 red elemental created by the Young Pyromancer become a legal target for Swerve the moment I cast it? Or do I have to choose another legal target for Swerve because YP's ability happens AFTER?
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
This trick works. Swerve only targets the "spell with a single target". You change the target of that spell as Swerve resolves, meaning the 1/1 elemental is already on the battlefield and can be chosen.
September 11, 2015 11:42 a.m.
I stand corrected, Rhadamanthus is right. From Gatherer:
You don't choose the new target for the spell until Swerve resolves. You must change the target if possible. However, you can't change the target to an illegal target. If there are no legal targets, the target isn't changed. It doesn't matter if the original target of that spell has somehow become illegal.
September 11, 2015 11:44 a.m.
Yeah sorry I misused the word "done" in my sentence.I meant "once my opponent lets me reply to his abrupt decay"
But thanks you answered my question very correctly. I wasn't sure if swerving the elemental could have been possible, although it did not made a lot of sense in my head to do so
JWiley129 says... #1
I'm going to break down my answer into two parts.
1.) The 1/1 is not a legal target because you have to declare Swerve's targets as you cast the spell. Then Young Pyromancer's ability will go on the stack above Swerve. So the Elemental will be made before you can choose it as a target.
2.) I'm a bit confused as to what you mean "Once this is done." Are you referring to when your opponent declares the target for Abrupt Decay? Or after Abrupt Decay resolves? If it is the former, you're fine. If it is the latter, then you can't Swerve the spell since it has resolved and is now in the graveyard.
September 11, 2015 11:11 a.m.