Web of Inertia Vs. Graveyard Hate

Asked by TehGrief 5 years ago

Web of Inertia rulings are worded as "At the beginning of each opponent's combat phase, that player may exile a card from his or her graveyard. If the player doesn't, creatures he or she controls can't attack you this turn.".

Does this count as targeting the spell in the graveyard with an ability or is it just an additional cost to attack?

If so... would cards like Ground Seal, Silent Gravestone, and Underworld Cerberus prevent your opponents from declaring attackers since cards in graveyards can't be the targets of spells or abilities?

FancyTuesday says... Accepted answer #1

Web of Inertia doesn't use the word "target" so it doesn't target anything. Permanents can be chosen by players without being "targeted" as long as they're worded correctly, this is why you can Clone creatures with shroud.

Technically Web of Inertia creates a triggered ability that triggers at the beginning of your opponent's combat phase with an intervening if clause. It's not "an additional cost" as a term of art in MTG rules, though it acts similar to an additional cost. The trigger fires at the beginning of their combat step, they are given an option to do something (exile a card from their graveyard), if they don't they can't do something (attack you).

July 15, 2018 12:16 a.m. Edited.