V.A.T.S.

Instant

Split second (As long as this spell is on the stack, players can't cast spells or activate this ability abilities that aren't mana abilities.)

Choose any number of target creatures with equal toughness. Destroy the chosen creatures.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (4)

Rhadamanthus on What happens if I trigger …

1 month ago

I just remembered to check for the Release Notes. They came out last week: https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/feature/magic-the-gathering-fallout-release-notes

The last note given for V.A.T.S. confirms my initial thoughts:

• In the rare case where the legal targets no longer all have equal toughness (probably because of a triggered ability or special action) when V.A.T.S. tries to resolve, it won't resolve. None of the chosen creatures will be destroyed.

Rhadamanthus on What happens if I trigger …

2 months ago

As of right now, this is the only card that uses the "equal toughness" language. Because this set hasn't been officially released, we don't yet have official rulings notes for how V.A.T.S. interacts with other effects and certain rules of the game.

THE FOLLOWING ANSWER IS SPECULATION. If I still remember this question topic by the time we get official rulings notes for the card, I will come back here and post again to either confirm or correct.

The set of legal targets for V.A.T.S. is "any number of creatures with equal toughness". In the example where the creatures end as 1/1 and 2/2, neither will get destroyed. Neither of the creatures has equal toughness to the other creature being targeted, so neither is a legal target and they can't be acted on. In the example where both creatures end as 2/2, both will get destroyed. They each have equal toughness to the other creature being targeted so they are still legal targets for the spell.

If the above is the correct interpretation, V.A.T.S was probably given split second so it could actually work sometimes instead of forever getting fizzled by responses that change a single creature's P/T.

wallisface on What happens if I trigger …

2 months ago

While V.A.T.S. is on the stack you can indeed change your creatures toughness with Tyvar the Bellicoses ability.

However, do note that V.A.T.S. doesn’t “target”, it chooses a number of creatures during its resolution - and when this is happening there will be no chance to respond to this (as the spell is resolving).

So, in response to someone casting V.A.T.S. you could use Tyvar to try and give as many of your creatures different toughnesses as possible. But, then V.A.T.S. will resolve and whoever cast it will be able to destroy the creatures with the same toughness of their choosing

BarfQuackers on What happens if I trigger …

2 months ago

Tyvar the Bellicose and V.A.T.S.

First of all, I'm assuming I can activate stuff like Fyndhorn Elves because split second doesn't stop mana abilities or triggered abilities.

Say I have Tyvar the Bellicose, Llanowar Elves, and Elvish Mystic on the battlefield. In response to V.A.T.S. targeting both mana dorks, I tap one of them to become a 2/2 thanks to Tyvar, what happens? Does the spell Fizzle? Does only the the 1/1 die? Can they choose between either one? What happens if they cast V.A.T.S. targeting both as 1/1s and in response I tap them and they both become 2/2s?

I tried looking this up online the only answers I could find were "doesn't matter because you can't do anything in response to split second" and "idk".