Forcefield
General forum
Posted on April 20, 2013, 9:44 p.m. by Regiment47
Please only chime in if you know with absolute certainty.
Does Forcefield "target"?
Except that the Oracle text says
1: The next time an unblocked creature of your choice would deal combat damage to you this turn, prevent all but 1 of that damage.
April 20, 2013 9:51 p.m.
"of your choice" is the old timer way of saying Target. before MTG/Wizards started making sure to phrase specific ways for rulings.
April 21, 2013 2:45 a.m.
This is from the Wizards site when the update to the wording on Forcefield was made.
ForcefieldIt's not clear whether the printed wording should target an attacking creature or not. Cards printed 13+ years ago weren't as fastidious about their use of the word "target" as we are today. Frequently, a card from that era whose printed wording clearly identified a specific player, creature, or other permanent has been interpreted as legitimately targeting that creature by modern standards, and the wording has been adjusted accordingly. In the case of Forcefield, though, there's a case to be made that the ability should not be targeted. After looking at the Circles of Protection and (especially) at Circle of Protection: Shadow, we decided that Forcefield should allow the choice of the damage source to be made as it resolves.
New wording
1: The next time an unblocked creature of your choice would deal combat damage to you this turn, prevent all but 1 of that damage.
According to this, "of your choice" does not equal "target." You may choose a creature with shroud or hexproof since it does not target.
April 21, 2013 3:12 a.m.
MagnorCriol says... #6
Except that it doesn't target. The actual, current, tournament-official Oracle text on Gatherer does not use the word target. The Oracle text does not say target, so the card does not target.
"Of your choice" is not really the old timey way of saying "target". Many effects that said that got updated to use "target," but that was due to the nature of the ability and what it was trying to accomplish rather than because of the use of a particular phrase.
April 21, 2013 3:14 a.m.
my apologies for applying teh "norm" to the card. I didnt look up legality I was just passing through.
April 21, 2013 4:11 a.m.
And it's better this way thematically (which I like, because I'm a Vorthos)
A forcefield isn't something I use on you. It's something I use on me and then point in your general direction.
fireteam says... #2
Yes. Especially if it's an old card, check the Oracle updated text.
"(1): The next time target unblocked creature would deal combat damage to you this turn, prevent all but 1 of that damage."
April 20, 2013 9:47 p.m.