Aven Cloudchaser/Viashino Sandscout Questions

Asked by ThePants 12 years ago

Question 1: Aven Cloudchaser was played and one of its abilities says "Destroy target enchantment when it enters the battlefield." Am I FORCED to destroy something? Or am I able to just target a creature and let the ability fizzle?

Question 2: Vaishino Sandscout was also played in this very same game and one of its abilities says "At the end of turn, return Vaishino Sandscout to owner's hand." If it is killed in combat and sent to the graveyard on that turn does it still return to the owner's hand? Or does it stay dead?

P.S.- Sorry for the questions about outdated cards, I don't play in tournaments, but I like to abide by the rules of play while we play at my house. My friends and I have "House Rules" when we play. This means that when we play at my house, we use my rules, when I play at a buddy's house, we play by their rules: mana rush, hand limits, mana burn, etc.

GoblinsInc says... Accepted answer #1

Question 1: Aven Cloudchaser was played and one of its abilities says "Destroy target enchantment when it enters the battlefield." Am I FORCED to destroy something? Or am I able to just target a creature and let the ability fizzle?

You must, if one exists, declare a legal target when placing the ability on the stack. You cannot chose an illegal target just to make it fizzle. If no legal targets exist, it will be removed from the stack.

Question 2: Vaishino Sandscout was also played in this very same game and one of its abilities says "At the end of turn, return Vaishino Sandscout to owner's hand." If it is killed in combat and sent to the graveyard on that turn does it still return to the owner's hand? Or does it stay dead?

It stays dead. Abilities, unless they specify where they trigger from or could only work in a specific zone (like cannot be countered can only function on the stack), only trigger/work on the battlefield. The ability will not trigger if the Sandscout is dead and in the yard.

P.S.- Sorry for the questions about outdated cards, I don't play in tournaments, but I like to abide by the rules of play while we play at my house. My friends and I have "House Rules" when we play. This means that when we play at my house, we use my rules, when I play at a buddy's house, we play by their rules: mana rush, hand limits, mana burn, etc.

Its cool.

August 4, 2012 2:08 a.m.

ThePants says... #2

Thanks a bunch! Sorry for not using the brackets or even proper spelling on the cards in question lol

August 4, 2012 2:10 a.m.

Epochalyptik says... #3

1) No. First, the ability of Aven Cloudchaser is mandatory, so if you can destroy a target enchantment then you must do so. Second, you cannot name an illegal target; if the ability says "target enchantment," your target must be an enchantment. If there are no enchantments in play, the ability does nothing. If you control the only enchantment(s) on the battlefield, you must target one of them.

2) When an effect names a permanent without specifically using the word "card," it means a permanent (a card on the battlefield). If Viashino Sandscout is not on the battlefield, it will not be returned to its owner's hand.

August 4, 2012 2:13 a.m.