Can I make new Proliferate choices when I copy an opponent's Proliferate spell?

Asked by toasthaste 9 years ago

Proliferate is described as "You choose any number of permanents and/or players with counters on them, then give each another counter of a kind already there."

When someone casts a spell that proliferates, if I copy their spell, do I get to choose new permanents to proliferate?

I'm thinking of modal spells here (say, Simic Charm ). When those spells are cast, the caster chooses a mode-- and any copies of the spell also copy the mode that the original caster chose. You don't get to make a new choice upon copying it.

Basically I'm wondering if Proliferate works the same way. If I copy someone's Steady Progress , I get to draw a card, but am I also forced to proliferate all the permanents they chose upon casting the spell?

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1

The only choices that are "locked in" when a spell/ability is cast/activated/triggered are modes, targets (including number of targets), and how the costs are paid. These will carry over into any copies that are made, which is why copy effects let you change targets, otherwise they'd be kind of dumb. Everything else is decided as the spell/ability resolves, and this includes the choices for proliferate.

So it doesn't matter what your opponent intends on proliferating when he casts Steady Progress (and technically, he isn't really supposed to choose until it's actually resolving), and you can choose to do whatever you want with the proliferate effect as your copy resolves.

September 5, 2014 5:18 p.m.