Can Martyr's Cause prevent damage from an opponents Uril, the Miststalker?
Asked by GoblinRiot 11 years ago
I know the card doesn't say that it targets the creature whose damage it is preventing, but is that really how it works?
Rhadamanthus says... #3
So you know: the current Oracle text of Martyr's Cause says "Sacrifice a creature: The next time a source of your choice would deal damage to target creature or player this turn, prevent that damage." Like Epochalyptik said, it doesn't target the source of the damage, but it does target whatever you're protecting from that damage.
It's always a good idea to check Gatherer for the Oracle text of older cards when you have a question about exactly what the printed wording means. For example, less than a year after Urza's Legacy was printed, the rules were changed to use different templating conventions for damage-prevention effects. That's when the official text of Martyr's Cause (and other cards like it) was edited to be what it is today.
July 12, 2013 10:18 a.m.
GoblinRiot says... #4
thanks for the history, but as long as I can brick wall Uril, I'm happy :D
Epochalyptik says... Accepted answer #1
A spell or ability only targets if its text uses the word target. Because Martyr's Cause doesn't say target, it doesn't target. Hexproof and shroud won't interfere with the selection of source.
July 12, 2013 2:06 a.m.