Can you switch the target of a spell before it resolves?
Asked by SamuelThrasher1996 12 years ago
Here is a hypothetical situation. Lets say I have a Angel of Serenity and a Seraph of Dawn on the field and I swing with both of them. My opponent casts Rebuke on my Angel of Serenity . In response to this, I cast Cloudshift . Can my opponent then change the target of Rebuke to Seraph of Dawn instead?
No.
once you cast the spell the named target is the named target. If your opponent Cloudshift that target, then your Rebuke still targets the ORIGINAL creature, not the newly entered creature. the Rebuke misses its target and cannot that target cannot be changed.
Naming the target is part of playing the spell.
December 17, 2012 5:47 p.m.
SamuelThrasher1996 says... #3
Okay. I meant to include he was targeting the Angel of Serenity with Rebuke . Sorry for the confusion and thank you for the help :)
December 17, 2012 5:48 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... Accepted answer #4
@DaCeltics You can't place a spell that targets on the stack without first selecting targets. Part of the process of putting a spell on the stack is: naming the spell, selecting targets if applicable, and paying all costs taking into account reductions and additions. During that process no one has priority and an opponent cannot respond to the spell until targets have been selected.
In short, he cannot change the target of his spell.
December 17, 2012 6:09 p.m.
Oh well, ignore the second part. No wonder I failed the judges exam.
December 17, 2012 6:15 p.m.
twilighttome says... #6
So, this depends on exactly what you're asking:
Is your opponent essentially saying, "Well, #$%@. Can we pretend I targeted the Seraph instead?" If so, then you can TROLOLOL and say, "Sure. Rebuke targets the Seraph. And now so does Cloudshift. :3" [Translation: No, not really. Legally he's out of luck. But it's fun to think about!]
Or is he saying, "Does Magic have a way to change the target of a spell that has not yet resolved?" And the answer to this is yes. Spells don't check their targets after they've been legally declared until they attempt to resolve. If a spell has zero legal targets, it "fizzles" or is rules-countered (no second chances period). If at least one target is legal, the spell resolves, but doesn't affect the illegal target (like if he had cast Comet Storm for 6 on both of your creatures, Seraph would take 6 and die but not the Angel). So, your opponent could cast Meddle and have Meddle change the Rebuke to target the Seraph (or have the Cloudshift target the Seraph if he's really thinking).
Verdict: There are cards that do this, but you can't just do so on a whim.
DaCeltics says... #1
It depends on whether or not they declared the target already. If they played Rebuke targeting the Angel of Serenity , then when you cast Cloudshift , then Rebuke will fizzle. If your opponent just put Rebuke onto the stack without targeting, and you respond with Cloudshift , then your opponent can choose to Rebuke the Seraph of Dawn
December 17, 2012 5:45 p.m.