Cruel Ultimatum Casting Restrictions
Asked by OmegaSerris 13 years ago
I'm almost completely sure on this but a friend in my playgroup just doesn't want to let this go. He seems to think that there is a restriction on Cruel Ultimatum that keeps it from being cast unless the casting player has a creature in their graveyard to revive. I could see the logic here if the card read "target creature card" but it does not. The rulings seem to hint at this, but it isn't specific enough for me to convince him:
Cruel Ultimatum's only target is an opponent. You don't choose which creature card in your graveyard you'll return to your hand until Cruel Ultimatum resolves.
Can I get some clarification? Maybe I'm the one being hardheaded here, but I just want this argument ended one way or the other. :-)
OmegaSerris says... #2
Yeah, that's what I keep trying to explain to him. I guess he is just good enough at arguing that he got me to doubt my position.
Next time we go to our card shop, I'll just get a Judge to explain it to him. :-P
Thanks for the quick response.
March 14, 2012 9:11 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
Try explaining it this way, if he wants direct references to the rules:
One of the steps of casting a spell is choosing a legal object for each target the spell requires. However,
114.9a Just because an object or player is being affected by a spell or ability doesnt make that object or player a target of that spell or ability. Unless that object or player is identified by the word "target" in the text of that spell or ability, or the rule for that keyword ability, it's not a target.
Since Cruel Ultimatum only has one target - an opponent - that's all you're required to choose as a target when you cast the spell. When it comes time to return a creature card from the graveyard to your hand, but you don't happen to have any creature cards in your graveyard, then
101.3. Any part of an instruction that's impossible to perform is ignored. (In many cases the card will specify consequences for this; if it doesnt, there's no effect.)
March 14, 2012 10:44 p.m.
Ohthenoises says... #4
that's not as bad as one of the shops i played at told me and vehemently tell me that I'm wrong that first strike and deathtouch work together. even quoted the rules and everything.
NobodyPicksBulbasaur says... Accepted answer #1
The only target of Cruel Ultimatum
is your opponent, so only a legal opponent needs to be chosen in order to cast it.
Your opponent does not need to have three cards in hand, a creature on the battlefield, or five life. You do not need to have three cards in your deck or a creature in your graveyard.
Because everything except the "target opponent" is chosen upon resolution, it is possible for any number of the effects of Cruel Ultimatum
to fizzle, but this spell will still count as being successfully cast.
March 14, 2012 9:05 p.m.