Icefeather Aven Gatherer Ruling doesn't fit the oracle text
Asked by piebandit 9 years ago
Icefeather Aven says on the card,
When Icefeather Aven is turned face up, you may return another target creature to its owner's hand.
The ruling makes it seem like this is non-optional though.
the relevant ruling: http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=386562
9/20/2014 If you control the only other creatures when Icefeather Aven is turned face up, you must target one of them. You choose whether that creature is returned to its owners hand as the ability resolves.
Does this make sense? Was the card's text altered and I'm looking in the wrong place?
smash10101 says... Accepted answer #2
This is almost never relevant, but sometimes the only other creature might be you Phantasmal Dragon or something. You still have to chose a target, even if you don't want to bounce. The decision on whether to bounce or not happens on resolution, not triggering.
November 21, 2014 11:56 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
The "may" is only for "you may return". You have to choose a target when the ability is first put onto the stack. You choose whether or not to do anything to that target as the ability resolves. Like smash10101 says, it almost never matters, but sometimes it does.
nighthawk101 says... #1
When Icefeather Aven is turned face up, it's ability goes on the stack. You must then choose targets for it. If you control the only other creaturee, you must target that creature. When the ability resolves, you choose whether that creature is returned to its owner's hand.
(If there are no other creatures, the ability fizzles.)
November 21, 2014 11:43 a.m.