If a card says "deal 3 damge to target creature or player". Does that mean the player chooses which target the damage is dealt to?

Asked by WaveTheNoob710 8 years ago

My friend tries to do the stupidest things like saying I can't play a Cancel (which cancels target spell) on a enchantment as it's played. Or when he summons something he uses the ability (you can't use abilities right at summoning sickness). He also shuffles between turns. Un-fortunately I can't really argue because he says it's the way he was taught or says he learned it from a person with more experience. He's also a pathological liar so I want to settle this once and for all.

TheFoilAjani says... Accepted answer #1

When you cast a spell or activate an ability, you get to decide where the damage goes. Simple as that.

Side note, you can activate abilities of creatures the turn you play them as long as they aren't abilities woth tapping or untapping being the cost.

June 11, 2016 10:54 p.m.

Epochalyptik says... #2

Your friend also can't shuffle his deck for no reason.

June 12, 2016 1:28 a.m.

Raging_Squiggle says... #3

As long as the counterspell you're using is targeting a legal target, i.e. Essence Scatter targeting a creature spell, you are in the right.

To clarify, you cannot use activated abilities of creatures while they're on the stack. When they're in play, the same turn they entered, as long as the activation cost doesn't include "" or '", you're good to go. This is due to the "summoning sickness" rule.

Unless an effect instructs you to shuffle your library, or you illegally know the location of a card in your deck, you are not allowed to do so at any time in the game.

Skimming over the basic Comprehensive Rules of Mtg is good to get accustomed to various rules of the game. Try suggesting it to your friend.

June 12, 2016 3:33 a.m.