In response?

Asked by RockerRyan 13 years ago

My opponent plays Phyrexian Metamorph, copying his Llanowar Elves. I say "In response", and play a Doom Blade, killing the elf. Does that make the Metamorph fizzle, or can my opponent still copy another creature using that spell?

Epochalyptik says... #1

The controller of Phyrexian Metamorph does not choose what it copies until it resolves as a spell and is entering the battlefield. At this time it is too late to respond. You have three real options:

1. Preemptively kill the creature or artifact you believe Phyrexian Metamorph will copy. The controller of Phyrexian Metamorph will then have fewer objects to choose from when it resolves.
2. Counter Phyrexian Metamorph to prevent it from ever resolving.
3. Destroy Phyrexian Metamorph after it resolve to prevent your opponent from getting full use from it (although it will have entered the battlefield already so any ETB effects or activated abilities that can be immediately activated can still be used).

May 20, 2012 9:01 p.m.

Ohthenoises says... #2

Well epoch the guy technically has to pass priority while Phyrexian Metamorph is on the stack and I have caught MANY players who, in their haste, say "Phyrexian Metamorph as a copy of Llanowar Elves."

If you killed Llanowar Elves in response to the Phyrexian Metamorph being placed on the stack and it was the only artifact or creature on the field it would, indeed, enter the battlefield as a 0/0 having nothing to target. However, if there is anything that can be copied he can just change the copied object because it still enters the battlefield.

May 20, 2012 9:13 p.m.

AradonTemplar says... Accepted answer #3

Magic uses many reasonable shortcuts. Declaring choices as you cast spells is one of them. When a player says, "Clone, copying X", what they mean is, "I cast clone, and intend to choose X as it enters the battlefield."

Whenever a shortcut is interrupted, though, such as doom blading the named creature in response to Clone's being cast, the player who used the shortcut is allowed to change any choices that technically have not yet been made. Therefore, if, as Clone enters the battlefield, the shortcutted creature is no longer a valid choice, they can (and MUST) make a valid choice instead.

It helps to clarify this situation as being different from many situations, though. Clone's wording does not target. If I were to cast Giant Growth on a creature, I'm not using a shortcut, because targets are already declared. If that creature's killed in response, I can't change targets for giant growth. However, Clone says to choose a target AS it enters the battlefield. The choice is not made until Clone is resolving, so up until that point, the controller of Clone does not have to choose.

Long story short: You choose a creature to copy as Phyrexian Metamorph enters the battlefield. You must make a legal choice as this happens. If the thing you intended to copy is no longer on the battlefield, you copy something else instead, if possible.

May 21, 2012 3 a.m.