Interaction when an opponent attempts to counter a spell that can't be countered
Asked by TypicalTimmy 2 years ago
I no longer play with this individual, but since I just recalled the stories of some of our games, I'd like to ask for future clarification.
- Note: Yes, I am well aware that as a casual tabletop game, mistakes will be made and the table can just agree to walk a few steps back to let a player undo something. We've all seen this done with playing the wrong land, tapping the wrong mana for a spell, casting something out of sequence, not understanding card interactions or rules, etc. For the purposes of this question, I am not looking for these as a solution. I am purely looking for the rules outlined by the game itself.
With that out of the way, let's get into it.
Suppose I begin to tap six mana for a big spell. I use to play against a guy who was extremely trigger happy and would obviously be gearing up for an interaction. I mean he would be leaning forward, hyper-fixating on the table. He would grip his hand tight, sometimes even preparing the card ready on the pull. Often times he would have his hand on his mana sources, ready to tap and go.
Now, I cast Inescapable Blaze. The spell can't be countered.
He snaps out some type of a Counterspell.
Oops, Inescapable Blaze can't be countered. But he did pay for Counterspell and put it on the stack. Therefore, by the most strict rules of the game, he actually has to target his own spell, yes? Because Counterspell is the only viable target for, well, Counterspell?
I know it is potentially a mood-killer and it sucks the fun out of the game. I know it is good sportsmanship to just let him retract the spell and untap his mana. But, at the same time, sometimes you need to let someone die by their own sword. If they are going to be a trigger-happy aggressive player, they need to live by their consequences.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
Inescapable Blaze is a legal target for Counterspell. "Can't be countered" isn't like protection or shroud/hexproof, it just means the spell can't be countered. What happens here is that Counterspell will simply do nothing as it resolves.
Also, no spell can target itself. There's a specific rule in the CR that says it isn't allowed.
December 4, 2022 4:18 p.m.