Is it worth responding to a creature target spell by equipping swiftfoot boots?
Asked by cryptichorror 13 years ago
An opponent casts, say Shock on a Phantasmal Image . In response, you pay 1 to equip Swiftfoot Boots . I know that stack will cause the equip to resolve first, but would that prevent the Shock from being able to target the Phantasmal Image , or has he already been targeted at that point?
spartanwolfej says... Accepted answer #2
A few things here:
- Equip abilities of equipments are sorceries, so unless you had something like Brass Squire , you would have to wait until Shock and anything on the stack resolves.
- Equip abilities of equipments target a creature, so that alone would kill phantasmal image.
- Phantasmal Image has already been declared as a target. It doesn't matter what happens to shock after Phantasmal Image was declared a target, he will still be sacrificed in the end.
- Finally, if you somehow were to bypass all of that, Phantasmal Image has already been targeted by a spell; hexproof doesn't negate the targets of spells that have yet to resolve, so Shock will still go through.
September 22, 2011 11 a.m.
cryptichorror says... #3
As a follow up then, could you destory an Illusion creature by casting a 0 damage Fireball ? In other words, pay the R, and leave X as zero, declare Phantasmal Image as the target, and still have him be sacrificed?
September 22, 2011 11:06 a.m.
spartanwolfej says... #4
Yes. Fireball still requires a target, even though it doesn't actually deal any damage to its target.
September 22, 2011 11:07 a.m.
cryptichorror says... #6
Finally, what about a card like Phyrexian Metamorph ? Does that "target" the creature it's copying? I've always played that it doesn't, only because the card text of Phyrexian Metamorph doesn't say "target" anywhere.
September 22, 2011 11:15 a.m.
spartanwolfej says... #7
Nope. So Phyrexian Metamorph could copy Phantasmal Image without having to sacrifice Phantasmal Image .
September 22, 2011 11:22 a.m.
ThiagoMaia says... #8
Hey, actually I think your 4th step is wrong, cause a spell checks for it's targets being legal both at casting and upon resolution, so if he could bypass all of that the shock would be countered because of the hexpoof.
September 22, 2011 4:03 p.m.
However, if the creature did not have the illusion's self-sac ability, you could break the removal if you could equip at instant speed. Lightning Greaves + Leonin Shikari makes it impossible for the opponent to do anything to your creatures.
goober1223 says... #1
Swiftfoot Boots targets Phantasmal Image , causing it to be sacrificed anyway. The question is moot.
September 22, 2011 10:57 a.m.