When does a spell fizzle?
Asked by CrazedGinger 7 years ago
So I'm playing a casual game with 2 other friends (everyone is using tribal decks) my board is loaded with human werewolves and a single Immerwolf. My opponent on their turn, to prevent my humans from transforming, casts Footbottom Feast or Gravepurge or something like that regardless of the fact there are no cards in any graveyards.
My question is can he resolve this spell and still draw, even though he isn't returning anything?
Would the outcome in this scenario of been different if she cast Recover?
Does a spell "fizzling" count as being cast and prevent my humans from transforming?
I realize "fizzling" is a term the community made up but in just about every example I it has to do with the words [target card-type] or spells with additional costs that can't be paid.
Epochalyptik says... #2
To more directly address one of your questions: a spell or ability fizzles if it needs some number of legal targets and has zero legal targets remaining when it resolves. When a spell or ability "fizzles," it's countered by the game rules for not having any legal targets.
Note that if a spell or ability requires any number of targets and the number chosen is 0, the spell or ability won't fizzle because it doesn't require any targets at that point.
Note also that when a spell fizzles, it was still legally cast, but didn't resolve. When a spell is illegally cast, the game is typically rewound to the point just before the illegal action occurred (unless a judge deems it too far past the point where backing the game up is reasonable).
May 3, 2017 2:23 p.m.
Remember to check Gatherer for card rulings, Footbottom Feast's page addresses this situation very succinctly:
10/1/2007 You can cast this with zero targets. If you do, you'll get to draw a card. However, if you cast this with at least one target and all of those targets become illegal, the spell will be countered and you won't get to draw a card.
May 3, 2017 2:44 p.m.
To be clear, Recover cannot be cast if there is not a creature card in the grave to target. If there is a card to target, but it's somehow removed before Recover can resolve, Recover will be countered and it's controller will not draw a card. Gravepurge is only countered by the game rules if it's (a) cast with targets and (b) has all it's targets removed when it tries to resolve.
MollyMab says... Accepted answer #1
You can cast this with zero targets. If you do, you’ll get to draw a card. This is because it says put any number and that number can be 0.
Recover needs to target a card.
If they cast Recover, you would back the game up and that spell would not be counted as a spell for storm, werewolves flipping, etc.
If a spell is Countered on Resolution, such as casting Footbottom with 1 target and having that target exiled or changed zones, it would count for the purposes of flipping werewolves, because it went onto the stack.
May 3, 2017 2:10 p.m.