Targeting / Shroud

Darkmor · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 2

Hi,
when i got a creature Frost Raptor 2/2 and it got SS: Frost dragon can not be the target of spells or abilities. Opponent want to destroy it and cast Lightning bolt (3damage to target creature). If i paid the SS, will i save Frost Raptor?, or dragon is targetted and will be destroyed ?? because the target for lightning bolt is set and its ability must be used before?

durbo · Joined: 26 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

when u pay the activation costs, frost raptor became untargettable, so there's no target for lightning bolt. frost raptor is alive and the caster of lightning may not choose new target.

Hardtrack · Joined: 10 Aug 2005 Posts: 477

Targets are checked twice. Once when you cast a spell and another time when the spell tries to resolve. Since the only target is no longer legal when the Lightning Bolt tries to resolves, the Bolt is countered and simply goes to the graveyard.

Conkisstador · Joined: 08 Sep 2004 Posts: 378

most spells and abilities check twice for targeting restrictions. they need to be legal at the time you cast the spell. if the spell has multiple targets, choose all targets.
both players get priority, starting with the active player. if either player does something, both players retain priority again.

once both players pass- the stack resolves. the spell will check its targets again. if ANY of them are legal, the spells resolves. if NONE of them are legal, the spell is countered. this may matter for effects that look for countered spells.

if i play electrolyze targeting dark confidant and mogg fanatic, and he sacrifices mogg at my face, electrolyze will still have a legal target and i will draw a card. if the mogg is sacked at dark confidant, electrolyze has no more legal targets and i will not draw.

cryptic command bounce mutavuault and tap all creatures opponents control... in response i activate mutavault and lightning bolt it. it dies. cryptic command just lost its only target so the rest of the spell won't resolve. happy swing-time for me.