Agony warp and targeting
B M
Warp, wouldn't it then be a spell with a single target for effects that
care about spells with a single target? I heard something to the
contrary, and I wanted to get clarification.
--Brent M
David DeLaney
First:
Agony Warp UB Instant
Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn. / Target creature gets -0/-3
until end of turn.
Since this does say "target" in two different places, you _are_ able to target
the same creature twice with it. (409.1c) But ... that does NOT make it a
"spell with one target" in any way. It is a spell with two targets, at all
times while on the stack after you're done announcing it. (One of the targets
might not be LEGAL; that's different.) It is not ever 'a spell with one
target'; it's always a spell with two targets while it's a spell at all [*].
Spells and abilities that can change the number of targets they have by being
cast in different ways include ones which say something like "X target
creatures", where the NUMBER of targets specified is itself variable ... and
ones which are modal and have different numbers of targets in different modes.
They do not include any that say "Target foo does bar, target blah does gah,
and target mfffmf does grllglr.".
See the very last part of the Target entry in the Glossary.
Dave
[*] Technically, there's a very short time during announcement when NO spell
or ability has targets YET - between 409.1a, when it gets put onto the stack,
and 409.1c/d, when the targets actually get chosen. No other spell or ability
can resolve and affect the spell or ability at that time, so it doesn't matter
for the purposes of your question, which is all about the "{ counter / change
the target of } target spell with a single target" stuff. Agony Warp isn't
ever a legal target for those.
--
\/David DeLaney posting from d...@vic.com "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://www.vic.com/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ & Magic / I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
Zoe Stephenson
Agony Warp {U}{B} Instant
/ Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.
/ Target creature gets -0/-3 until end of turn.
Comprehensive Rules, Glossary:
Target
Whenever the phrase "target [something]," where [something] is a
phrase that describes an object, player, or zone, appears in a spell
or ability, the controller of the spell or ability chooses something
that matches whatever follows that word. The choice of a spell or
ability's targets is made when the spell or ability is played. See
rule 415, "Targeted Spells and Abilities."
An instant or sorcery is targeted if the text that will be followed
when it resolves uses the phrase "target [something]," where the
"something" is a phrase that describes an object, player, or zone.
(If an activated or triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses
the word target, that ability is targeted, but the spell is not.)
An activated or triggered ability is targeted if it uses the phrase
"target [something]," where the "something" is a phrase that
describes an object, player, or zone.
Aura spells are targeted, and their target is specified by their
"enchant" abilities. They target the object or player they will
enchant. (See rule 415.3.) An Aura permanent doesn't target
anything.
Neither Equipment spells nor Equipment permanents are targeted. The
same is true for Fortification spells and Fortification permanents.
(See rule 415.3.) An Equipment or a Fortification may have abilities
which are targeted.
A spell or ability on the stack can't target itself.
A spell that targets the same object, player, or zone more than once
isn't a "spell with a single target."
Basically, when determining how many targets an object has, you count
the number of references the object keeps track of to other things.
You don't count the actual things that are targeted.
--
-- Zoe Stephenson, NetRep rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules
Group FAQ: http://www.daeghnao.com/magic/faq/ --
--