Can Blood for Bones Target the Sacrificed Creature? A Deep Dive into MTG Sacrifice and Recursion
Yes, Blood for Bones can indeed target the creature you sacrificed to cast it. This makes it a powerful and versatile card in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), allowing you to immediately recoup your loss and potentially gain a significant advantage. The timing and rules interactions are key to understanding this functionality. Let’s break it down!
The text of Blood for Bones is critical: “As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to the battlefield.” Notice that there is no restriction on what the target creature cards in your graveyard can be. The sacrificed creature enters your graveyard as a cost to pay for the spell. Once the spell resolves, that card is a valid target for the second part of the effect. The ability doesn’t target during the act of sacrificing a creature, so there’s nothing stopping you from picking it as a target.
This interaction allows for some powerful plays, such as sacrificing a valuable creature with an “enter the battlefield” effect, immediately bringing it back, and getting that effect again. It’s a great example of how understanding the sequencing of actions in MTG can open up strategic possibilities.
Understanding Sacrifice in MTG: The Foundation
Before diving deeper into Blood for Bones, let’s solidify our understanding of sacrifice in MTG. Sacrifice is a keyword action that specifically moves a permanent you control from the battlefield directly to its owner’s graveyard. It’s essential to remember that sacrificing is not the same as destroying.
Here are the key points about sacrifice:
- It’s an Action, Not an Ability: You can’t just choose to sacrifice a creature whenever you want. You need a spell, ability, or cost that specifically instructs you to do so.
- Permanent Required: You can only sacrifice permanents. You can’t sacrifice instants, sorceries, or anything that isn’t a permanent on the battlefield.
- Control is Key: You can only sacrifice permanents you control.
- No Destruction: Sacrificing a permanent doesn’t destroy it. This means abilities like regeneration or effects that replace destruction don’t apply.
Blood for Bones: A Practical Example
Let’s illustrate how this works with a simple scenario:
- You control a Grave Titan on the battlefield and have Blood for Bones in your hand.
- You cast Blood for Bones, sacrificing the Grave Titan as a cost. The Titan goes to your graveyard.
- As Blood for Bones resolves, you target the Grave Titan and another creature card in your graveyard.
- Both creatures are returned to the battlefield. Grave Titan’s “enter the battlefield” triggers activate, creating two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.
You’ve effectively recycled your Grave Titan and gotten immediate value from it all in one fell swoop!
Timing and the Stack: No Interruptions
One of the strengths of Blood for Bones is that no player can interrupt the process between the sacrifice and the return. Once you announce the spell and pay the cost (sacrificing the creature), your opponent cannot take any actions until the spell fully resolves. This prevents them from countering your recursion strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Sacrifice and Blood for Bones
Here are some common questions related to sacrificing creatures and its interaction with other mechanics in MTG.
Can I Sacrifice a Creature at Any Time?
No. Sacrifice is a keyword action. You can only sacrifice a creature when a spell, ability, or cost specifically instructs you to do so. You can’t just choose to sacrifice a creature “whenever you feel like it.”
What Happens If You Sacrifice a Creature with Regenerate?
Regeneration replaces destruction. Sacrificing a creature doesn’t destroy it, so regeneration will not trigger. The creature simply goes to the graveyard.
Can a Creature Be Regenerated If Sacrificed?
No. As sacrificing doesn’t involve destruction, regeneration cannot be used to save a sacrificed creature.
Does Deathtouch Cancel Deathtouch?
No. Deathtouch does not cancel Deathtouch. Any amount of damage a creature with Deathtouch deals to another creature is enough to destroy it.
Does Hexproof Stop Sacrificing?
No. Hexproof prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponent controls. If the spell or ability that causes the sacrifice targets you (the player) and forces you to sacrifice a creature, hexproof doesn’t help. You are still forced to sacrifice the hexproof creature.
Can You Sacrifice a Creature That Is Already Being Sacrificed?
No. Once a creature is sacrificed, it’s in the graveyard. You can’t sacrifice it again because it’s no longer on the battlefield.
Can You Regenerate a Sacrificed Permanent?
No. Sacrificing moves the permanent directly to the graveyard without being destroyed. Therefore, regeneration will not work.
Can You Sacrifice a Tapped Creature in Magic?
Yes. The tapped state doesn’t prevent you from sacrificing a creature. You can sacrifice a tapped creature to pay the cost of a spell or ability.
Can You Sacrifice a Creature with Decayed?
Yes. The decayed ability forces you to sacrifice the creature at the end of combat if it attacked. You can sacrifice it for another reason before then.
Does Hexproof Cancel Deathtouch?
No. Hexproof only prevents targeting. Deathtouch doesn’t target. Damage from a creature with deathtouch is still lethal, even to a creature with hexproof.
Can Indestructible Beat Deathtouch?
Yes. Indestructible prevents a creature from being destroyed by lethal damage. Therefore, a creature with indestructible can survive damage from a creature with deathtouch.
Does Double Strike Beat Deathtouch?
Yes, if used correctly. If a creature with first strike or double strike blocks a creature with deathtouch, your creature will deal damage during the first strike damage step, before the deathtouch creature can deal damage. If it does, then the deathtouch creature dies, and nothing happens to the first strike creature.
Can Shroud Block Deathtouch?
No. Like hexproof, shroud prevents targeting. Deathtouch doesn’t target, so a creature with shroud will still be destroyed by damage from a creature with deathtouch.
Does Proliferate Get Around Hexproof?
Yes. Proliferate does not target. You choose permanents or players to add counters to. Permanents with hexproof or shroud can be chosen, as they are not being targeted.
Does First Strike Nullify Deathtouch?
Yes, depending on the outcome of combat. If a creature with first strike deals lethal damage to a deathtouch creature before the deathtouch creature deals its combat damage, the deathtouch creature is destroyed and doesn’t deal any damage.
Strategic Implications and Deck Building
The ability to target the sacrificed creature with Blood for Bones opens several deckbuilding avenues. Consider building decks around:
- “Enter the Battlefield” Effects: Creatures like Mulldrifter or Gray Merchant of Asphodel provide immediate value when they enter the battlefield. Sacrificing and recurring them with Blood for Bones maximizes this value.
- Sacrifice Synergies: Cards that reward you for sacrificing creatures, such as Judith, the Scourge Diva, combine well with Blood for Bones, turning it into a value engine.
- Graveyard Filling: Blood for Bones requires creatures in your graveyard. Cards that mill yourself or discard creatures to the graveyard become important enablers for your strategy.
Final Thoughts
Blood for Bones is a testament to the intricate and nuanced rules of MTG. The ability to target the sacrificed creature allows for creative and powerful plays. By understanding the timing, the concept of sacrifice, and the interactions with other mechanics, you can unlock the full potential of this card and build decks that take your opponents by surprise.
The complexities and strategic depths of games like MTG provide excellent opportunities for learning and skill development. Organizations like the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org explore how games can be used as tools for education and cognitive growth. Understanding how games improve learning is the key to making us better at both playing and life.