Navigating the Nuances of Invalid Targets in Magic: The Gathering

What happens when your carefully planned spell goes awry, aimed at a target that’s no longer valid? This is a common situation in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), where the battlefield state can shift rapidly, rendering previously legal targets illegal. The core answer is: If all of a spell’s targets are illegal upon resolution, the spell will “fizzle” and have no effect. It is removed from the stack without resolving any part of its intended effect.

The Fizzle Phenomenon

Imagine you cast a Lightning Bolt targeting your opponent’s creature. Before the Bolt resolves, your opponent sacrifices their creature. At resolution, the Bolt’s target is no longer valid, and therefore the spell fizzles. This means the Lightning Bolt has no effect at all. No damage is dealt to the creature (since it’s gone), and no damage is dealt to the opponent either, even though Lightning Bolt specifies that you deal 3 damage to target creature or player. It is crucial to understand that if the intended target is invalid, all effects of the spell are nullified. The spell simply ceases to exist, never impacting the game.

This rule applies to all kinds of spells, from direct damage like Lightning Bolt to complex multi-target spells and even those that have modes such as counterspells that also have secondary effects. If every single designated target becomes invalid before resolution, it will fizzle.

Why Does This Happen?

MTG’s rules are meticulously designed to maintain balance and consistency. The concept of “targeting” is fundamental to how spells function. When you cast a spell with a target or targets, you are effectively “locking in” the intended recipients of the spell’s effects. The game only checks for target validity during the resolution step. This means that there is a window between when you cast the spell and when it is resolved where targets can become illegal.

Key Concepts

Understanding the following concepts will give a more robust comprehension of how spells and targeting work in MTG:

• Stack: When a spell is cast, it goes onto the stack, an area where spells and abilities wait to be resolved. Spells resolve in the reverse order that they are placed on the stack.
• Resolution: This is the process of a spell having its intended effect, if all target are legal upon resolution.
• Legal Target: A legal target meets all the targeting requirements of the spell. A creature, for example, is a legal target for most spells that say “target creature”.
• Illegal Target: A target that no longer fits the spell’s targeting criteria at the point of resolution. This often means it has left the battlefield, or has gained a characteristic that makes it an invalid target.
• Fizzle: The informal term for when a spell has no effect due to all its targets being illegal upon resolution.
• Targeting: The act of choosing the object(s) that a spell or ability will affect.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Can I cast a spell if I don’t have a legal target?

Yes, you can technically cast the spell. However, if at resolution, there are no legal targets, the spell will fizzle. Casting a spell involves putting it on the stack and paying its costs, which you do before resolving the spell and checking for legal targets.

2. What if I target two creatures and one becomes illegal?

If only one target is invalid on resolution but at least one is legal the spell will still resolve, but will have no effect on the invalid target. Only if ALL targets are illegal does the spell not resolve, i.e. fizzle.

3. Does a spell have to resolve to target?

No. Targeting occurs when you put a spell on the stack, not when it resolves. You must choose legal targets at this point, according to the spell’s text. When the spell resolves, targets are re-checked.

4. Can I target a spell that cannot be countered?

Yes, you can target a spell that cannot be countered with a counterspell. While the counterspell will not be able to actually counter the spell, any other effects it might have will still happen. For example, a counterspell that has an additional effect that discards a card from the opponent will still discard a card.

5. Does Hexproof stop a spell from targeting?

Yes. Hexproof is a keyword ability that makes a permanent un-targetable by spells or abilities that your opponents control. If you attempt to target a permanent with hexproof using an opponent’s spell or ability it will be an illegal target. However, your own spells and abilities can still target your own cards with hexproof.

6. Does Deathtouch work on creatures with Hexproof?

Yes. Deathtouch does not target a creature. Instead, deathtouch affects a creature when a creature with deathtouch deals damage. So, it is possible to deal damage with a creature that has deathtouch to a creature with hexproof, and they will be destroyed.

7. Does Deathtouch affect Indestructible Creatures?

No. Deathtouch deals “lethal damage” to a creature, and creatures with indestructible cannot be killed by lethal damage. A creature with indestructible will be able to block a creature with deathtouch all day without dying, and will take no damage.

8. What if a creature becomes an illegal target after I cast a spell?

If a creature leaves the battlefield or gains an ability that makes it an illegal target after you cast the spell but before it resolves, that target will become invalid upon resolution. It will not be affected.

9. Can I target a spell on the stack with another spell?

Yes. Some spells, like Fork, allow you to target a spell on the stack with the copy. If the target is legal, the copy will be created, otherwise it will be an illegal target and the copied spell will not resolve.

10. What if I cast a spell with multiple modes, but all modes require an invalid target?

If all modes of a spell require a target, and all targets are invalid upon resolution, the spell will fizzle. If, however, one of the modes does not require a target, and you chose this mode, the spell will have the effect described in the mode, even if you also chose other modes that fizzled.

11. Does a copy of a spell have to have a legal target?

Yes. A copy of a spell is also a spell, and must also follow all the same rules as any other spell, meaning that copies will fizzle if they do not have legal targets when they resolve.

12. Does Shroud prevent Deathtouch?

No. Shroud prevents a creature from being targeted by spells and abilities. Deathtouch is not an ability that targets, instead affecting a creature through damage. Therefore, deathtouch will affect a creature with shroud.

13. Is playing a land considered casting a spell?

No. Playing a land is a special action that doesn’t use the stack, meaning it is not considered a spell, therefore it does not need to have targets, and cannot fizzle.

14. Is there a difference between playing a card and casting a spell?

Yes. “Playing” a card encompasses both casting a spell and playing a land. Casting a spell involves putting it on the stack and paying its costs, whereas playing a land is a special action that does not use the stack.

15. Is a spell cast before it resolves?

Yes. To cast a spell is to take it from where it is (usually the hand), put it on the stack, and pay its costs, so that it will eventually resolve and have its effect if it has a legal target or targets.

Conclusion

Understanding how invalid targets affect spells in MTG is crucial for both novice and experienced players. It is a central aspect of understanding the stack and how spells resolve. Knowing how spells fizzle prevents misplays and adds another layer of depth to this incredibly complex and engaging game. By familiarizing yourself with these rules, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the ever-changing battlefield, and make the right play in any situation.