Vengeance and creature untapped before it resolves

Maciej Zalewski <gmaciejzal.RemoveThis@gmail.com> wrote in
news:1j9k5hmxcdhuz$.176vc4t2hmmr6$.dlg@40tude.net:

> Hi,
>
> I have a question that occured during casual play with my friends:
>
> The Vengeance is played on a tapped creature. Then this creature is
> untapped before before Vengeance resolves (for example by someone
> playing Twiddle). Then Vengeance resolves. Does it fizzle (since the
> creature is no longer tapped) or is the creature destroyed? Thank you
> for help in advance!
>
>
> Card Name: Vengeance
> Card Color: White
> Mana Cost: 3W
> Type & Class: Sorcery
> Card Text: Destroy target tapped creature.
>
>

Legality of targets is checked twice: on announcement, and on
resolution. Since the creature is no longer a legal target, Vengeance
will be countered on resolution. The same thing would have happened if
the creature was given Protection from White in response to the spell.



Dan

"You keep on using that word. I do not think it means what you think it
means."
--Inigo Montoya
 >> Stay informed about: Vengeance and creature untapped before it resolves 

Maciej Zalewski <gmaciejzal.RemoveThis@gmail.com> sent:
> Hi,

> I have a question that occured during casual play with my friends:

> The Vengeance is played on a tapped creature.

Vengeance {3}{W} Sorcery
/ Destroy target tapped creature.

> Then this creature is
> untapped before before Vengeance resolves (for example by someone playing
> Twiddle). Then Vengeance resolves.

The Comprehensive Rulebook says, in its description of resolution:

413.2a If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether
the targets are still legal. A target that's moved out of the zone it
was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game
state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its
characteristics may have changed or an effect may have changed the
text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it
was in, its last known information is used during this process to
determine its characteristics. The spell or ability is countered if
all its targets, for every instance of the word "target," are now
illegal. If the spell or ability is not countered, it will resolve
normally, affecting only the targets that are still legal. If a
target is illegal, the spell or ability can't perform any actions on
it or make the target perform any actions.

> Does it fizzle (since the creature is no
> longer tapped) or is the creature destroyed? Thank you for help in advance!

The targeting specification on Vengeance is "tapped creature". This is
the only sort of thing that's a legal target for Vengeance. Therefore,
Vengeance is countered because it tried to resolve without any legal
target.

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Group FAQ: http://www.daeghnao.com/magic/faq/ --
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 >> Stay informed about: Vengeance and creature untapped before it resolves