Jason and Eddie are playing in a two player game. Jason casts Rakdos’s Return targeting Eddie, and laughs. Eddie casts Redirect, declaring that Rakdos’s Return will be targeting Jason instead.
After Eddie gets down from the table doing his best rendition of his victory dance, Jason will inform Eddie that unfortunately, he can’t do that.
Eddie will then read the two cards, and cry a little.
What happens is, Jason is the controller of Rakdos’s Return, and Rakdos’s Return states clearly, “Target Opponent.”
Now, is Jason a “target opponent” of Jason?
No, and Redirect, no matter how hard it tries, cannot change the target of a spell to an illegal target during its resolution. That would be wrong of it!
Now, if the same situation happens when Josh is at the table, and Jason slams his Rakdos’s Return aimed at Eddie, and Eddie looks at his Redirect, and then up to Josh…
*Commence Victory Dance!*
Today’s Rules Tip written by Eddie Cheung