Today’s lesson starts with effects checking to see if their targets are still legal before resolving. In order to stay relevant, we’ll use two cards that are in M15 – Gargoyle Sentinel and Clear a Path. Let’s begin with a story:

So here is your gargoyle. Pretty sweet gargoyle, I must say. He prefers to stay back and defend most of the time and occasionally swoops in for a Bolt’s worth of damage. Well, during your opponent’s turn he decides that gargoyle has gotta go. “It attracts pigeons and it’s an eyesore, so I’m going to send it packin’ with this Clear a Path,” he grumbles. So your opponent announces his spell, puts it on the stack, chooses its target (the awesome gargoyle you have just perched there looking cool), and pays for it with a single red mana. “Not my Gargoyle,” you exclaim. Fortunately for you, your opponent doesn’t read the rules tips blog and had no idea that once your gargoyle loses defender, it is no longer a legal target. You pay the three mana and BOOM, no more defender. This means that your opponent not only wasted a card and the mana, he also doesn’t get to destroy your super sweet gargoyle this time – And so the day was saved. Dang, what a great gargoyle that is.

Remember, even though when Clear a Path was cast the gargoyle was a legal target, it has to remain a legal target for the spell to resolve. If it does not remain a legal target, the spell is countered on resolution. Not back to your hand, not rewound – IT IS COUNTERED.

Got 3 mana sitting around? Looks like Clear a Path isn’t getting much work done today.

Today’s Rules Tip written by Daniel Clarke