Archived from groups: rec.games.trading-cards.magic.rules (
More info?)
Harry Benkiel <harry.dontspamonme.benkiel@mindspring.com> wrote:
> Greetings and Salutations!
>
> Pretty sure I already know the answer to this one, but some of the
> other players in our weekly social MtG game want to see it in writing,
> so....
>
> Proteus Staff in play, and Player A uses it's ability to target Player
> B's Cabal Archon. Player B allows the Archon to be targeted, then
> sacrifices the Archon to gain 2 life and have Player A lose 2 life
Proteus Staff
{3}
Artifact
{2}{U}, {T}: Put target creature on the bottom of its owner's library.
That creature's controller reveals cards from the top of his or her
library until he or she reveals a creature card. The player puts that
card into play and the rest on the bottom of his or her library in any
order. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery.
Cabal Archon
{2}{B}
Creature -- Cleric
2/2
{B}, Sacrifice a Cleric: Target player loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
I'm not sure what you mean by "allows the Archon to be targeted".
> Presumably the Cabal Archon is now in Player B's graveyard, and not on
> the bottom of his or her library. However, does Player B still get to
> fish for a creature card and put it into play?
Here is the full detail:
It is a main phase of A's turn and the stack is empty.
1) A gets priority. A plays the ability of Proteus Staff, chooses B's
Cabal Archon as the target, and pays the cost of the ability. (Nothing
that you've described above would allow B to interfere with the choice
of the Cabal Archon as the target.)
2) A gets priority and passes.
3) B gets priority and plays the ability of Cabal Archon, choosing A as
the target and sacrificing the Cabal Archon itself as part of paying the
cost.
4) B gets priority and passes.
5) A gets priority and passes.
6) The top item on the stack (the activated ability of Cabal Archon)
resolves. A loses 2 life and B gains 2 life.
7) A gets priority and passes.
8) B gets priority and passes.
9) The top item on the stack (the activated ability of Proteus Staff)
would resolve but is countered by rule 413.2a.
413.2a If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the
targets are still legal. A target that's removed from play, or from the
zone designated by the spell or ability, is illegal. A target may also
become illegal if its characteristics changed since the spell or ability
was played or if an effect changed the text of the spell. If all targets
are now illegal, the spell or ability is countered. 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. If the spell or ability needs to know information about one or
more targets that are now illegal, it will use the illegal targets'
current or last known information.
414. Countering Spells and Abilities
414.1. To counter a spell is to move the spell from the stack to its
owner's graveyard. Countering an ability removes it from the stack.
Spells and abilities that are countered don't resolve and none of their
effects occur.
Why would anyone think that B could "fish for a creature card and put it
into play"?
--
Daniel W. Johnson
panoptes@iquest.net
http://members.iquest.net/~panoptes/
039 53 36 N / 086 11 55 W
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