If I cast {rapid hybridization} targeting my own creature, and I flash out {plaxmanta}, would I still get the 3/3 creature from RH?
No. As your creature now has shroud, RH is no longer has a valid target, and as such the spell will "fizzle" and all effects will not happen.
So this isn't a case of "resolves as much as possible" then. Is there wording (hypothetically) where it would work this way?
If you make the target indestructible you'd get a 3/3 and nothing else happens.
^
If, for every instance of the word 'target' on the spell, there is no longer a valid target when the spell tries to resolve, then the entire spell is countered. If there are multiple instances of the word 'target' on the spell, and only some of them are no longer valid target at resolution time, that is when the spell tries to resolve as much as possible. In this particular case, the word 'target' only appears once on the spell, so if that one target is no longer valid then you do not get the token.
608.2b (http://imtgapp.com/forum/index.php?action=imtg;area=rule;number=608.2b): If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that's no longer in 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. 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. Illegal targets, if any, won't be affected by parts of a resolving spell's effect for which they're illegal. Other parts of the effect for which those targets are not illegal may still affect them. If the spell or ability creates any continuous effects that affect game rules (see rule 613.10), those effects don't apply to illegal targets. If part of the effect requires information about an illegal target, it fails to determine any such information. Any part of the effect that requires that information won't happen.
Example: Sorin's Thirst is a black instant that reads, "Sorin's Thirst deals 2 damage to target creature and you gain 2 life." If the creature isn't a legal target during the resolution of Sorin's Thirst (say, if the creature has gained protection from black or left the battlefield), then Sorin's Thirst is countered. Its controller doesn't gain any life.
Example: Plague Spores reads, "Destroy target nonblack creature and target land. They can't be regenerated." Suppose the same animated land is chosen both as the nonblack creature and as the land, and the color of the creature land is changed to black before Plague Spores resolves. Plagues Spores isn't countered because the black creature land is still a legal target for the "target land" part of the spell. The "destroy target nonblack creature" part of the spell won't affect that permanent, but the "destroy target land" part of the spell will still destroy it. It can't be regenerated.
Yes.
{Cryptic command} is another good example. If the modes you choose are counter target spell and draw a card, your opponent could counter his own spell in response, and you would not get to draw a card since the only target of {cryptic command} is now invalid. But if the modes you choose are counter target spell and return target thing to its owners hand, then even if they counter their own spell in response the bounce mode would still resolve if it is hasn't left the zone it was in when you cast the spell.
Why anyone would do that instead of just countering the command I do not know, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was a corner case somewhere where it would be a good idea to do so. But it illustrates the point pretty well since {cryptic command} has 2 modes that target and 2 that don't
All beautifully explained. Thank you
Quote from: Mr_Fahrenheit on December 08, 2015, 03:48:12 PM
Why anyone would do that instead of just countering the command I do not know, but it wouldn't surprise me if there was a corner case somewhere where it would be a good idea to do so. But it illustrates the point pretty well since {cryptic command} has 2 modes that target and 2 that don't
If the command was cast using {Boseiju, Who Shelters All}, by countering your own spell you could still stop the draw.
Quote from: GlowackAttack on December 09, 2015, 12:01:45 PM
But you can't counter your own spell.... the land makes it so it can't be countered
Player A cast spell, N goes to counter and draw with command and uses Bosi. A can't cast FoW on the command, or at least it won't do anything. He can counter the original spell, which then is no longer on the stack as command resolves. Command gets countered as it has no legal targets, N does not draw.
Quote from: GlowackAttack on December 09, 2015, 12:54:16 PM
Ohhhh, I thought that it meant A's spell was cast using Boseiji, and N wanted to counter A's spell... all cool
In that case N would still draw a card.
"Cannot be countered" just means "counter" doesn't do anything. Just like if you'd destroy a {darksteel citadel}.