Can a spell counter itself?

[Destore117]

Was playing a game where I had {Guttersnipe} out and was wondering could I cast {Cancel}\{Disolve} to counter themselves to deal 2 damage to each opponent?

[MuggyWuggy]

When you would cast the counter you would need a legal target.

Since there is nothing on the stack to target, you would not be able to cast the spell.

So no.

[NikoCardMaster]

Was playing a game where I had {Guttersnipe} out and was wondering could I cast {Cancel}\{Disolve} to counter themselves to deal 2 damage to each opponent?

If you can cast something like {lightning bolt} first, you could counter it, and then counter that counter spell just to rack up damage. The lightning bolt would also resolve for 3 more damage

[Giggle the Draco Genius]

An important note here. Even if you have a spell that can change the target of another spell. It can not change the target of the counter spell to itself.

114.4.: A spell or ability on the stack is an illegal target for itself.

[Wackaman9001]

Bonus, if you cast a spell such as {redirect} on a counter, You can redirect the counter to your redirect because it is still on the stack. Then your redirect goes to the grave and the counter fizzles.

[particle]

even looking at the gatherer for {redirect}, i dont understand it.  even though it says plain as day you can {redirect} a {cancel} targeting {redirect}.do you choose new targets only as the spell resolves? i thought you had to announce your targets after annoucing the spell. shouldn't redirect still be in the process of being cast and thus not yet on the stack and thus not a legal target for {cancel}?

[Erik_the_gray]

Tapping land for mana to cast a spell doesn't put that spell on the stack. As soon as you declare what is using the mana in your pool, it's on the stack.

[MementoMori]

shouldn't redirect still be in the process of being cast and thus not yet on the stack and thus not a legal target for {cancel}?

The only target Redirect needs is the spell you're targeting, e.g. Cancel. You change the targeted spell's target when Redirect resolves, at which time Redirect is still on the stack and a legal target for Cancel.