Hexproof vs combust

[Panama red]

If I have a creature with hexproof on the board can he be combusted? My friend tried to combust my Aven Fleetwing and I argued that even though the specific definition of counter is preventing a spell from resolving, I never prevented his spell from resolving as he never had a legal target to begin with and so it could never have been played in the first place. Talk amongst yourselves!

[BlackJester]

You can't point an unpreventable spell at hex proof.  Hexproof isn't preventing damage or anything, you just can't target it in the first place.

[TBNL]

You cannot kill a creature with Hexproof with {Combust}, the Hexproof doesn't counter the spell, it prevents it from being a valid target in the first place. So if you tried to {Combust} something with Hexproof, the {Combust} would fizzle.

EDIT: Curse you Jester, and your faster response times!

[Kuberr]

I don't get it. If it says target creature. It shouldn't even be a question. Hexproof makes a creature untargatable.

[Panama red]

Awesome thanks. He is very insistent on being right about magic rulings even though they are sometimes highly questionable. I was going by the same logic you all have posted but just wanted some feedback. In the end he let it fizzle and I won the match because of it. I don't suppose you could point me to any specific rules I could lay out for him that prove what we think is correct beyond a shadow of a doubt?

[Kuberr]

Awesome thanks. He is very insistent on being right about magic rulings even though they are sometimes highly questionable. I was going by the same logic you all have posted but just wanted some feedback. In the end he let it fizzle and I won the match because of it. I don't suppose you could point me to any specific rules I could lay out for him that prove what we think is correct beyond a shadow of a doubt?

You could use the card.
It says "target creature" therefor if he tried to play a spell on a creature with hexproof, it would fail.

[Panama red]

Awesome thanks. He is very insistent on being right about magic rulings even though they are sometimes highly questionable. I was going by the same logic you all have posted but just wanted some feedback. In the end he let it fizzle and I won the match because of it. I don't suppose you could point me to any specific rules I could lay out for him that prove what we think is correct beyond a shadow of a doubt?

You could use the card.
It says "target creature" therefor if he tried to play a spell on a creature with hexproof, it would fail.

So he was just being stubborn and it's pretty obvious. I'm happy I didn't let him bully me just because I'm new to the game.

[Kuberr]

Awesome thanks. He is very insistent on being right about magic rulings even though they are sometimes highly questionable. I was going by the same logic you all have posted but just wanted some feedback. In the end he let it fizzle and I won the match because of it. I don't suppose you could point me to any specific rules I could lay out for him that prove what we think is correct beyond a shadow of a doubt?

You could use the card.
It says "target creature" therefor if he tried to play a spell on a creature with hexproof, it would fail.

So he was just being stubborn and it's pretty obvious. I'm happy I didn't let him bully me just because I'm new to the game.

Bullies suck! Never let them win! were always here to help.

[BlackJester]

Really, the card should have gone back in to his hand, since he couldn't legally have cast it in the first place.

[Dudecore]

Really, the card should have gone back in to his hand, since he couldn't legally have cast it in the first place.

^ this. Anything that says "target" can't be used on a hexproof creature, even if it has a secondary ability they'd like to use. They cannot be targets by spells or abilities, thus are not legal targets.