Misfires, Abilities, and Ending Turns

[Coffee Vampire]

Three questions (well a lot more actually):

1) If a spell is cast that needs a target, but your opponent is not a valid target, but you cast it on him, does it go in the GY or do you have to target yourself? Like instances or enchantments. And if you fail to choose a target of say an enchantment is the default you or does it go in the GY? If I cast a {Skinrender} and there are no other creatures do I have to put the counters on the skinrender? If my opponent has no creatures out can I still choose him for {Gatekeeper of Malakir}'s kicker ability?

2) If I am playing graveborn and I have a {Putrid Imp} on the battlefield. Can I use his discard ability as many times as I want to give him flying over and over so I can discard multiple cards? (Can you give a creature an ability it already has?) Can you use an enchantment on a creature that says "tap target creature (...)" if the creature is already tapped?

3) If my opponent ends his turn does the other player get a chance to do anything first? My brother and I play so that you show your palm to end our turn but if someone wants to cast an instant ir flash card, they say something like "Wait, before I accept my turn I am going to cast "_______". ...Do you still wish to end your turn?"

But today at lunch two of my friends were playing and one of them ended his turn kinda fast before the other guy could do anything and he said he never got a chance. The one who ended his turn said that a judge would be on his side...the fight went on and the guy who ended his turn refused to continue because the other guy kept opposing so much.

So once you end your turn, is it officially over, or does the other person have to accept his ir her turn as part of the process?

Oh yeah one more...sorry.

4) Both me and my opponent have 3 creatures. I attack and he blocks 3 for 3 because all of his are more powerful than mine...a sensible choice. Can I then tap 4 lands plus {Vault of the Archangel} to give all my creatures deathtouch and lifelink even though he already declared blockers, thus saving my holy ass?

Yeah that's all. Thanks.

[Greg54js]

2) you may activate {putrid imp}'s ability as long as you have card in your hand..

3) I believe you must announce your end step and give an opponent 20 seconds to cast any instants or flash cards.. (I believe)

4) {vault of the archangel}'s ability works like an instant so you activate it during the declare blockers phase or the combat damage phase

Black jester will correct me if I'm wrong though

[BlackJester]

So... Many... Questions....

[BlackJester]

I will handle these, but I'll need a computer for all the typing and editing. Gimmie a few hour til then okay?

[Coffee Vampire]

Thanks greg and ok blackie.

[BlackJester]

Okay, let me begin by saying that I don't mind answering questions, but for the sake of the readers and the forum, maybe next time we should split this up into several posts.  I'm going to forgo with the regular quoting.

Deep breath, and here we go:

>1) If a spell is cast that needs a target, but your opponent is not a valid target, but you cast it on >him, does it go in the GY or do you have to target yourself? Like instances or enchantments.


You can't legally cast a spell that needs targets without having any legal targets.  If your opponent has a {Witchbane Orb},  you cannot cast {Bump in the Night}.  Period.  If you accidentally try to cast it, that is a game error and there are official rules if you want(Rule 717), but if it's a friendly game, you decide how you want to proceed.  Typically, you would undo the move, and go back to before you tried to cast it.
 
>And if you fail to choose a target of say an enchantment is the default you or does it go in the GY?

There is no "default", if you need a target, you have to chose.  Again, if a mistake is made, call a judge if it is a formal event.  If not, try to go back to the point where you would have made the choice.  If too many things have happened, well, come to an agreement.

[BlackJester]

>If I cast a {Skinrender} and there are no other creatures do I have to put the counters on the skinrender?

Yes.

>If my opponent has no creatures out can I still choose him for {Gatekeeper of Malakir}'s kicker ability?

Yes.  Not a good use of mana, but yes.


>2) If I am playing graveborn and I have a {Putrid Imp} on the battlefield. Can I use his discard ability as many times as I want to give him flying over and over so I can discard multiple cards? (Can you give a creature an ability it already has?)

Yes you can.  You can give a creature the same ability any number of times.  Some abilities will be redundant, (e.g. doublestrike, trample, flying), but others will "stack up", (e.g. bushido, bloodthirst).


>Can you use an enchantment on a creature that says "tap target creature (...)" if the creature is already tapped?

Yes.  (You're getting a lot of these right.) You can't, however, try to tap an already tapped creature to pay a cost.

[BlackJester]

>3) If my opponent ends his turn does the other player get a chance to do anything first? My brother and I play so that you show your palm to end our turn but if someone wants to cast an instant ir flash card, they say something like "Wait, before I accept my turn I am going to cast "_______". ...Do you still wish to end your turn?"
>But today at lunch two of my friends were playing and one of them ended his turn kinda fast before the other guy could do anything and he said he never got a chance. The one who ended his turn said that a judge would be on his side...the fight went on and the guy who ended his turn refused to continue because the other guy kept opposing so much.
>So once you end your turn, is it officially over, or does the other person have to accept his ir her turn as part of the process?


For each phase and step to be complete the Active Player (the one whose turn it is) must pass priority to the Non-active Player.  Since this can be time consuming in most games, players usually accept certain shortcuts.  No player may force the end of a phase or step without giving the opponent a chance to play "fast-effects".  Good players check to see if there opponents have any plays before moving on.  It's just good sportsmanship, really.

[BlackJester]

>Oh yeah one more...sorry.

>4) Both me and my opponent have 3 creatures. I attack and he blocks 3 for 3 because all of his are more powerful than mine...a sensible choice. Can I then tap 4 lands plus {Vault of the Archangel} to give all my creatures deathtouch and lifelink even though he already declared blockers, thus saving my holy ass?

>Yeah that's all. Thanks.

Combat goes like this (summary of Rules 507-511):
Declare Intention to attack
-fast effects
Declare Attackers
-fast effects
Declare Blockers
-fast effects
Assign and Deal Combat damage
-fast effects
End of Combat
-fast effects

"Fast effects" are Instants and activated abilities.  So, as you can see, you have a chance right after blockers are determined to be tricky and save your holy ass.

I hope this has helped.  Don't fear the Basic Rule Book in the Rules forum.  It won't bite. 

[BlackJester]

Bye-the-bye, blackie might not be an appropriate nickname, due to certain...connotations. Jester is good, BJ is fine if you're too lazy to type all 6 letters.   

[Spikepit]

My eyes are bleeding.😲 lol

[Coffee Vampire]

Thank you Black Jester! Now I have a little better understanding of the game. Next time I'll do different posts lol

[Mentonin]

What happens if you play an aura, and in response the opponent kills or makes all creatures untargetable??

[BlackJester]

What happens if you play an aura, and in response the opponent kills or makes all creatures untargetable??

The aura is countered on resolution.