Do you have to target a creature with Teetering Peaks
' ability as a requirement to play it?
Asked by theemptyquiver 13 years ago
Here is my question: When you play teetering-peeks or even Smoldering Spires for that matter do you have to target something as a requirement to be able to play it?
Lands are not spells and they do not use the stack, but an actual spell that needed a valid target that was put on the stack would simply become countered due to the lack of a legal target.
In the land's case what happens? Can it simply be played regardless? Or does it still "fizzle" as people like to say despite it not being on the stack?
What say you all?
theemptyquiver says... #2
Also the situation was that it was my first turn and I wanted to play Teetering Peaks but there were no creatures in play...that's why it was important to know one way or the other.
February 7, 2011 4:48 a.m.
Its possible... It enters the battlefierld tapped. And nothing more happens because there is no creature.
February 7, 2011 7:53 a.m.
I believe if there are any legal targets, one of them must be chosen. If there are no creatures in play, then it simply enters the battlefield tapped.
The only official rule regarding targeting also involves spells, which a land is specifically not, and there is no Oracle ruling on it. Interesting.
February 7, 2011 8:50 a.m.
@mafteecjr
in fact there is. That land is not targeting. Its ability does. And the Oracle has ruling about that.
Whenever Teetering Peaks enters the battlefield target ......
So, you play the land, and when enters the battlefield, a triggered ability is put on stack. You have to choose the target, but if you have none the ability is discarded.
The rules are , that whenever you announce an ability or cast a spell with one or more target you must select all choices required (modes, targets). If you do not have a valid target for a spell, you cannot cast it. But abilities are put onto the stack by the game, and you must choose target before anyone has priority. If you can't, remove the ability from the stack and move on.
February 7, 2011 9:13 a.m.
Thank you Scorpse, I wasn't even thinking of it being a triggered ability for some reason.
February 7, 2011 11:33 a.m.
Activated abilities are those with COST : Effect . (Cost can be anything: pay life, tap, mana, sacrifice a creature and so on)
Triggered abilities start with : Whenever, when [this] , at the end of, at the beggining of.
Static abilities are those which state something without a special wording, like : all white creatures get +1/+1, and so on.
theemptyquiver says... #1
Teetering Peaks
Et halps two no speleng.
February 7, 2011 4:44 a.m.