Let's say my opponent casts Noxious Gearhulk, and chooses to target one of my creatures for destruction. If I respond with Blossoming Defense, does my creature survive, by virtue of Hexproof? Does my opponent get an opportunity to target a different creature, or does his ETB effect fail?
Hexproof means your creature is not a legal target of your opponent's Noxious Gearhulk's ability. However, your opponent's choice has been made, and the ability remains targeted to that creature. This ability will fail (it will be countered) instead of resolving normally.
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Make sure to explicitly state when you respond. If your opponent says something like "Cast Gearhulk and destroy your X", that is a shortcut proposal, because the Gearhulk itself doesn't target anything, its ETB trigger does. If you respond to the Gearhulk spell, then you are interrupting the shortcut, and your opponent is not bound by any choices made for later during the shortcut, meaning, he can choose a different creature. Otoh, if you respond to the ETB trigger, then the Gearhulk is on the battlefield and the trigger has already made it to the stack, a target has been chosen and your opponent cannot change it. Giving hexproof to the targeted ceature in response will counter the ETB trigger. So simply say "in response to the ETB trigger ...". That way, there is no ambiguity regarding the timing of your response.
Thanks in advance!
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