In response to the activation, the token was Fatal Pushed.
What we were confused at that point is if the ability fizzled because the token was gone, or if the rest of it could resolve and thus if the Guardian was killed that turn (to a Hidden Stockpile for example), it would transform.
The ability has one target and has to resolve to transform Golden Guardian. If the target dies with the ability on the stack, it will not transform.
Based on the gatherer ruling, I believe this to be incorrect:
"If the target of Golden Guardian’s activated ability isn’t a legal target as that ability resolves, or if Golden Guardian has left the battlefield, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage."
This insinuates to me that the ability still resolves, and that if it dies later in the turn (to Hidden Stockpile for example), it WILL flip.
Based on the gatherer ruling, I believe this to be incorrect:
"If the target of Golden Guardian’s activated ability isn’t a legal target as that ability resolves, or if Golden Guardian has left the battlefield, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage."
This insinuates to me that the ability still resolves, and that if it dies later in the turn (to Hidden Stockpile for example), it WILL flip.
You're misreading gatherer. The line you're quoting is a standard gatherer reminder for the fight mechanic that reminds players not to deal damage without both participants.
Golden Guardian has one instance of the word "target," so, therefore, the entire ability will be countered on resolution if the target is illegal when the ability tries to resolve.
608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that’s no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it was in, its last known information is used during this process. The spell or ability is countered if all its targets, for every instance of the word “target,” are now illegal. If the spell or ability is not countered, it will resolve normally. Illegal targets, if any, won’t be affected by parts of a resolving spell’s effect for which they’re illegal. Other parts of the effect for which those targets are not illegal may still affect them. If the spell or ability creates any continuous effects that affect game rules (see rule 613.10), those effects don’t apply to illegal targets. If part of the effect requires information about an illegal target, it fails to determine any such information. Any part of the effect that requires that information won’t happen.
The bolded text is one of those ironclad rules that no card in the entire game can change or ignore.
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Golden Guardian was activated, targetting a vampire token.
In response to the activation, the token was Fatal Pushed.
What we were confused at that point is if the ability fizzled because the token was gone, or if the rest of it could resolve and thus if the Guardian was killed that turn (to a Hidden Stockpile for example), it would transform.
Based on the gatherer ruling, I believe this to be incorrect:
"If the target of Golden Guardian’s activated ability isn’t a legal target as that ability resolves, or if Golden Guardian has left the battlefield, neither creature will deal or be dealt damage."
This insinuates to me that the ability still resolves, and that if it dies later in the turn (to Hidden Stockpile for example), it WILL flip.
You're misreading gatherer. The line you're quoting is a standard gatherer reminder for the fight mechanic that reminds players not to deal damage without both participants.
Golden Guardian has one instance of the word "target," so, therefore, the entire ability will be countered on resolution if the target is illegal when the ability tries to resolve.
608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal. A target that’s no longer in the zone it was in when it was targeted is illegal. Other changes to the game state may cause a target to no longer be legal; for example, its characteristics may have changed or an effect may have changed the text of the spell. If the source of an ability has left the zone it was in, its last known information is used during this process. The spell or ability is countered if all its targets, for every instance of the word “target,” are now illegal. If the spell or ability is not countered, it will resolve normally. Illegal targets, if any, won’t be affected by parts of a resolving spell’s effect for which they’re illegal. Other parts of the effect for which those targets are not illegal may still affect them. If the spell or ability creates any continuous effects that affect game rules (see rule 613.10), those effects don’t apply to illegal targets. If part of the effect requires information about an illegal target, it fails to determine any such information. Any part of the effect that requires that information won’t happen.
The bolded text is one of those ironclad rules that no card in the entire game can change or ignore.