The text on Time Wipe tends to indicate there is no target. Is this right? Found it and thought Mirrorwing Dragon instantly. Bounce your field, blow the field. But reading this with English seems to say it doesn't work. Just want confirmation and rulings where possible. Thanks.
You are correct, Time Wipe has no targets. This can easily be discerned by the absence of the word "target". So the card doesn't synergize with the Dragon's ability. In Magic, only the word "target" indicates a target (wether in the card's rules text, or hidden in the rules for a keyword ability). Without it, no targets. This also means, that you choose the creature to bounce when the spell resolves, so no one will know until it is too late. You don't have to announce that choice before then.
edit: Some rules, highlighting the ones crucial to your question.
115.1a An instant or sorcery spell is targeted if its spell ability identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the spell is cast; see rule 601.2c. (If an activated or triggered ability of an instant or sorcery uses the word target, that ability is targeted, but the spell is not.)
Example: A sorcery card has the ability “When you cycle this card, target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.” This triggered ability is targeted, but that doesn’t make the card it’s on targeted.
115.1b Aura spells are always targeted. These are the only permanent spells with targets. An Aura’s target is specified by its enchant keyword ability (see rule 702.5, “Enchant”). The target(s) are chosen as the spell is cast; see rule 601.2c. An Aura permanent doesn’t target anything; only the spell is targeted. (An activated or triggered ability of an Aura permanent can also be targeted.)
115.1c An activated ability is targeted if it identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the ability is activated; see rule 602.2b.
115.1d A triggered ability is targeted if it identifies something it will affect by using the phrase “target [something],” where the “something” is a phrase that describes an object and/or player. The target(s) are chosen as the ability is put on the stack; see rule 603.3d.
115.1e Some keyword abilities, such as equip and provoke, represent targeted activated or triggered abilities. In those cases, the phrase “target [something]” appears in the rule for that keyword ability rather than in the ability itself. (The keyword’s reminder text will often contain the word “target.”) See rule 702, “Keyword Abilities.”
115.10. Spells and abilities can affect objects and players they don’t target. In general, those objects and players aren’t chosen until the spell or ability resolves. See rule 608, “Resolving Spells and Abilities.”
115.10a Just because an object or player is being affected by a spell or ability doesn’t make that object or player a target of that spell or ability. Unless that object or player is identified by the word “target” in the text of that spell or ability, or the rule for that keyword ability, it’s not a target.
115.10b In particular, the word “you” in an object’s text doesn’t indicate a target.
Even if Time Wipehypothetically targeted a creature to return, all but the very last targeted creature would be destroyed since each copy has to go on the stack then resolves in LIFO order.
In short, the poor Mirrorwing Dragon will always die to Time Wipe unless you have no other creatures on the field. This is because the first spell targeting Mirrorwing will go on the stack first. Then the Mirrorwing will trigger for each creature the player controls creating copies of Time Wipe. These copies will go on the stack in the order of your choice on top of the first Time Wipe and will all resolve before the Time Wipe targeting the dragon.
I suppose a real card as an example would be Find // Finality. Having just one other creature would kill the dragon after all the Finality copies resolve.
Is that assessment correct?
Notes: Spaces added for tags to work on the split card.
I suppose a real card as an example would be Find // Finality. Having just one other creature would kill the dragon after all the Finality copies resolve.
Is that assessment correct?
Finality doesn't target either, so there won't be an interaction with Mirrorwing Dragon. If Finality hypothetically targeted the creature to give +1/+1 counters to, the Dragon would presumably die as a state-based action immediately after the second instance of Finality resolves, even if that instance is the original, which gives +1/+1 counters to it. It would end up with negative toughness from the total -8/-8 even with those counters.
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I'm a former judge (lapsed), who keeps up to date on rules and policy. Keep in mind that judges' answers aren't necessarily more valid than those of people who aren't judges; what matters is we can quote the rules to back up our answers. When in doubt, ask for such quotes.
I suppose a real card as an example would be Find // Finality. Having just one other creature would kill the dragon after all the Finality copies resolve.
Is that assessment correct?
Finality doesn't target either, so there won't be an interaction with Mirrorwing Dragon. If Finality hypothetically targeted the creature to give +1/+1 counters to, the Dragon would presumably die as a state-based action immediately after the second instance of Finality resolves, even if that instance is the original, which gives +1/+1 counters to it. It would end up with negative toughness from the total -8/-8 even with those counters.
Oops... I must need glasses in my old age. I could've sworn both sides of Find//Finality said "target" in the text. Well... I'm not going to search for another relevant card and embarrass myself further. So in a hypothetical discussion, yes that's what I thought.
Oh... hi Pa Berenstein.
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edit: Some rules, highlighting the ones crucial to your question.
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In short, the poor Mirrorwing Dragon will always die to Time Wipe unless you have no other creatures on the field. This is because the first spell targeting Mirrorwing will go on the stack first. Then the Mirrorwing will trigger for each creature the player controls creating copies of Time Wipe. These copies will go on the stack in the order of your choice on top of the first Time Wipe and will all resolve before the Time Wipe targeting the dragon.
I suppose a real card as an example would be Find // Finality. Having just one other creature would kill the dragon after all the Finality copies resolve.
Is that assessment correct?
Oops... I must need glasses in my old age. I could've sworn both sides of Find//Finality said "target" in the text. Well... I'm not going to search for another relevant card and embarrass myself further. So in a hypothetical discussion, yes that's what I thought.
Oh... hi Pa Berenstein.