Hey I just need some clarification on this interaction: My friends and I were just casually testing and he cast a Searing Blood on my Pack Rat and then I Devour Flesh'd it to try and fizzle the Searing Blood by give it an illegal target. But then we started to discuss whether or not the searing blood had a target when it was cast and me killing it triggered the 3 dmg to me anyway?
Searing Blood doesn't do anything until it resolves, including creating the delayed trigger that deals damage to the creature's controller. If its target is removed before it resolves, it won't do anything; you won't take damage.
if you respond to searing blood by sacing the target, then none of the effects will happen because it has an illegal target and is countered by game rule.
Targets are checked as the spell is cast and when it resolves. Even if the spell has a legal target when cast, if the target is no longer legal when it goes to resolve, it will be countered.
Relevant rule:
Quote from "608. Resolving Spells and Abilities" »
608.2b If the spell or ability specifies targets, it checks whether the targets are still legal.
One other thing; targets are chosen when a player casts the spell, not when the spells resolves. While a player is casting a spell, other players don't get priority to do anything, which means that you can't cast Devour Flesh until targets have been chosen for the Searing Blood.
Can anyone help with this?
Relevant rule:
When in doubt, call a judge.
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