Perplexing Chimera
4 ManaBlue Mana
Enchantment Creature — Chimera
3/3
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and that spell. If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell. (If the spell becomes a permanent, you control that permanent.)
You may exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and any spell cast by an opponent, not just one with targets.
You make the decision whether to exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and the spell as the triggered ability resolves.
If Perplexing Chimera leaves the battlefield or the spell leaves the stack before the triggered ability resolves, you can't make the exchange.
Neither Perplexing Chimera nor the spell changes zones. Only control of them is exchanged.
After the ability resolves, you control the spell. Any instance of "you" in that spell's text now refers to you, "an opponent" refers to one of your opponents, and so on. The change of control happens before new targets are chosen, so any targeting restrictions such as "target opponent" or "target creature you control" are now made in reference to you, not the spell's original controller. You may change those targets to be legal in reference to you, or, if those are the spell's only targets, the spell will be countered on resolution for having illegal targets. When the spell resolves, any illegal targets are unaffected by it and you make all decisions the spell's effect calls for.
You may change any of the spell's targets. If you change a target, you must choose a legal target for the spell. If you can't, you must leave the target the same (even if that target is now illegal).
Gaining control of a spell and changing its targets won't cause any heroic abilities of the new targets to trigger.
If you gain control of an instant or sorcery spell, it will be put into its owner's graveyard as it resolves or is countered. In some unusual cases, you may not control Perplexing Chimera when its triggered ability resolves (perhaps because the triggered ability triggered again and resolved while the original ability was on the stack). In these cases, you can exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and the spell that causes the ability to trigger, even if you control neither of them. If you do, you'll be able to change targets of the spell, not the spell's new controller.
The last paragraph has me very confused. I've reread it like 10 times and I'm still not sure I get it.
Let's say my opponent casts lightning bolt, which triggers perplexing chimera's ability. then in response, my opponent casts shock, triggering chimera again. Thus the stack is chimera triggered ability, lightning bolt, chimera triggered ability, lightning bolt. The first ability resolves and I choose to exchange control of the chimera with shock. I choose to target my opponent with shock and it resolves. My opponent now has the Chimera. Then the second chimera trigger resolves.
This is where I get confused. I can't exchange control of the chimera with lightning bolt because my opponent controls it, so I can't get my chimera back, and neither do I gain control of the spell, but because lightning bolt has targets, I get to choose new targets for it, even though my opponent still technically controls it? I don't understand why this would be the case though, because the second half of the ability says: "If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell." So how do you get to choose the targets even though neither perplexing chimera, nor the spell changed possession?
And I also have a second question. Imagine a similar situation as I already described, except you're playing multiplayer and two different opponents control lightning bolt and shock. What happens then?
And a third question, what if i exchange it with a spell that has multiple modes, say golgari charm. Do I get to choose which mode resolves?
This is where I get confused. I can't exchange control of the chimera with lightning bolt because my opponent controls it, so I can't get my chimera back, and neither do I gain control of the spell, but because lightning bolt has targets, I get to choose new targets for it, even though my opponent still technically controls it? I don't understand why this would be the case though, because the second half of the ability says: "If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell." So how do you get to choose the targets even though neither perplexing chimera, nor the spell changed possession?
It's likely that that note refers to multiplayer games involving three or more players (as in the next scenario), though it's not very clear. As you said, you can't make the (second) exchange in this scenario, so you won't be able to change the target of the Lightning Bolt.
Quote from burdgod »
And I also have a second question. Imagine a similar situation as I already described, except you're playing multiplayer and two different opponents control lightning bolt and shock. What happens then?
So another player (A) cast Lightning Bolt, triggering the Chimera, and a third player (B) responds to the trigger with Shock? In that case, you can exchange control of the Chimera and Shock and choose new targets for the Shock; then you control the Shock and it resolves (B controls the Chimera at this point). Then you can exchange control of the Chimera and the Lightning Bolt, so that A will control the Chimera and B will control the Lightning Bolt, and you can choose new targets for the Lightning Bolt even though you don't control it; then Lightning Bolt resolves.
Quote from burdgod »
And a third question, what if i exchange it with a spell that has multiple modes, say golgari charm. Do I get to choose which mode resolves?
No, you can't change the mode; you're only allowed to change the targets.
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4 ManaBlue Mana
Enchantment Creature — Chimera
3/3
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, you may exchange control of Perplexing Chimera and that spell. If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell. (If the spell becomes a permanent, you control that permanent.)
The last paragraph has me very confused. I've reread it like 10 times and I'm still not sure I get it.
Let's say my opponent casts lightning bolt, which triggers perplexing chimera's ability. then in response, my opponent casts shock, triggering chimera again. Thus the stack is chimera triggered ability, lightning bolt, chimera triggered ability, lightning bolt. The first ability resolves and I choose to exchange control of the chimera with shock. I choose to target my opponent with shock and it resolves. My opponent now has the Chimera. Then the second chimera trigger resolves.
This is where I get confused. I can't exchange control of the chimera with lightning bolt because my opponent controls it, so I can't get my chimera back, and neither do I gain control of the spell, but because lightning bolt has targets, I get to choose new targets for it, even though my opponent still technically controls it? I don't understand why this would be the case though, because the second half of the ability says: "If you do, you may choose new targets for the spell." So how do you get to choose the targets even though neither perplexing chimera, nor the spell changed possession?
And I also have a second question. Imagine a similar situation as I already described, except you're playing multiplayer and two different opponents control lightning bolt and shock. What happens then?
And a third question, what if i exchange it with a spell that has multiple modes, say golgari charm. Do I get to choose which mode resolves?
It's likely that that note refers to multiplayer games involving three or more players (as in the next scenario), though it's not very clear. As you said, you can't make the (second) exchange in this scenario, so you won't be able to change the target of the Lightning Bolt.
So another player (A) cast Lightning Bolt, triggering the Chimera, and a third player (B) responds to the trigger with Shock? In that case, you can exchange control of the Chimera and Shock and choose new targets for the Shock; then you control the Shock and it resolves (B controls the Chimera at this point). Then you can exchange control of the Chimera and the Lightning Bolt, so that A will control the Chimera and B will control the Lightning Bolt, and you can choose new targets for the Lightning Bolt even though you don't control it; then Lightning Bolt resolves.
No, you can't change the mode; you're only allowed to change the targets.