I have been playing this Kess commander deck for a while now, and several win-cons in it rely on Radiate being played along with them (for example, Clutch of the Undercity and similar stuff). I was fine with my deck as it was, but only recently has a friend from my playgroup suggested I check out how said Radiate functions with certain very specific cards, three of which are the split cards from Dragon's Maze set, and have the Fuse keyword.
So, my questions are as follows: if I cast both sides of the split card using the Fuse keyword, does it count as one spell or two spells?; AND: if it is one spell, say I cast Breaking // Entering, will Radiate work with it?
A fused spell is one single spell, yes. Wether Radiate works with it depends on the specific card. If the both halves combined have zero or 2+ targets, then no, Radiate cannot be used on it. If the combined spell has exactly one target, then yes, you can Radiate it. If you copy a fused spell, you will get a fused copy. In case of Breaking // Entering, only Breaking has a target, a single one, so the fused spell also has only a single target. Therefore, a fused B/E can be targeted with Radiate.
So, my questions are as follows: if I cast both sides of the split card using the Fuse keyword, does it count as one spell or two spells?;
One spell.
702.101. Fuse
702.101a Fuse is a static ability found on some split cards (see rule 708, “Split Cards”) that applies while the card with fuse is in a player’s hand. If a player casts a split card with fuse from their hand, the player may choose to cast both halves of that split card rather than choose one half. This choice is made before putting the split card with fuse onto the stack. The resulting spell is a fused split spell.
702.101b A fused split spell has the combined characteristics of its two halves. (See rule 708.4.)
702.101c The total cost of a fused split spell includes the mana cost of each half.
702.101d As a fused split spell resolves, the controller of the spell follows the instructions of the left half and then follows the instructions of the right half.
AND: if it is one spell, say I cast Breaking // Entering, will Radiate work with it?
Copying a spell copies all decisions made during casting, including additional costs, mode, target (although most effects that copy spells allow or require changing that), and the split card options.
706.10. To copy a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability means to put a copy of it onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t cast and a copy of an activated ability isn’t activated. A copy of a spell or ability copies both the characteristics of the spell or ability and all decisions made for it, including modes, targets, the value of X, and additional or alternative costs. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
Choices that are normally made on resolution are not copied. If an effect of the copy refers to objects used to pay its costs, it uses the objects used to pay the costs of the original spell or ability. A copy of a spell is owned by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell or ability is controlled by the player under whose control it was put on the stack. A copy of a spell is itself a spell, even though it has no spell card associated with it. A copy of an ability is itself an ability.
The target specification for Radiate is "target instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single permanent or player". The fused Breaking & Entering is a sorcery spell, and its only target is the "target player" from the Breaking half. It qualifies and will Radiate as if it had been printed as one spell with the combined text. Note that you will be the target player of one of the resulting spells, just like your permanents are included with you Radiate Clutch of the Undercity.
114.9b An object that looks for a “[spell or ability] that targets [something]” checks the current state of that spell or ability’s targets. If an object it targets is still in the zone it’s expected to be in or a player it targets is still in the game, that target’s current information is used, even if it’s not currently legal for that spell or ability. If an object it targets is no longer in the zone it’s expected to be in or a player it targets is no longer in the game, that target is ignored; its last known information is not used.
114.9c An object that looks for a “[spell or ability] that targets only [something]” checks the number of different objects or players that became the target of that spell or ability when it was put on the stack (as modified by effects that changed those targets), not the number of those objects or players that are currently legal targets. If that number is one (even if the spell or ability targets that object or player multiple times), the current state of that spell or ability’s target is checked as described in rule 114.9b.
I don't know what other cards your friend identified, but of the other split cards with fuse in Dragon's Maze, it looks like Armed // Dangerous (if you chose the same target creature twice), Catch // Release, Give // Take (if you chose the same target creature twice), Protect // Serve (if you chose the same target creature twice), Toil // Trouble (if you chose the same target player twice), Turn // Burn (if you chose the same target creature twice), and Wear // Tear (if there was an artifact-enchantment for you to choose twice) would also qualify.
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So, my questions are as follows: if I cast both sides of the split card using the Fuse keyword, does it count as one spell or two spells?; AND: if it is one spell, say I cast Breaking // Entering, will Radiate work with it?
Might be a noob question, but thanks anyway. ^^
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One spell.
Copying a spell copies all decisions made during casting, including additional costs, mode, target (although most effects that copy spells allow or require changing that), and the split card options.
The target specification for Radiate is "target instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single permanent or player". The fused Breaking & Entering is a sorcery spell, and its only target is the "target player" from the Breaking half. It qualifies and will Radiate as if it had been printed as one spell with the combined text. Note that you will be the target player of one of the resulting spells, just like your permanents are included with you Radiate Clutch of the Undercity.
I don't know what other cards your friend identified, but of the other split cards with fuse in Dragon's Maze, it looks like Armed // Dangerous (if you chose the same target creature twice), Catch // Release, Give // Take (if you chose the same target creature twice), Protect // Serve (if you chose the same target creature twice), Toil // Trouble (if you chose the same target player twice), Turn // Burn (if you chose the same target creature twice), and Wear // Tear (if there was an artifact-enchantment for you to choose twice) would also qualify.