Chef's kiss & irenicus's vile diplication.

Asked by DonEtch 9 months ago

  1. I cast irenicus's vile diplication(I.V.D) on my inferno titan.
  2. I respond with chef's kiss on I.V.D.

Will i get 2 inferno titan?

DonEtch says... #1

July 30, 2023 1:39 p.m.

wallisface says... #2

Note that Chef's Kiss changes the target of both the original spell and the copy to targets with the stipulation that ”The new targets can't be you or a permanent you control.”.

The ruling for Chef's Kiss on Gatherer state ”Note that Chef's Kiss may make some or all of the targets of a spell illegal. For example, any spell an opponent cast that targets a "creature you control" will be unable to find a new legal target, and its target will remain unchanged. In that case, that part of the spell will do nothing. If that was the spell's only target, that spell will be removed from the stack when it tries to resolve.”.

So, what happens is that Chef's Kiss makes a copy of Irenicus's Vile Duplication and tries to change targets for both the original Chef's Kiss spell and the copy. Irenicus's Vile Duplication requires that the targets must be creatures you control, which will be at-odds with Chef's Kisses requirements, and cause all the Irenicus's Vile Duplication to fizzle.

Nothing happens and you get no Inferno Titan

July 30, 2023 7:26 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #3

That's not quite right.

The quoted ruling is speaking about a spell an opponent cast that targets "a creature you control". The original and copy in that case will not have their targets changed because there are no new legal targets. When the copy resolves it is controlled by the Chef's Kiss controller and targeting one of their opponent's creatures causing the copy to fizzle. The original will still be controlled by and targeting a creature of the opponent and will resolve normally.

Even though this ruling seems to be closer since it references a spell that targets "a creature you control". The closer one to be applied is the previous one.

"If there are no legal targets that could be selected, the targets remain unchanged. Note that this may not mean that those targets are illegal as the spell resolves. For example, if an opponent in a two-player game has hexproof and casts Lava Spike targeting you, Chef's Kiss will not be able to change the target. However, this doesn't make you an illegal target, and both the original spell and the copy will still target you and deal 3 damage to you."

The interaction in the OP creates two Inferno Titan copies.

July 30, 2023 11:33 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #4

While I was typing all this out, Gidgetimer responded with basically the same thing, but I'm going with it anyway as a "+1" to their response.

You get two Inferno Titans. An effect that changes the target of a spell or ability can only change it to another legal target. If it's impossible to choose another legal target then the original target remains unchanged.

115.7a If an effect allows a player to “change the target(s)” of a spell or ability, each target can be changed only to another legal target. If a target can’t be changed to another legal target, the original target is unchanged, even if the original target is itself illegal by then. If all the targets aren’t changed to other legal targets, none of them are changed.

wallisface: The ruling about Chef's kiss possibly making a target illegal is for cases where you gaining control of the spell causes that to happen. For example, if your opponent casts Irenicus's Vile Duplication on one of their creatures and you Chef's Kiss it, you now control a spell (and a copy of it) that can only target a creature you control, is currently targeting a creature you don't control, but can't have its target changed to a creature you control. Since it isn't possible to choose a new legal target, its target won't be changed and it will fizzle for having an illegal target.

Note the ruling listed right before the one you quoted: If there are no legal targets that could be selected, the targets remain unchanged. Note that this may not mean that those targets are illegal as the spell resolves. For example, if an opponent in a two-player game has hexproof and casts Lava Spike targeting you, Chef's Kiss will not be able to change the target. However, this doesn't make you an illegal target, and both the original spell and the copy will still target you and deal 3 damage to you.

July 30, 2023 11:49 p.m.

wallisface says... #5

Gidgetimer yeah on closer reading it looks like you’re correct here. Good catch.

Man this card is worded very un-intuitively, even the gatherer rulings are a nightmare to navigate.

July 30, 2023 11:51 p.m.

Gidgetimer says... #6

I missed that Chef's Kiss gave you control of the original as well as the copy, so part of my response was incorrect. In the case of an opponent casting a spell that targets "a creature you control" both will fizzle, not just the copy.

July 31, 2023 12:11 a.m.

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