The Wizards Community

Tierdrop

Date Joined: Jul 3, 2012

Posts: 802

Let's say I have a trading post

in play and no cards in my graveyard. Can I activate it's third ability and fail to find an artifact?

cyphern

Date Joined: Jan 19, 2003

Posts: 17,671

No.

The third ability requires a target. If you can't select a legal target, you can't activate the ability.

Rules Advisor

beyurslf

Date Joined: Oct 18, 2009

Posts: 324

Mar 12, 2013 -- 10:14PM, Tierdrop wrote:
Let's say I have a trading post in play and no cards in my graveyard. Can I activate it's third ability and fail to find an artifact?

In order to do what you want, it would have to say "search your GY for an artifact card and put it into you hand" or something similiar.

ikegami

Date Joined: Nov 16, 2007

Posts: 2,234

Mar 12, 2013 -- 10:51PM, beyurslf wrote:
Mar 12, 2013 -- 10:14PM, Tierdrop wrote:
Let's say I have a trading post in play and no cards in my graveyard. Can I activate it's third ability and fail to find an artifact?

In order to do what you want, it would have to say "search your GY for an artifact card and put it into you hand" or something similiar.

or "Choose an artifact card in your graveyard. ..."

These are actions performed when the ability resolves. Targets are picked when the ability is activated.

Batmann

Date Joined: Mar 7, 2013

Posts: 72

the bigger question is: why would you even want to if you have no artifacts in your graveyard? i mean do you just need trading post taped? becuase there are other ways to do that.

rezzahan

Date Joined: Mar 12, 2011

Posts: 4,788

Mar 13, 2013 -- 1:15AM, Batmann wrote:
the bigger question is: why would you even want to if you have no artifacts in your graveyard? i mean do you just need trading post taped? becuase there are other ways to do that.

Ways to sacrifice creatures are sought by many decks, because this can easily be made beneficial.

I'm a Rules Advisor now

"Simple questions" usually need rather complex answers, while complex questions often come down to no more than a simple "yes" or "no".

Some of my favorite Flavor texts: Show

"Who truly runs this city? Look to the sky on hallowed days, and see whose sigil is stamped clearly onto the heavens." - Vuliev of the Ghost Council

"We have no need for military might. We wield two of the sharpest swords ever forged: Faith in our left hand, Wealth in our right." - Vuliev of the Ghost Council

Options will cost you, but a lack of them will cost you even more.

The wizard who reads a thousand books is powerful. The wizard who memorizes a thousand books is insane.

A single dedicated mind can bring about the greatest destruction. That, or goblins - goblins work too.

"Of course you should fight fire with fire. You should fight everything with fire." - Jaya Ballard, task mage

He unmakes the world in his own image.

"Who's the crazy one now?" - Torgle, mountaintop boatmaker

"Fair? At what point in our negotiations did you convince yourself my goal was to be fair?"

After breaking free from the Riptide Project, the slivers quickly adapted to life on Otaria - much to the dismay of life on Otaria.

Batmann

Date Joined: Mar 7, 2013

Posts: 72

Mar 13, 2013 -- 1:38AM, rezzahan wrote:
Mar 13, 2013 -- 1:15AM, Batmann wrote:
the bigger question is: why would you even want to if you have no artifacts in your graveyard? i mean do you just need trading post taped? becuase there are other ways to do that.

Ways to sacrifice creatures are sought by many decks, because this can easily be made beneficial.

oh, good point, i did not even consider that. I got to learn to think outside the box.

Enigma256

Date Joined: Jul 28, 2010

Posts: 13,863

as an unasked followup

if you sacrifice an artifact creature for the third ability you cannot bring it back with the same ability, you need another artifact in the graveyard

proud member of the 2011 community team

rezzahan

Date Joined: Mar 12, 2011

Posts: 4,788

Mar 13, 2013 -- 5:01AM, Enigma256 wrote:
as an unasked followup

if you sacrifice an artifact creature for the third ability you cannot bring it back with the same ability, you need another artifact in the graveyard

As to the why: targets must be chosen before costs are paid.

I'm a Rules Advisor now

"Simple questions" usually need rather complex answers, while complex questions often come down to no more than a simple "yes" or "no".

Some of my favorite Flavor texts: Show

"Who truly runs this city? Look to the sky on hallowed days, and see whose sigil is stamped clearly onto the heavens." - Vuliev of the Ghost Council

"We have no need for military might. We wield two of the sharpest swords ever forged: Faith in our left hand, Wealth in our right." - Vuliev of the Ghost Council

Options will cost you, but a lack of them will cost you even more.

The wizard who reads a thousand books is powerful. The wizard who memorizes a thousand books is insane.

A single dedicated mind can bring about the greatest destruction. That, or goblins - goblins work too.

"Of course you should fight fire with fire. You should fight everything with fire." - Jaya Ballard, task mage

He unmakes the world in his own image.

"Who's the crazy one now?" - Torgle, mountaintop boatmaker

"Fair? At what point in our negotiations did you convince yourself my goal was to be fair?"

After breaking free from the Riptide Project, the slivers quickly adapted to life on Otaria - much to the dismay of life on Otaria.

Hallow36

Date Joined: Aug 3, 2011

Posts: 185

It's in my edh deck for that exact reason. I have reasons for discarding cards and saccing creatures. The Post just happens to do all those things, making the actual effect of the ability mostly bonus.

I am Blue/White
Take The Magic Dual Colour Test - Beta today!
Created with Rum and Monkey's Personality Test Generator.

Community

Corporate

Wizards.com Sites