Yes. Upon casting the spell in question, a target has to be chosen for each instance of the word "target". This means that during the process of casting the spell, a creature must be chosen as one of the spell's targets.
If upon resolution, the spell that is to be countered remains a legal target but the creature becomes an illegal target, the spell that is to be countered can still be countered, but if the controller of that spell chooses to have the damage be dealt to the creature instead, no damage will be dealt. This is because a spell can't perform any actions on illegal targets. As usual, if both the spell and the creature are illegal targets as this tries to resolve, the spell will be countered upon resolution.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
How to use card tags (please use them for everybody's sanity)
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format Minimum deck size: 60 Maximum number of identical cards: 4 Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
If upon resolution, the spell that is to be countered remains a legal target but the creature becomes an illegal target, the spell that is to be countered can still be countered, but if the controller of that spell chooses to have the damage be dealt to the creature instead, no damage will be dealt. This is because a spell can't perform any actions on illegal targets.
The spell's controller is given the choice between having the spell be countered or dealing damage to an illegal target. It's impossible to deal damage to an illegal target, therefore only legal choice is to let the spell be countered.
608.2d If an effect of a spell or ability offers any choices other than choices already made as part of casting the spell, activating the ability, or otherwise putting the spell or ability on the stack, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can’t choose an option that’s illegal or impossible, with the exception that having a library with no cards in it doesn’t make drawing a card an impossible action (see rule 120.3).
Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller has ~ deal 4 damage to target creature.
Can the rules currently unambiguously deal with what happens if the player attempts to give that creature hexproof in response?
If upon resolution, the spell that is to be countered remains a legal target but the creature becomes an illegal target, the spell that is to be countered can still be countered, but if the controller of that spell chooses to have the damage be dealt to the creature instead, no damage will be dealt. This is because a spell can't perform any actions on illegal targets. As usual, if both the spell and the creature are illegal targets as this tries to resolve, the spell will be countered upon resolution.
[c]Lightning Bolt[/c] -> Lightning Bolt
[c=Lightning Bolt]Apple Pie[/c] -> Apple Pie
Vowels-Only Format
Minimum deck size: 60
Maximum number of identical cards: 4
Ban list: Cards whose English names begin with a consonant, Unglued and Unhinged cards, cards involving ante, Ancestral Recall
608.2d If an effect of a spell or ability offers any choices other than choices already made as part of casting the spell, activating the ability, or otherwise putting the spell or ability on the stack, the player announces these while applying the effect. The player can’t choose an option that’s illegal or impossible, with the exception that having a library with no cards in it doesn’t make drawing a card an impossible action (see rule 120.3).
Target instant or sorcery spell's controller may have CARDNAME deal 4 damage to target creature. If he or she doesn't, counter that spell.
Right on. I should've gone that way to begin with (even if I don't like it much).