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Taking up a theme I introduced "in the past" - as you can read from the question posted here: Was it possible to target spells placed at the bottom of a just-cast fast effects chain?

with this question I'm asking you instead if today the mechanism of casting magic and counter-magic can predict a game situation of the type that will be described shortly.

If two players cast a series of instants -

for example, the first of them could be the usual Lightning Bolt -

and cast many of them, by passing the priority and do not solving the stack, according to the current rules it is possible to counter something placed at the bottom of the stack, for example by casting a Counterspell targeting the first Lightning Bolt, just the one at the bottom of the stack?
Obviously, I mean if it is possible to cast this Counterspell when there are for example also other counter-magic, which intend to counteract other spells already present in the stack -

and even other fast effects,doing other things, such as a Purelace interacting with other spells,and so on... -

but with the only difference that the Counterspell I talk about in the question is just the last magic of a long series (e.g. of 10 ...or even more), and that intends to target the first magic placed in that stack, instead.

In other words: is it today possible to cast spells supposed to target other spells placed at the bottom of the stack?

(and I mean:regardless of what happens to other magic placed in the same stack)

I ask this easy question to bring out all the difference -

if there were any -

between the current regulation, and the first Magic regulation in particular (A & B series ...), too.

I really thank you for your time and patience.

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  • 1
    This isn't a rules reference, but I can confirm that MTG Arena and MTG Online (both created by Wizards of the Coast) allow you to target any spell on the stack with a Counterspell or Divide by Zero.
    – BradC
    Oct 8, 2021 at 13:47

1 Answer 1

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Yes. Counterspell simply says

Counter target spell

and 'spell' is defined in the glossary of the comprehensive rules as:

A card on the stack. Also a copy (of either a card or another spell) on the stack. See rule 112, “Spells.”

It does not matter where it is on the stack.

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  • I want to emphasize that not only is this possible, but it is an important part of the game, especially in older formats. If you could target only the top of the stack, there would be no way to counter all copies of a storm spell (like [mtg:Tendrils of Agony]) with [mtg: Flusterstorm], because then all copies of Flusterstorm would have to target the same copy of the spell.
    – F.U.A.S.
    Oct 9, 2021 at 15:06
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    @F.U.A.S. It would be worse than that, wouldn't it? Each copy of Flusterstorm would have to copy the previous copy of Flusterstorm.
    – amalloy
    Oct 10, 2021 at 1:16
  • @amalloy indeed! Flusterstorm would turn into a worse force spike, only able to target an instant or a sorcery as well as requiring you to pay 1 extra, if the number of spells cast before it is odd.
    – F.U.A.S.
    Oct 11, 2021 at 15:57
  • Thank you so much Glorfinder! So why not prove once again your Schelerian vision of life - that is, the fact that it is composed of ideal parts and real parts - and also answer the question attached to this, and which concerns an example of a game situation at the time of the A&B series? Today's game is changed in this aspect (and then it is an ideal factor), or has it remained almost identical since then (and then it would be a material factor)?? Oct 13, 2021 at 11:55
  • If you don't answer, I think I already know why, and I thank you just the same. It's not your field of... um, "answers to be provided in a standardized way by SE"...I preciseòy mean that:- "each of you could answer, but in fact it is delegated to a specific field of questions to be answered. Rebel against this authoritarian method, which does not allow a fluid resolution of all questions!! (the failure to answer to the joint question is proof of this...) Oct 13, 2021 at 12:02

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