<p>You absolutely do have to have a target in order to use the ability.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>602.2  To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs,
  so that it will even tually resolve and have its effect. Only an
  object’s controller (or its owner, if it doesn’t have a controller)
  can activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says
  otherwise. Activating an ability follows the steps listed below, in
  order. <strong>If, at any point during the activation of an ability, a player
  is unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is
  illegal; the game returns to the moment before that ability started to
  be activated (see rule 717, “Handling Illegal Actions”)</strong>. Announcements
  and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p>And you have to choose a target in order to cast a spell or activate an ability.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. A spell
  may require some targets only if an alternative or additional cost
  (such as a buyback or kicker cost), or a particular mode, was chosen
  for it; otherwise, the spell is cast as though it did not require
  those targets. If the spell has a variable number of targets, the
  player announces how many targets he or she will choose before he or
  she announces those targets. The same target can’t be chosen multiple
  times for any one instance of the word “target” on the spell. However,
  if the spell uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same
  object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the
  word “target” (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). If any
  effects say that an object or player must be chosen as a target, the
  player chooses targets so that he or she obeys the maximum possible
  number of such effects without violating any rules or effects that say
  that an object or player can’t be chosen as a target. The chosen
  players, objects, and/or zones each become a target of that spell.
  (Any abilities that trigger when those players, objects, and/or zones
  become the target of a spell trigger at this point; they’ll wait to be
  put on the stack until the spell has finished being cast.)</p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<blockquote>
  <p>602.2b The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2b –
  h. Those rules apply to activating an a bility just as they apply to
  casting a spell. An activated ability’s analog to a spell’s mana cost
  (as referenced in rule 601.2e) is its activation cost.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T17:54:27.877Z
Another appropriate rule is `601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires....`
Pow-Ian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T17:57:57.360Z
@Pow-Ian he's asking if he can pay the cost without actually using the ability on a legal target.
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T17:59:51.837Z
@Pow-Ian to list all the revelant rules would require me to list `601.2c` through `601.2g` and `602.2b`, all of which together  would bring my answer below the fold
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T18:01:23.423Z
@Pow-Ian I think that it's quite sufficient to understand that if you are unable to comply with one of the parts of activating an ability, then you can't do any of the parts of it at all.
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T18:07:01.053Z
Actually he asked, `"However, does there have to be a spell to target for me to be able to use this ability?"` which is not directly addressed by stating you have to complete all the steps. At first galnce choosing a target does not seem like a required step since a spell/ability on the stack can easily end up without a legal target which made me origianlly think that there did not need to be a target when you cast/activated it.
Pow-Ian
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T18:18:28.083Z
@Pow-Ian It seemed to me that the source of the OP's confusion is regarding whether you can pay the costs for the ability even if you can't legally cast it, although I might have been primed to think that way by the OP's previous question
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T18:38:01.563Z
Can you use this ability to target an Abrupt Decay, only to have the ability fizzle because Abrupt Decay cannot be countered? (Let's say, for instance, you REALLY wanted it tapped so a Backlash spell targeting it fizzles...)
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T18:54:07.250Z
@corsiKa yes, you can target abrupt decay with any counterspell.  It's inability to be countered doesn't make it an illegal target, It just won't be countered.  just as the same as you can use quirion ranger to untap creatures that are untapped.  because
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-07-03T17:41:50.683Z
2014-01-25T03:29:28.810Z
2014-01-25T03:29:28.810Z
Sam I am says Reinstate Monica
<p><a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Patron%20Wizard">Patron Wizard</a> says I have to tap an untapped wizard. That is before the &quot;:&quot;, which means that is the cost. However, does there have to be a spell to target to use this ability, or can I just tap an untapped wizard and let the ability fizzle?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Do i have to have a spell target to tap a wizard creature with Patron Wizard?
prolink007
# Do i have to have a spell target to tap a wizard creature with Patron Wizard?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-07-03)

[Patron Wizard](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Patron%20Wizard) says I have to tap an untapped wizard. That is before the ":", which means that is the cost. However, does there have to be a spell to target to use this ability, or can I just tap an untapped wizard and let the ability fizzle?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-07-03. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

You absolutely do have to have a target in order to use the ability.

> 602.2 To activate an ability is to put it onto the stack and pay its costs,
> so that it will even tually resolve and have its effect. Only an
> object’s controller (or its owner, if it doesn’t have a controller)
> can activate its activated ability unless the object specifically says
> otherwise. Activating an ability follows the steps listed below, in
> order. **If, at any point during the activation of an ability, a player
> is unable to comply with any of those steps, the activation is
> illegal; the game returns to the moment before that ability started to
> be activated (see rule 717, “Handling Illegal Actions”)**. Announcements
> and payments can’t be altered after they’ve been made.

---

And you have to choose a target in order to cast a spell or activate an ability.

> 601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. A spell
> may require some targets only if an alternative or additional cost
> (such as a buyback or kicker cost), or a particular mode, was chosen
> for it; otherwise, the spell is cast as though it did not require
> those targets. If the spell has a variable number of targets, the
> player announces how many targets he or she will choose before he or
> she announces those targets. The same target can’t be chosen multiple
> times for any one instance of the word “target” on the spell. However,
> if the spell uses the word “target” in multiple places, the same
> object, player, or zone can be chosen once for each instance of the
> word “target” (as long as it fits the targeting criteria). If any
> effects say that an object or player must be chosen as a target, the
> player chooses targets so that he or she obeys the maximum possible
> number of such effects without violating any rules or effects that say
> that an object or player can’t be chosen as a target. The chosen
> players, objects, and/or zones each become a target of that spell.
> (Any abilities that trigger when those players, objects, and/or zones
> become the target of a spell trigger at this point; they’ll wait to be
> put on the stack until the spell has finished being cast.)

---

> 602.2b The remainder of the process for activating an ability is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2b –
> h. Those rules apply to activating an a bility just as they apply to
> casting a spell. An activated ability’s analog to a spell’s mana cost
> (as referenced in rule 601.2e) is its activation cost.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Another appropriate rule is `601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires....`  
> **username_1**: @username_2 he's asking if he can pay the cost without actually using the ability on a legal target.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 to list all the revelant rules would require me to list `601.2c` through `601.2g` and `602.2b`, all of which together  would bring my answer below the fold  
> **username_1**: @username_2 I think that it's quite sufficient to understand that if you are unable to comply with one of the parts of activating an ability, then you can't do any of the parts of it at all.  
> **username_2**: Actually he asked, `"However, does there have to be a spell to target for me to be able to use this ability?"` which is not directly addressed by stating you have to complete all the steps. At first galnce choosing a target does not seem like a required step since a spell/ability on the stack can easily end up without a legal target which made me origianlly think that there did not need to be a target when you cast/activated it.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 It seemed to me that the source of the OP's confusion is regarding whether you can pay the costs for the ability even if you can't legally cast it, although I might have been primed to think that way by the OP's previous question  
> **username_3**: Can you use this ability to target an Abrupt Decay, only to have the ability fizzle because Abrupt Decay cannot be countered? (Let's say, for instance, you REALLY wanted it tapped so a Backlash spell targeting it fizzles...)  
> **username_1**: @username_3 yes, you can target abrupt decay with any counterspell.  It's inability to be countered doesn't make it an illegal target, It just won't be countered.  just as the same as you can use quirion ranger to untap creatures that are untapped.  because  

---

