<p>Nothing happens.</p>

<hr>

<p>He is instructed to discard a card.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>701.7a To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s graveyard.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It's impossible for him to discard a card, so he does as much as possible.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>609.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>It does not affect him.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-12T20:14:23.140Z
Note: As you can see from the definition of "discard", the phrase "discard from a library" makes no sense. You can move a card from a library, but you cannot discard from it.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-12T19:51:45.610Z
2014-07-12T20:12:12.960Z
2014-07-12T20:12:12.960Z
ikegami
<p>If I play a spell that makes an opponent discard a card, but they have no cards in their hand, would they have to discard those cards from their library, or would nothing happen?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
You have to discard, but have no cards in your hand
Todd P.
# You have to discard, but have no cards in your hand

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-07-12)

If I play a spell that makes an opponent discard a card, but they have no cards in their hand, would they have to discard those cards from their library, or would nothing happen?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-07-12. Score: 13

Nothing happens.

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He is instructed to discard a card.

> 701.7a To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s graveyard.

It's impossible for him to discard a card, so he does as much as possible.

> 609.3. If an effect attempts to do something impossible, it does only as much as possible.

It does not affect him.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Note: As you can see from the definition of "discard", the phrase "discard from a library" makes no sense. You can move a card from a library, but you cannot discard from it.  

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