<p>You must choose X different<sup>[1]</sup> targets, and the targets can be creatures and/or planeswalkers. With X=2,</p>

<ol>
<li>You can target two different creatures,</li>
<li>You can target two different planeswalkers, or</li>
<li>You can target a creature and a different permanent that's a planeswalker.</li>
</ol>

<p>This is confirmed by a ruling for <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPinnacle%20of%20Rage%5d">Pinnacle of Rage</a>: "You must choose two legal targets to cast Pinnacle of Rage." (The ruling dates back to when Pinnacle of Rage still used the same wording about which you are asking.)</p>

<hr>

<p>Notes:</p>

<ol>
<li><blockquote>
  <p>114.3. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on a spell or ability. [...]</p>
</blockquote></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-23T20:25:01.647Z
Awesome! You've just ended the long debate in my group of MTG players.
thm51mb
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-05T16:17:41.130Z
The footnote applies to the third case too if there's any planeswalker creatures (I'm looking at you, Gideon) on the battlefield.
Arcanist Lupus
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-05-05T21:37:55.087Z
@Arcanist Lupus, Ah yes. The Q&A was originally about planeswalkers and players (instead of planeswalkers and creatures), and I missed the need to adjust that part in the edit. Fixed.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 4.0
2014-03-23T19:56:11.407Z
2018-05-05T22:01:12.023Z
2018-05-05T22:01:12.023Z
ikegami
<p>How should the "and/or" text of a card be interpreted? For example on a card like <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bNahiri%27s%5d%2b%5bWrath%5d">Nahiri&#39;s Wrath</a> the text reads:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage equal to the total converted mana cost of the discarded cards to each of up to X target creatures and/or planeswalkers.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><em>For the remainder of this question, let's fix X at 2 to keep things simple.</em></p>

<p>Should the "and/or" be interpreted such that the effect is applied to a combination of targets the player chooses. That is to say for Nahiri's Wrath the player could perform one of the following options:</p>

<ol>
<li>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of <strong>two target creatures</strong>.</li>
<li>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of <strong>two target planeswalkers</strong>.</li>
<li>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of <strong>one target creature and one target planeswalker</strong>.</li>
</ol>

<p>Or should the card's effect be expanded and applied to both sides of the "and/or". With this interpretation the player would have to the following two options when playing Nahiri's Wrath:</p>

<ol>
<li>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target creatures <strong>and</strong> Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target planeswalkers</li>
<li>Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target creatures <strong>or</strong> Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target planeswalkers</li>
</ol>

<p>The confusion stems from <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=378477" rel="nofollow noreferrer">comments on the Pinnacle of Rage's discussion page</a> (which was formerly formerly worded using the same phrasing) where some commenters have said things like:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>So this lets you do a total of 12 damage? 3 each to 2 target creatures AND 3 each to 2 target players, one of which could be a planeswalker? That's how the "and/or" works, right? You can choose. Otherwise it would just be "or"...</p>
</blockquote>

<magic-the-gathering>
How should the "and/or" text of a card be interpreted?
thm51mb
# How should the "and/or" text of a card be interpreted?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-03-23)

How should the "and/or" text of a card be interpreted? For example on a card like [Nahiri's Wrath](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bNahiri%27s%5d%2b%5bWrath%5d) the text reads:

> Nahiri's Wrath deals damage equal to the total converted mana cost of the discarded cards to each of up to X target creatures and/or planeswalkers.

*For the remainder of this question, let's fix X at 2 to keep things simple.*

Should the "and/or" be interpreted such that the effect is applied to a combination of targets the player chooses. That is to say for Nahiri's Wrath the player could perform one of the following options:

1. Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of **two target creatures**.
2. Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of **two target planeswalkers**.
3. Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of **one target creature and one target planeswalker**.

Or should the card's effect be expanded and applied to both sides of the "and/or". With this interpretation the player would have to the following two options when playing Nahiri's Wrath:

1. Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target creatures **and** Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target planeswalkers
2. Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target creatures **or** Nahiri's Wrath deals damage to each of X target planeswalkers

The confusion stems from [comments on the Pinnacle of Rage's discussion page](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Discussion.aspx?multiverseid=378477) (which was formerly formerly worded using the same phrasing) where some commenters have said things like:

> So this lets you do a total of 12 damage? 3 each to 2 target creatures AND 3 each to 2 target players, one of which could be a planeswalker? That's how the "and/or" works, right? You can choose. Otherwise it would just be "or"...

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-03-23. Score: 16 | Accepted answer

You must choose X different[1] targets, and the targets can be creatures and/or planeswalkers. With X=2,

1. You can target two different creatures,
2. You can target two different planeswalkers, or
3. You can target a creature and a different permanent that's a planeswalker.

This is confirmed by a ruling for [Pinnacle of Rage](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bPinnacle%20of%20Rage%5d): "You must choose two legal targets to cast Pinnacle of Rage." (The ruling dates back to when Pinnacle of Rage still used the same wording about which you are asking.)

---

Notes:

1. > 114.3. The same target can’t be chosen multiple times for any one instance of the word “target” on a spell or ability. [...]

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Awesome! You've just ended the long debate in my group of MTG players.  
> **username_2**: The footnote applies to the third case too if there's any planeswalker creatures (I'm looking at you, Gideon) on the battlefield.  
> **username_1**: @username_2, Ah yes. The Q&A was originally about planeswalkers and players (instead of planeswalkers and creatures), and I missed the need to adjust that part in the edit. Fixed.  

---

