<p>No, you have to pick a legal target (a creature with power 0 or less) when you cast the spell, as instructed by the third step of casting a spell.</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. [...]</p>
</blockquote>

<p>If you can't, any steps of casting the spell already taken are undone.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>601.2. [...] If, at any point during the casting of a spell, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the casting of the spell is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that spell started to be cast [...]</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-28T14:38:16.503Z
Presumably the card would work the way the OP wants if it was worded something more like "If target creature has power X or less, destroy it."
thesunneversets
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-28T15:47:54.700Z
@thesunneversets, yeah, then any creature would be a valid target. "Destroy a creature with with power X or less." would also allow it to be cast since the creature would be chosen on resolution.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-02-28T14:18:00.457Z
2013-02-28T14:23:03.400Z
2013-02-28T14:23:03.400Z
ikegami
<p>I wonder if I am able to cast <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Killing%20Glare">Killing Glare</a> if there are no powerless creatures on the board?</p>
<p>For example to Extort after casting.</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Can I cast Killing Glare with X=0 while no creatures with zero power are on the battlefield?
installero
# Can I cast Killing Glare with X=0 while no creatures with zero power are on the battlefield?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-02-28)

I wonder if I am able to cast [Killing Glare](https://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Killing%20Glare) if there are no powerless creatures on the board?

For example to Extort after casting.

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2013-02-28. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

No, you have to pick a legal target (a creature with power 0 or less) when you cast the spell, as instructed by the third step of casting a spell.

> 601.2c The player announces his or her choice of an appropriate player, object, or zone for each target the spell requires. [...]

If you can't, any steps of casting the spell already taken are undone.

> 601.2. [...] If, at any point during the casting of a spell, a player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the casting of the spell is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that spell started to be cast [...]

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Presumably the card would work the way the OP wants if it was worded something more like "If target creature has power X or less, destroy it."  
> **username_1**: @username_2, yeah, then any creature would be a valid target. "Destroy a creature with with power X or less." would also allow it to be cast since the creature would be chosen on resolution.  

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