Fizzling and partly resolving Abilities/Spells

[paK0]

Ok, In most relevant cases I know the answear but I still don't get it:

Abilities can have multiple targets.

Somteime these abilities fizzle
(Seadrake wit less than two lands in play)

Sometimes the effect is applied as far as possible
(Dovescape (not) countering Hellbent Demonfire)

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What happens here?
You play a Gilded Drake, and respont to the ability by bouncing it, what happens?



So, I need an answear on the last one and it would be nice if someone could explain the differences and when they are applied.

thx in advance

[cdr]

"Fizzle" is not a rules term. It's an informal term that is often used when someone means "countered due to lack of a legal target", but it's also used to mean other things. Since it's such a loose and imprecise term, you'd be best off striking it from your vocabulary. Each of your three situations is completely different - they have nothing to do with each other.

Sea Drake has a very uncommon sort of trigger, one with multiple targets: "When Sea Drake enters the battlefield, return two target lands you control to their owner's hand." When a trigger that targets is put on the stack, it's immediately removed if there aren't enough legal targets for it. This is the same thing that happens when, say, Viridian Shaman enters the battlefield and there's no artifacts in play.

Dovescape will still try to counter an uncounterable spell, but fail. The effect was still fully applied.

Gilded Drake has a completely one of a kind ability - the rules people did backflips to keep it accurate to its original wording. "When Gilded Drake enters the battlefield, exchange control of Gilded Drake and up to one target creature an opponent controls. If you don't make an exchange, sacrifice Gilded Drake. This ability can't be countered except by spells and abilities." This makes it so that it's impossible to 'abuse' Sea Drake short of Stifling the trigger.

The answer to "what happens when you bounce it" has nothing to do with Gilded Drake's ability, though. Like any other exchange, if both sides are not present, the exchange does not happen.


603.3d. The remainder of the process for putting a triggered ability on the stack is identical to the process for casting a spell listed in rules 601.2c-d. If a choice is required when the triggered ability goes on the stack but no legal choices can be made for it, or if a rule or a continuous effect otherwise makes the ability illegal, the ability is simply removed from the stack.


701.8a. A spell or ability may instruct players to exchange something (for example, life totals or control of two permanents) as part of its resolution. When such a spell or ability resolves, if the entire exchange can't be completed, no part of the exchange occurs.

Example: If a spell attempts to exchange control of two target creatures but one of those creatures is destroyed before the spell resolves, the spell does nothing to the other creature.