Counter-Spell at Summon Bug ?

[k]

We were doing some tests when this strange situation occured :

Horace casts Charm Monster at the monster Ernest is summoning with his left hand
Ernest casts Summon Giant at himself.
Ernest casts Counter Spell at the monster Ernest is summoning with his left hand.
A Counter Spell drifts away aimlessly.
Beanstalk Giant is summoned to serve Ernest.
Beanstalk Giant looks, glassy-eyed, at Horace.
Horace directs Beanstalk Giant to attack Beanstalk Giant.
Beanstalk Giant attacks Beanstalk Giant for 4 damage.
Beanstalk Giant dies.

Is it a bug ? Giant should have been protected from my charm monster by his counter spell, no ?

incriminated turn : games.ravenblack.net/warlocks?num=48527&turn=60

[vilhazarog]

This is not a 'code' bug per say, as it is working as designed... from the Warlocks 'unexpected spell interactions' page:

Counter-spell and Monsters
Casting a counter-spell at a monster in the same turn as it is summoned (ie. targetting 'LH:Warlock') will not work. You can counter-spell the summoning by countering its target (counter-spell target 'Warlock'), but you cannot counter-spell a freshly summoned monster. Why not? Because counter-spell occurs before the monster exists. The same applies to Magic Mirror, for the same reason; see the spell order chart at the bottom of the Quick Reference page.

Because summon happens after counter spell and magic mirror, you can't actually place counter spell or magic mirror on monsters the turn they are being summoned. An unfortunate side effect of the way RavenBlack implemented the rules.

[spamwise]

Ok, what about Summon (target Nobody) vs. Charm Monster (target RH: Opponent)?

I've already submitted my moves, but I'm curious about what *could* have happened.

Opponent(13) Fireproof(perm) Charmed(1) Ogre(2)
 LH:BWWPPSFWPPWS??-dSFWWS
 RH:BDSFFFSSDDWS??-wWFPSF
Self(16)
 LH:BDPPWSDWWSPPFDFPWWPSD
 RH:BPSDWSPSDFWSPFPWPPSDF


If I charm Opponent's RH to W, Summon Giant completes. I can cast Charm Monster on my LH and target RH: Opponent. If Opponent targets RH as Nobody, would summon resolve (the Giant enters the circle, but, finding no master, walks away) before my charm would occur?

[Slartucker]

The monster never really appears. In any event, it's gone before the charm takes effect, so the charm just fizzles.

[spamwise]

Glad I didn't go that route, though, it does lead to a bit of a mind game. Opponent "has to" target nobody, for fear of me picking up his Giant. I could, instead, disrupt the LH, knowing he won't be summoning the Giant, so, in effect, I disrupt both hands.
Then again, he knows I could do that, so clearly he can't choose the cup infront of me...

[Slartucker]

Yes, it's a decision point which could potentially go either way, but which favors the player with the charm.