Blatant Thievery and multiple opponents

[Nefarias]

Blatant Thievery
4UUU
Sorcery
For each opponent, gain control of target permanent that player controls. (This effect doesn’t end at end of turn.)

Say I am playing with four opponents, and only three of them have permanants, am I allowed to cast this a take from the three that have something? Or is this like Rack and Ruining when there is only one artifact in play?

[Mixing Mike]

Offically you need to be able to take something from everyone, so it's the way Rack and Ruin is with one artifact out..

[Nefarias]

Thought so. This has serious ramifications for its playability in Type 4. It's something we didn't realize at first, then discovered, then ignored because it made the card kind of suck, but now that I'm sure, it may need to be cut.

[Limbo]

Thought so. This has serious ramifications for its playability in Type 4. It's something we didn't realize at first, then discovered, then ignored because it made the card kind of suck, but now that I'm sure, it may need to be cut.

Remember that if you remove targets after this is put on the stack, it will still do as much as it can. I find it hard to believe that there are rounds when some players permanently have no permanents...

[Nefarias]

It's just that it's already really hard to resolve, and this not only puts more restrictions on it, but pisses more people off, making it even less likely to resolve.

[epeeguy]

I find it hard to believe that there are rounds when some players permanently have no permanents...

Agreed.  At the very least, you can always target someone's Land with this if they have no Artifacts, Creatures or Enchantments in play.  Since almost everyone plays with Land, you're guarenteed at least one target from each player.

[Nefarias]

I'm talking about Type 4 here, where people almost never have land in play, and often don't have permanents.

[epeeguy]

I'm talking about Type 4 here, where people almost never have land in play, and often don't have permanents.

I still find that hard to believe even in Type 4.  I mean, unless the stack that you are playing off is set up that way, each player should have at least one or two permanents in play at a time.  I guess it is possible to have it happen, but I really haven't see it happen quite that often.

Alternatively, what you can do is "Oracle" the text of Blatant Thievary for the purposes of Type 4 (to make it more playable and interesting).  That is:

Blatant Thievery
4UUU
Sorcery
For each opponent, gain control of upto one target permanent that player controls. (This effect doesn’t end at end of turn.)

This lets you pick 0 or 1 target for each player, and allows it to be played even when some players control no permanents.