If Hidden Blade targets a unit but the opponent uses Hourglass to save it, does Hidden Blade still resolve and does the unit's controller still draw 2 cards?

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Accepted Answer

Yes. When you play Hidden Blade targeting a unit and the opponent uses Hourglass in response to prevent that unit from being killed, Hidden Blade still resolves. The kill instruction is attempted and will do nothing if the unit cannot be killed, and the spell’s second instruction — "Its controller draws 2" — still happens, drawing 2 cards for the controller of the originally targeted unit.

Play of Hidden Blade targets a unit when placed on the chain [355.8]. If an opponent’s Hourglass prevents or replaces the kill so the unit does not die, Hidden Blade still resolves. The kill instruction is applied as much as possible (and will be a no-op if the unit can’t be killed), and then the controller of the targeted unit draws 2 cards [359.3.e.11] [355.10.d].

You play Hidden Blade from Hidden (or normally); as it is finalized on the chain you choose a target unit at that battlefield because the spell’s text says "Kill a unit at a battlefield" and that is a targeted choice [355.8]. An opponent may react with Hourglass. If Hourglass replaces or prevents the kill (for example, making the unit unable to be killed), that replacement/prevention resolves before Hidden Blade resolves. When Hidden Blade resolves, the kill instruction is applied. If the unit cannot be killed (because of Hourglass), that part of the instruction is a no-op. Instructions that can be partially followed are followed as much as possible, so the inability to kill does not stop other instructions from happening [359.3.e.11]. After attempting the kill, the spell then carries out the next instruction: "Its controller draws 2." That line refers to the controller of the targeted unit and is executed even if the kill didn’t occur (this is consistent with examples where a spell references a targeted unit’s controller without targeting the player) [355.10.d]. If the unit’s status or information used by the spell were needed for calculations (e.g., the would-be killed unit’s Might), and that information became unavailable, those calculations would return null and be ignored, but that does not prevent the draw instruction from happening by default [359.3.e.12].

If Hourglass moves the targeted unit to a zone or state where the unit is no longer a valid target at resolution, the kill instruction can’t be carried out, but the draw instruction still occurs unless the game can’t determine who 'its controller' is. If the controller cannot be determined (extremely unlikely with normal cards), resolution may require a judge ruling based on the exact text of Hourglass and zone rules [359.3.e.12]. If Hourglass's effect does something that changes who controls the unit before resolution (for example, giving control to another player), the draw goes to that unit’s controller as of resolution (the controller that can be identified when the draw instruction resolves) [359.3.e.12] [355.10.d]. If Hourglass is worded so it replaces the target itself (for example, replacing the targeted unit with some other object) such that the original target no longer exists and the controller cannot be identified, then the 'its controller draws 2' instruction may have no applicable target or may need to be treated per null-check rules; this is a corner case not covered by the provided card texts [359.3.e.12].

When you play Hidden Blade the spell targets a unit at a battlefield as part of finalizing the spell on the chain, so valid targets must be selected at that time [355.8]. If the opponent plays Hourglass in response and that effect prevents or replaces the kill, then by the time Hidden Blade resolves the game will attempt to perform the "Kill a unit" instruction but will do as much of that instruction as is possible. The rules explicitly state that instructions that can be partially followed are followed as much as possible and ignored otherwise, so a prevented kill becomes a no-op but does not stop the rest of the spell from resolving [359.3.e.11]. The subsequent instruction "Its controller draws 2" refers to the controller of the targeted unit and is not a separate target itself; the example "Destroy a unit. Its controller draws 2 cards" in the rules shows this phrasing targets the unit but not the player who draws, and the draw instruction is still a valid, executable instruction tied to the targeted unit’s controller [355.10.d]. If the unit’s information needed for calculations became unavailable (e.g., Might checks), those calculations would return null and be ignored, but that does not by itself stop an independent instruction like "Its controller draws 2" from resolving [359.3.e.12]. Therefore, in the standard case where Hourglass prevents the unit from being killed but does not make the controller unidentifiable, Hidden Blade resolves, the kill does nothing, and the controller of the targeted unit draws 2 cards.