Magic the Gathering: "Book Burning" question.?

Question

With the card "Book Burning", does it do 6 damage AND discard 6 cards unless your opponent has the same card in their deck, or does your opponent get to choose whether to take the damage OR to discard? I think it's "or", but somebody tried to use it and told me it was both.

Card:

http://www.cardkingdom.com/index.php?sid=408077379&keyword=book+burning&main=catalog&catalog_id=125

Answer 1

Book burning lets your opponent take 6 damage instead of letting the target player put 6 cards from the top of his library into the graveyard.

In short: If you cast book burning targeting yourself (in order to achieve threshold), you or your opponent may pay 6 life to avoid milling 6 cards. Your opponent gets to choose between the damage or the discard.

Answer 2

Book burning gives an opponent the option of taking six damage. If he or she does, then the card resolves with no further effect. However, if your opponent doesn’t want to take the pain, Book Burning mills the top 6 cards off the top of his or her library.

I hope this helped!

Answer 3

The original wording of Book Burning made a lot of people confused.

"Unless a player has Book Burning deal 6 damage to him or her, put the top 6 cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard."

The sentence break was at the end of Book Burning.  So a lot of people thought that unless the opponent had Book Burning in hand, they would get dealt 6 damage and lose 6 cards.

The new wording is as follows to stop the confusion.

"Any player may have Book Burning deal 6 damage to him or her. If no one does, put the top six cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard."

http://ww2.wizards.com/Gatherer/CardDeta...

So basically, take 6 or lose 6 cards.

Answer 4

"Unless a player has Book Burning deal 6 damage to him or her, put the top six cards of target player's library into his or her graveyard."

Your opponent can't choose the effect of the card your playing unless the card says so.

If your opponent doesn't have this card then you can use it's effect. The card text doesn't say to choose between dealing 6 damage and discarding the top 6 cards of your opponents deck. So you do both effects.

I would think the card would make you choose 1 or the other because it doesn't cost much mana to play. But what do I know.

Answer 5

Book burning says "Do you want to take 6? If no, mill 6 cards"

its phrased like that for multiplayer, everyone takes 6 or they are milled for 6.

You're right, he's wrong.  If htere was a comma he would be right and that card would be stupid powerful.