What does と in "対象とする" mean?


In Japanese version of Magic: the Gathering cards, there is a common idiom

"[target description] を対象とする。[subject] それに [action]."

For example, in this card:

[![Lightning Bolt Magic: the Gathering card
scan](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TvRpB.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TvRpB.jpg)

the Japanese text says "クリーチャー１体かプレイヤー１人を対象とする。稲妻はそれに３点のダメージを与える。"

The english text says "Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or
player."

  1. What does the と in the sentence mean? Wouldn't 対象する work alone?
  2. Is there a simpler, less wordy, way to say the same thing, similar to the way that in English, we can use "target" as an adjective? 




>   1. What does the と in the sentence mean? Wouldn't 対象する work alone?
>

No, 対象する doesn't work alone (since 対象 is not a suru-verb).

ＡをＢとする (or ＡをＢにする) means "make A B", so クリーチャーを対象とする (or クリーチャーを対象にする)
literally means "make a creature the target", "set/have a creature as the
target," i.e., "Your target will be a creature."

>   2. Is there a simpler, less wordy, way to say the same thing, similar to
> the way that in English, we can use "target" as an adjective?
>

"Target" as an adjective would be 「対象となる」 or 「対象の」 in Japanese.

To _literally_ translate "Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or
player" it'd be like:

> 稲妻は、 **対象となる / 対象の** クリーチャーかプレイヤーに３ダメージを与える。

... although this does not exactly mean the same thing as the original text;
saying 対象となる/対象のクリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or player that is your target)
implies that you may also encounter 対象となら **ない** クリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or
player that is _not_ your target).




>   1. What does the と in the sentence mean? Wouldn't 対象する work alone?
>

No, 対象する doesn't work alone (since 対象 is not a suru-verb).

ＡをＢとする (or ＡをＢにする) means "make A B", so クリーチャーを対象とする (or クリーチャーを対象にする)
literally means "make a creature the target", "set/have a creature as the
target," i.e., "Your target will be a creature."

>   2. Is there a simpler, less wordy, way to say the same thing, similar to
> the way that in English, we can use "target" as an adjective?
>

"Target" as an adjective would be 「対象となる」 or 「対象の」 in Japanese.

To _literally_ translate "Lightning Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or
player" it'd be like:

> 稲妻は、 **対象となる / 対象の** クリーチャーかプレイヤーに３ダメージを与える。

... although this does not exactly mean the same thing as the original text;
saying 対象となる/対象のクリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or player that is your target)
implies that you may also encounter 対象となら **ない** クリーチャーかプレイヤー (a creature or
player that is _not_ your target).

