Does Preventing Damage Stop Trample?
The short answer is: it depends on how the damage is prevented. While preventing damage can seem like it should nullify a trample effect, the reality in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a bit more nuanced. Simply put, preventing damage doesn’t inherently stop trample, but the specific method of prevention dictates the outcome. We’ll break down the core concepts and explore the various scenarios that affect trample and damage prevention.
Understanding Trample
Before we dive into damage prevention, it’s essential to grasp how trample works. Trample is an ability on creatures that allows them to deal excess combat damage to the player, planeswalker, or battle they are attacking once lethal damage has been assigned to the blocking creatures.
- Lethal Damage: This is the amount of damage equal to a creature’s toughness.
- Excess Damage: Any damage assigned by the trampling creature beyond the lethal damage required to defeat its blockers.
For example, if a 5/5 creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2, the attacker must assign at least 2 damage to the 2/2 to deal lethal damage, and can then assign the remaining 3 damage to the defending player. This excess damage is what defines trample.
Damage Prevention and Trample
Now, let’s get to the crux of the matter. If all the damage is prevented, then yes, trample is completely stopped because no damage is dealt to any creature. However, damage prevention on a blocking creature doesn’t generally stop the trample mechanic entirely.
Selective Damage Prevention
Spells or abilities that prevent damage to a specific creature, like Blinding Fog, do not stop trample. If your creature is blocked by a creature that will prevent damage, like a creature with protection from green, this acts similarly to when a creature has protection. The attacking creature with trample must still assign what would be considered lethal damage to the blocking creature, despite the fact that the damage will be prevented. This allows for the remaining damage to trample over to the defending player or planeswalker.
Example:
- You attack with a 7/7 creature with trample.
- Your opponent blocks with a 2/2 creature that has protection from green.
- You must assign at least 2 damage to the blocking creature for lethal damage, even though it’s prevented.
- The remaining 5 damage tramples over and is dealt to the defending player.
Full Damage Prevention
If a spell or ability prevents all damage from a source, it stops trample. If the trampling creature cannot successfully assign enough damage to kill a blocker, they cannot then continue to assign damage to the defending player.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To further clarify how damage prevention interacts with trample, here are some common questions and detailed answers:
1. Does Protection Absorb Trample?
No, protection does not absorb trample. A creature with protection from a color or characteristic can prevent damage, but it does not change how damage is assigned. The trampling attacker must still assign lethal damage to the creature with protection, and the remaining damage will still trample over.
2. Does a Creature with Protection Block All Trample Damage?
No. While a creature with protection will prevent the damage it receives, it does not stop the trampling attacker from assigning lethal damage to it, and then the rest of the damage to the player or planeswalker.
3. Do Shield Counters Prevent Trample Damage?
Shield counters do not provide extra protection against trample. They prevent damage that would cause the counter to be removed. But they do not alter the rules of damage assignment with trample. The trampler still has to assign lethal damage to all blockers before assigning damage to the defending player, regardless of shield counters.
4. How Does Prevent Damage Work with Trample?
As stated before, damage prevention to a specific blocker will not stop the trample effect. When a source has trample and is blocked by a creature that will prevent all damage from the source, then no damage is dealt and therefore no damage is dealt to the player.
5. Does Deathtouch Stop Trample Damage?
Deathtouch does not directly stop trample. A creature with trample will still assign lethal damage to the creature with deathtouch, and any more damage can be assigned to the defending player. The deathtouch ability will cause the blocker to die, but it will not prevent the trampling effect from occurring if lethal damage was already applied to the blocker.
6. Does Indestructible Prevent Deathtouch?
Yes, indestructible prevents a creature from being destroyed by lethal damage from deathtouch. Indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed by “lethal damage”.
7. How Does Deathtouch Work with Trample?
A creature with both deathtouch and trample must still assign lethal damage to the blocker, and then any remaining damage can trample over. The deathtouch ensures the blocker dies after being dealt any amount of damage.
8. Does Protection from Green Stop Trample?
Yes, a creature with protection from green can prevent the damage from a green source, but that doesn’t prevent that damage from being assigned as lethal damage. The trampling creature must assign at least lethal damage to the blocker before the rest tramples over.
9. Does Hexproof Protect Against Trample?
No, hexproof does not protect against trample damage. Hexproof prevents spells and abilities from targeting, and combat damage (including trample) does not target.
10. Does Toxic Work With Trample?
Yes, toxic works with trample. If a creature with trample deals damage to a player, it can assign any amount of damage to a player, regardless of if it’s blocked. The opponent will still receive poison counters.
11. Does Trample Damage Go Over Indestructible?
Yes, trample damage goes over an indestructible creature. Although you can’t destroy the indestructible creature, the trampling creature still assigns the damage necessary for lethal damage and tramples over the remaining damage.
12. Does Double Strike Damage Trample?
Yes, double strike and trample can work together. Damage during the first damage step can apply lethal damage to a blocker and if any remains, it will trample over. Then, the attacker will do damage again in the second damage step, and if the blockers are no longer there, all of the damage will trample over.
13. Does First Strike Stop Trample?
First strike does not inherently stop trample. If the blocker with first strike kills the attacker, then no trample will occur. If the attacker survives the damage from first strike, then they will still apply damage and any remaining damage will trample over if the attacker has trample.
14. Does Trample Work on Planeswalkers?
Yes, trample can deal excess combat damage to a planeswalker it is attacking, or the controller of a planeswalker it’s attacking.
15. Does Deathtouch Negate Double Strike?
Deathtouch and double strike together mean that the attacker will always destroy the blocker without receiving any damage themselves.
Conclusion
Understanding how damage prevention interacts with trample is crucial for mastering combat in MTG. While damage prevention can be powerful, it doesn’t negate the trample mechanic if the prevention is specific to one creature. The rule to remember is that the trampling creature must assign at least lethal damage to its blockers, and any remaining damage can be assigned to the player or planeswalker, regardless of how much or what kind of protection the blocker has. Knowing the rules in depth like this can greatly improve your gameplay and help you make more strategic moves on the battlefield.