Does Protection Stop Destruction? Unraveling the Mysteries of Card Game Mechanics

The simple answer, like many things involving nuanced rules, is it depends. Protection as a game mechanic, most famously seen in trading card games like Magic: The Gathering, acts as a shield, but not an impenetrable fortress. It prevents certain actions from affecting a protected permanent (usually a creature), but doesn’t stop everything. Specifically, protection stops Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting (DEBT) from the specified source. However, many forms of destruction bypass protection entirely.

Think of protection as a highly specialized bodyguard. They’re excellent at deflecting bullets, stopping someone from getting too close, and preventing direct attacks. But they can’t stop a natural disaster, a widespread virus, or indirect methods of attack. This article delves into the intricacies of protection, clarifying what it does and, crucially, what it doesn’t stop.

Understanding the DEBT Acronym

The core of understanding protection lies in the DEBT acronym. This represents the four things that protection does prevent:

• Damage: This is the most straightforward. If a creature has protection from red, it can’t be dealt damage by red sources (red creatures, red spells, etc.). Lethal damage prevention is key – even if a source would deal lethal damage, protection negates it.
• Enchanting/Equipping: A creature with protection from green, for instance, cannot be enchanted by green auras or equipped with green equipment. Any attempt to attach such a card to the protected creature simply fails.
• Blocking: If a creature has protection from black, black creatures cannot block it. This ensures the protected creature can attack freely past those potential blockers.
• Targeting: This is perhaps the most important. A spell or ability that targets a creature with protection from that spell or ability’s source simply cannot be played. The game simply won’t allow it.

What Protection Doesn’t Stop: Bypassing the Shield

Knowing what protection doesn’t stop is just as crucial as knowing what it does. Here are some key things that protection will not prevent:

• Global Effects (Board Wipes): Spells like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation” that destroy all creatures do not target. Since they affect everything without singling out individual permanents, protection offers no defense. This is arguably the most common misconception about protection.
• Sacrifice: Requiring a player to sacrifice a permanent doesn’t target or deal damage. It’s a cost or effect of a spell or ability that the player must fulfill. Protection cannot prevent a sacrifice.
• Life Loss: Protection protects a creature, not a player. A spell that causes a player to lose life is unaffected by whether that player controls a creature with protection.
• Counters: Protection prevents enchantments and equipment, but it does not remove existing ones, or prevent counters being placed on the creature through other means (e.g., Proliferate). The creature still gains a +1/+1 counter from a spell, for example, even if it has protection from a color involved in the spell’s other effects.
• Abilities that don’t Target or Deal Damage: Many abilities indirectly affect creatures without targeting or dealing damage. For example, an ability that reduces a creature’s power and toughness until end of turn is not hindered by protection.
• Effects from Sources Without the Prohibited Quality: If a creature has protection from red, and a colorless spell attempts to destroy it, the protection does nothing. The source must possess the quality the protection guards against.
• Indirect Destruction: Some cards might indirectly cause destruction without targeting. For example, an effect that states “When this creature leaves the battlefield, destroy all creatures.” would still destroy a protected creature.

Protection from Everything: The Ultimate, But Not Invincible, Defense

Protection from everything sounds like the ultimate defense, and in many ways, it is. It means a permanent cannot be damaged, enchanted/equipped, blocked, or targeted by any source. However, it still does not protect against global effects or sacrifice. A well-timed board wipe can still eliminate a creature with protection from everything.

Importance of Card Wording and Specificity

The specific wording on a card is paramount. Protection always specifies what it protects from (a color, a card type, etc.). Pay close attention to this wording to understand the limitations of the protection.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Does protection stop deathtouch?

Yes. If a creature has protection from the source of the deathtouch, any damage dealt by that source is prevented. Since deathtouch relies on damage being dealt, preventing the damage negates the effect of deathtouch.

2. Does protection stop infect?

Yes, for the same reason it stops deathtouch. Protection prevents the damage, so no poison counters are placed.

3. Does indestructible prevent deathtouch?

Yes. Indestructible prevents destruction, regardless of the source, including deathtouch. Deathtouch normally destroys a creature that has been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch. But because the creature is indestructible it cannot be destroyed by any means.

4. Can you block a creature with protection from everything?

No. Protection from everything means the creature can’t be blocked by anything.

5. Do shield counters prevent destruction even if a creature has protection?

Yes, they provide a different kind of protection that is related to destruction. Shield counters will be removed instead of the creature being destroyed, therefore, the creature can still benefit from shield counters when it has protection.

6. Does protection stop proliferate?

No. Proliferate adds counters to permanents and/or players that already have counters. It doesn’t target or deal damage, so protection is irrelevant.

7. Does protection from everything prevent sacrifice?

No. Sacrifice is not targeting, nor does it involve damage.

8. Does protection stop Wrath of God?

No. Wrath of God is a global effect that destroys all creatures without targeting. Therefore protection does not prevent Wrath of God.

9. If a creature has protection from instants, does that mean it is Hexproof?

No. Protection from Instants will save the creature if it were to be targeted by an instant. Hexproof means that the creature cannot be the target of spells or abilities of opponents.

10. If a creature has protection from black, and a black spell attempts to attach a non-black aura to it, is that prevented?

No. The aura itself isn’t black, so protection from black does not stop it from attaching. However, a black aura would be prevented.

11. Does protection prevent a creature from being exiled?

If a creature has protection from the source of the exile effect (e.g., protection from white and a white card attempts to exile it by targeting), yes. However, if the exile effect is a global one that doesn’t target, or the source isn’t something the creature is protected from, then no.

12. Can a creature with protection from artifacts be equipped with an equipment that is also a creature?

No. Even if the equipment is also a creature, you cannot equip it to a creature with protection from artifacts.

13. What happens if a creature gains protection after being targeted by a spell?

The spell will fizzle upon resolution, because it now has an illegal target. However, if a creature gains protection after being dealt damage, the damage remains marked on it until the end of the turn.

14. If a card has protection from creatures, does that mean it cannot be blocked by a creature?

Yes. Protection prevents the creature with protection from being blocked by whatever creature it has protection from.

15. If a creature has protection from a specific player, what exactly does that mean?

Protection from a player is very rare. It means the permanent cannot be targeted by that player’s spells or abilities, dealt damage by sources that player controls, blocked by creatures that player controls, or enchanted or equipped by that player’s permanents.

Conclusion

Protection is a powerful, but often misunderstood, mechanic. Mastering its intricacies is crucial for strategic gameplay. Remember the DEBT acronym, understand the limitations of protection, and always read the card carefully. For further learning on game mechanics and the impact of games on learning, consider exploring the resources available at the Games Learning Society website, available at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. Their research offers valuable insights into how game mechanics can influence and enhance learning experiences. With a solid grasp of protection, you’ll be better equipped to defend your creatures and dominate the game!