Indestructible vs. Deathtouch: The Ultimate Showdown

Yes, indestructible beats deathtouch. A creature with indestructible cannot be destroyed, regardless of the amount of damage it receives. Since deathtouch is an ability that makes any amount of damage dealt by a creature lethal (effectively resulting in destruction), it’s rendered useless against an indestructible creature. Think of it like this: deathtouch says, “This creature will die!” while indestructible says, “Nope, not today!”. The “cannot be destroyed” clause of indestructible simply overrides the effect of deathtouch.

Understanding the Abilities

Before we dive deeper, let’s break down what these two abilities mean in the context of a card game like Magic: The Gathering. This foundational knowledge is crucial before you can fully grasp how the abilities interact with each other.

Deathtouch: The Assassin’s Touch

Deathtouch is a static ability that turns any amount of damage dealt by a creature with this ability into lethal damage. It doesn’t matter if a creature with deathtouch deals 1 damage or 10 damage; if it hits another creature, that creature is marked for death. The keyword essentially bypasses the normal rules of combat damage calculation, which typically requires damage equal to a creature’s toughness to be lethal. It is important to remember it only works against creatures.

Indestructible: The Unbreakable Wall

Indestructible is another static ability that prevents a permanent (usually a creature) from being destroyed by damage or by “destroy” effects. It’s essential to understand the limitations here. Indestructible doesn’t make a creature immune to everything. The creature can still be sacrificed, exiled, returned to hand, or have its toughness reduced to zero or less. Indestructible only prevents actions that specifically use the word “destroy” or would result in destruction via damage.

Why Indestructible Wins

The reason indestructible triumphs over deathtouch is rooted in the precise wording and functionality of the rules. Indestructible creates a shield against destruction, and deathtouch is just another means to attempt destruction.

Imagine a creature with deathtouch attacking an indestructible blocker. The deathtouch creature deals damage (let’s say 1 damage). Normally, that 1 damage would be enough to destroy the blocker thanks to deathtouch. However, the indestructible ability steps in and prevents the destruction. The damage is dealt, but the destruction effect is nullified. The indestructible creature survives unscathed.

Deathtouch and Indestructible in Action

Consider the classic example: Darksteel Myr, an artifact creature with indestructible, blocking an Ambush Viper, a creature with deathtouch. The Ambush Viper could attack Darksteel Myr every turn for eternity, and the Darksteel Myr would never be destroyed. The deathtouch ability is completely irrelevant in this scenario. The same holds true even if Darksteel Myr were to block a 20/20 creature that also had Deathtouch.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the interaction between indestructible and deathtouch, as well as other related scenarios:

1. Does sacrifice kill indestructible?

   Yes, sacrifice does kill indestructible. Indestructible only prevents destruction by damage or “destroy” effects. Sacrificing a creature is a game action that puts the creature directly into the graveyard without destroying it.

2. Does exile work against indestructible?

   Yes, exile works against indestructible. Exile removes the permanent from the battlefield entirely, bypassing the “cannot be destroyed” clause.

3. Does -X/-X effects get rid of indestructible?

   Yes, effects that reduce a creature’s toughness to zero or less will cause it to die, even if it has indestructible. Indestructible only prevents damage and “destroy” effects; it doesn’t prevent a creature from dying due to having zero or less toughness.

4. Does hexproof stop deathtouch?

   No, hexproof does not stop deathtouch. Hexproof only prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch is a static ability that doesn’t target; it simply modifies the effect of damage dealt.

5. Does protection from [color] protect against deathtouch?

   Yes, protection from [color] does protect against deathtouch if the source of the deathtouch damage is of the protected color. Protection prevents damage, targeting (where applicable), enchantments/equipment, and blocking from sources of the specified color. If a creature has protection from black, and a black creature with deathtouch deals damage to it, that damage is prevented, and deathtouch has no effect.

6. Does shroud protect against deathtouch?

   No, shroud does not protect against deathtouch. Like hexproof, shroud prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities. Deathtouch does not target, so shroud offers no protection.

7. Does deathtouch work on planeswalkers?

   No, deathtouch does not directly work on planeswalkers. Deathtouch specifically affects creatures. To damage a planeswalker, you need to attack them directly or use a spell or ability that specifically targets or damages planeswalkers.

8. Does deathtouch work with trample?

   Yes, deathtouch works very well with trample. When assigning combat damage, you only need to assign lethal damage to the blocking creature. With deathtouch, lethal damage is any amount of damage. So, you assign 1 damage to the blocker with deathtouch (enough to kill it), and the rest of the damage tramples over to the defending player or planeswalker.

9. Can you exile indestructible creatures?

   Yes, indestructible creatures can be exiled. Indestructible only prevents destruction; it doesn’t prevent exile.

10. Does first strike negate deathtouch?

    Potentially, yes. If a creature with first strike attacks a creature with deathtouch, and the first strike damage is enough to destroy the deathtouch creature, the deathtouch damage will never be dealt. The first strike creature will survive. If, however, the first strike damage isn’t lethal, the deathtouch creature will deal its damage in the regular combat damage step, destroying the first strike creature (unless, of course, it is also Indestructible).

11. Does a board wipe kill indestructible creatures?

    It depends on the type of board wipe. A board wipe that uses the word “destroy” (like Wrath of God) won’t affect indestructible creatures. However, a board wipe that exiles creatures (like Farewell) or gives creatures -X/-X until end of turn (reducing their toughness to zero) will get rid of indestructible creatures.

12. Does fight activate deathtouch?

    Yes, fight activates deathtouch. When two creatures fight, they deal damage to each other equal to their power. If one creature has deathtouch, any damage it deals during the fight is considered lethal, so the other creature will be destroyed (unless it has indestructible).

13. Why would a tapped creature need deathtouch?

    A tapped creature with Deathtouch may seem counterintuitive, but there are scenarios where it is useful. One example could be an ability that states all other creatures you control have Deathtouch. This would be an aggressive ability, making small attackers difficult to block with larger creatures that would otherwise easily block. Another example, as stated above, is that deathtouch combines with trample to cut through blockers like a hot knife through butter.

14. Is shroud worse than hexproof?

    Generally, shroud is considered worse than hexproof. Shroud prevents you from targeting the creature with your own spells and abilities, while hexproof only prevents your opponents from targeting it. Hexproof offers almost all the benefits of shroud without the drawback of limiting your own actions.

15. Does Hexproof protect against return to hand?

    Not necessarily. Hexproof only prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponent controls. If the effect that returns the creature to hand doesn’t target (such as a board wipe that returns all creatures to their owners’ hands), hexproof won’t prevent it.

Conclusion

In the battle of indestructible versus deathtouch, indestructible emerges victorious. While deathtouch is a powerful ability that ensures almost certain creature destruction, it’s ultimately powerless against the unyielding resilience of an indestructible foe. Understanding the nuances of these abilities, and how they interact with other keywords and game mechanics, is crucial for mastering your favorite trading card games. Knowledge of the nuances of card games is very important to helping develop problem-solving skills in students. To learn more about this, visit the Games Learning Society at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org.

Remember, every card game is a complex tapestry of rules and interactions, and mastering these interactions is key to becoming a truly skilled player!