Blocking and Sacrificing in Magic: The Gathering – A Comprehensive Guide

Yes, you absolutely can block and then sacrifice a creature in Magic: The Gathering. This is a common tactic used for a variety of strategic advantages, from denying your opponent combat damage to triggering powerful abilities. The key is understanding the timing within the combat phase. Let’s delve into the details of how this works and explore some of the nuances involved.

The Combat Phase: A Step-by-Step Breakdown

To fully understand the interaction between blocking and sacrificing, it’s crucial to understand the stages of the combat phase:

1. Beginning of Combat Step: This is where triggered abilities that trigger “at the beginning of combat” will resolve.
2. Declare Attackers Step: The attacking player declares which creatures are attacking and what they are attacking (player, planeswalker, or battle).
3. Declare Blockers Step: This is where the defending player declares which creatures, if any, will block the attacking creatures. This is a crucial point for our discussion.
4. Combat Damage Step: Creatures deal combat damage to the creatures or players they are attacking or blocking.
5. End of Combat Step: This is where triggered abilities that trigger “at the end of combat” will resolve.

Blocking and Sacrificing: The Sequence of Events

The interaction we’re focusing on occurs primarily during the Declare Blockers Step and the Combat Damage Step. Here’s the breakdown:

1. Declare Blockers: You, as the defending player, declare your creatures as blockers to your opponent’s attacking creatures.
2. Priority: After blockers are declared, both you and your opponent receive priority. This means you can cast instants or activate abilities.
3. Sacrifice: During this priority window, you can activate an ability or cast a spell that requires you to sacrifice the blocking creature. For instance, you might sacrifice a creature to Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord for direct damage to your opponent, or to a Phyrexian Altar for mana.
4. Combat Damage (or Lack Thereof): If you sacrifice the blocking creature before the Combat Damage Step, the attacking creature is still considered blocked. Unless it has trample, it won’t deal any combat damage to you or your planeswalker. The sacrificed creature, obviously, won’t deal any combat damage either.
5. Trample Exception: If the attacking creature does have trample, it will deal damage equal to its power minus the toughness of the blocking creature to the defending player. Since the blocking creature is no longer on the battlefield, the trampling creature will deal all of its damage to the player.

Why Sacrifice After Blocking?

Sacrificing a creature after it has blocked can provide several advantages:

• Preventing Damage: Denying an attacking creature from dealing combat damage to you or your planeswalker, especially if the attacking creature has a powerful on-hit effect.
• Triggering Abilities: Many cards have abilities that trigger when a creature dies or is sacrificed. For example, cards with death triggers like “when this creature dies, draw a card.”
• Resource Generation: Some cards allow you to sacrifice creatures for resources like mana, life, or cards. Phyrexian Altar is a great example of a card that can be used to sacrifice creatures for mana.
• Disrupting Opponent’s Plans: Sacrificing can disrupt combat math or prevent your opponent from using certain combat tricks.
• Avoiding Negative Consequences: Sacrificing a creature can prevent it from being exiled or controlled by your opponent.

Examples in Action

Let’s say your opponent attacks with a 5/5 creature without trample, and you block with a 2/2 creature.

• Scenario 1: No Sacrifice. Your 2/2 blocker trades with the 5/5 attacker, and neither player takes combat damage.
• Scenario 2: Sacrifice Before Damage. You block with your 2/2, then sacrifice it to an effect. The 5/5 attacker is still blocked and deals no damage to you.
• Scenario 3: Sacrifice with Trample. Your opponent attacks with a 5/5 with trample, and you block with a 2/2. You then sacrifice the 2/2. Because of trample, the attacking 5/5 creature will deal 3 damage to the defending player, and that damage could be prevented with effects that cause the attacking player to sacrifice a creature.

FAQs: Blocking and Sacrificing

Here are some frequently asked questions about blocking and sacrificing in Magic: The Gathering:

1. Can you sacrifice a creature after blocking to prevent it from being destroyed?

Yes, you can sacrifice a blocking creature before it would be destroyed by combat damage. By sacrificing it during the Declare Blockers Step (after blockers are declared and before the Combat Damage Step), you prevent it from being destroyed and still potentially deny damage from the attacking creature.

2. Does sacrificing a blocking creature stop trample damage?

Only partially. If a creature with trample is blocked and the blocker is then sacrificed, the trampling creature will deal damage equal to its power minus the toughness of the blocker to the defending player. If the blocker is sacrificed, then the toughness of the blocker will become zero. This allows the attacking creature to deal its full power to the defending player, potentially lethal.

3. What happens if I sacrifice a creature blocking a creature with double strike?

If you sacrifice a blocking creature before the first combat damage step, the creature with double strike is still considered blocked. It won’t deal damage during the first combat damage step. However, it will deal damage during the second combat damage step if it remains blocked or unblocked at that point.

4. Can I sacrifice a creature that is blocking multiple creatures?

No. A creature can only block one attacking creature at a time (unless it has an ability that specifically allows it to block more than one). If a creature is blocking, it is only blocking a single attacker, and that is the creature that will be considered blocked if the blocking creature is sacrificed.

5. If I sacrifice a creature I control that is blocking an attacking creature controlled by an opponent, does the opponent get to change their attack?

No, the attack is locked in. Once attackers and blockers are declared, that part of the combat phase is complete. Sacrificing a blocker doesn’t give the attacking player the opportunity to redirect the attack to a different target.

6. Does sacrificing a creature trigger “dies” triggers?

Yes, sacrificing a creature does trigger abilities that trigger when a creature “dies.” “Dying” in Magic refers to a creature going from the battlefield to the graveyard, which includes being sacrificed.

7. Can I regenerate a blocking creature instead of sacrificing it?

Yes, you can regenerate a blocking creature. The regenerate ability replaces the destruction of the creature with a process of tapping it, removing damage marked on it, and removing it from combat. This can save your creature, but it also means the attacking creature is no longer blocked and will deal damage to you or your planeswalker unless you find another way to block it. Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates.

8. Can I sacrifice a creature with indestructible?

Yes, you can. Indestructible only prevents a creature from being destroyed by damage or “destroy” effects. Sacrifice is neither of those, so you can freely sacrifice an indestructible creature.

9. Can I sacrifice a creature to pay a cost even if it’s blocking?

Yes, you can. As long as you have priority and a spell or ability allows you to sacrifice a creature to pay a cost, you can sacrifice a blocking creature. The timing must be correct (i.e., during your main phase, or during the declare blockers step after blockers have been declared.)

10. If I double block a creature and then sacrifice one of the blockers, what happens?

The attacking creature will be blocked by only the remaining creature. The attacking player assigns all of their combat damage to the remaining creature. The damage assigned must still be lethal damage, but the order of damage is chosen by the attacking player.

11. Can I sacrifice a creature blocking an attacking creature with lifelink?

Yes, sacrificing the blocking creature is still a valid action. If the attacking creature doesn’t have trample, no combat damage will be dealt, and thus the attacking player will not gain life from lifelink.

12. Can I sacrifice a creature to prevent it from being exiled?

Yes, you can sacrifice a creature in response to an opponent’s spell or ability that would exile it. By sacrificing the creature, you send it to the graveyard instead of exile, which can be advantageous if you have graveyard-based strategies or effects.

13. What happens if I sacrifice a creature blocking a creature with deathtouch?

If you sacrifice the blocking creature before the Combat Damage Step, the attacking creature is still considered blocked and it will not deal damage to you. As there is no damage dealt, deathtouch has no effect, and the opponent will gain no benefit.

14. Can you sacrifice a creature after damage but before combat ends?

No. There is no opportunity to take actions in between the combat damage being dealt and creatures dying due to lethal damage.

15. Is sacrifice a keyword action?

Yes, Sacrifice is a keyword action (like “fight”). You can’t just choose to do keyword actions any time you feel like it, you need something on a card to enable or trigger it.

Conclusion

Blocking and sacrificing is a powerful and versatile strategy in Magic: The Gathering. By understanding the timing and rules involved, you can use this technique to gain a significant advantage over your opponents. Practice utilizing sacrifice effects in your deck building and gameplay to become a more skilled and adaptable player.

To further deepen your understanding of Magic: The Gathering mechanics and explore the educational aspects of the game, consider visiting the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. GamesLearningSociety.org offers valuable resources and insights into how games can be used for learning and development.