Decoding Indestructible: The Unbreakable (…Mostly) Truth in MTG
Can you destroy an indestructible permanent in Magic: The Gathering? The short answer is: not directly with effects that specifically say “destroy” or through lethal damage. However, “indestructible” isn’t truly invulnerable. There are several ways to circumvent this protective keyword, and understanding them is crucial for strategic gameplay. Indestructible simply grants resistance to destruction and lethal damage, not immunity to everything. Let’s dive deep into the nuances of this pivotal keyword.
Understanding the Power of Indestructible
The core of the indestructible ability lies in its two primary effects:
- Damage Prevention: A creature with indestructible doesn’t die from having damage equal to or greater than its toughness marked on it. The state-based action that would normally send a creature with lethal damage to the graveyard is simply ignored.
- “Destroy” Effect Immunity: Effects that explicitly state “destroy” will not affect a permanent with indestructible. This includes spells like Murder and abilities like Terminate.
However, it’s important to remember what indestructible doesn’t do.
Ways to Overcome Indestructible
While indestructible is a potent defense, skillful players can overcome it using several methods:
- Exile: This is arguably the most common and effective way to deal with indestructible permanents. Effects that “exile” a permanent bypass indestructible entirely. Examples include Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile.
- Sacrifice: Forcing a player to sacrifice a permanent circumvents indestructible. The sacrifice mechanic isn’t considered destruction and therefore isn’t affected by the keyword. Cards like Diabolic Edict and Liliana of the Veil can force such sacrifices.
- -X/-X Effects: Reducing a creature’s toughness to zero or less with effects like Grasp of Darkness or continuous effects from cards like Pestilent Haze will still send it to the graveyard, even with indestructible.
- Bouncing (Returning to Hand): Returning a permanent to its owner’s hand, often referred to as “bouncing”, removes it from the battlefield, rendering indestructible irrelevant. Cards like Unsummon achieve this.
- “Tucking” (Putting into Library): Similar to bouncing, “tucking” involves placing the permanent into its owner’s library. This also removes it from the battlefield without destroying it. Hinder is a classic example.
- The Legendary Rule and State-Based Actions: If a player controls two or more legendary permanents with the same name, they must choose one to keep, and the others are put into the graveyard. This is a state-based action, not destruction, so indestructible doesn’t help. Similarly, if a player controls multiple planeswalkers with the same planeswalker type, the same rule applies.
- Overwriting with a New Permanent: Transforming or overwriting an indestructible permanent with another permanent, like using a token-generating effect or a card like Imprisoned in the Moon, effectively removes the original permanent’s functionality even though it remains on the battlefield.
- Combat (With a Specific Outcome): Although indestructible prevents destruction via damage, a creature with indestructible can still be assigned as a blocker and effectively tied up in combat.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Indestructible
1. Does damage kill creatures with indestructible?
No, damage, even lethal damage, will not kill a creature with indestructible. The creature remains on the battlefield with the damage marked on it, but it isn’t destroyed.
2. Can a creature with indestructible be destroyed by a spell that says “destroy”?
No, effects that explicitly say “destroy” do not affect creatures or permanents with indestructible.
3. What happens if you sacrifice an indestructible permanent?
You can sacrifice an indestructible permanent. Sacrificing is not destruction, so the indestructible ability offers no protection.
4. Does a board wipe that destroys all creatures affect indestructible creatures?
No, a board wipe that destroys all creatures, like Wrath of God, will not affect creatures with indestructible. However, board wipes that exile or give -X/-X to creatures will be effective.
5. Does deathtouch kill indestructible creatures?
No. Because indestructible permanents cannot be destroyed by rules it gets rid of deathtouch, In general, in magic, “can’t” trumps “does” when there’s a rules conflict.
6. Is hexproof or indestructible better?
It depends on the situation. Indestructible protects against destruction and lethal damage, while hexproof prevents the permanent from being targeted by your opponents’ spells or abilities. Indestructible falls prey to exiling and sacrifice effects, while hexproof is vulnerable to board wipes that don’t target.
7. Does indestructible prevent -1/-1 counters from killing a creature?
No. If a creature’s toughness is reduced to zero or less due to -1/-1 counters, it will die, even if it has indestructible.
8. Can you exile an indestructible permanent?
Yes, you can exile an indestructible permanent. Indestructible only protects against destruction effects, not exile effects.
9. Does the legendary rule affect indestructible legendary permanents?
Yes, the legendary rule applies regardless of whether the permanents involved have indestructible. If you control multiple legendary permanents with the same name, you must choose one, and the others are put into the graveyard.
10. Does indestructible stop trample?
Yes, in the sense that the creature with indestructible won’t be destroyed by combat damage. However, a player can assign lethal damage equivalent to the indestructible creature, and any excess damage will trample over to the defending player.
11. Does shroud prevent deathtouch from killing a creature?
Shroud prevents a creature from being targeted. Deathtouch does not target a creature, and the creature will die.
12. What happens if an indestructible creature is assigned 0 toughness?
Even with indestructible, a creature with 0 toughness will still die. The creature is put into the graveyard as a state based action.
13. If a permanent has both Hexproof and Indestructible, is it truly unbeatable?
No, while very difficult to deal with, a permanent with both Hexproof and Indestructible is still vulnerable to effects that don’t target it or attempt to destroy it. Forcing a player to sacrifice the permanent, for example, will still work.
14. How does indestructible interact with infect and wither?
Infect and wither place -1/-1 counters on creatures. As stated earlier, reducing a creature’s toughness to zero with -1/-1 counters will cause it to die, even if it has indestructible.
15. Where can I learn more about complex MTG rules and strategies?
For a deeper dive into the intricate world of Magic: The Gathering, and to explore the educational aspects of gaming, consider visiting the Games Learning Society website at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. GamesLearningSociety.org is a great resource to explore the benefits of strategic thinking.
Conclusion
While indestructible provides a significant advantage, it’s crucial to remember its limitations. By understanding the various ways to circumvent this keyword, players can develop strategies to overcome even the most seemingly impervious threats. Magic: The Gathering is a game of intricate interactions and nuanced rules, and mastering these details is key to success.