Does Hexproof Negate Deathtouch in Magic: The Gathering?
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No, Hexproof does not negate Deathtouch. This is a common point of confusion for players, but the interaction is straightforward once you understand the mechanics involved. Hexproof prevents a permanent or player from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch, on the other hand, is a static ability that modifies the rules for how damage is considered lethal. It doesn’t target anything.
To put it simply, Deathtouch doesn’t target, so Hexproof doesn’t prevent it. A creature with Deathtouch that deals damage to a creature with Hexproof will still destroy that creature (assuming it is not Indestructible, protected by a Shield Counter, or has some other form of protection). The rule to remember is: “Any amount of damage dealt to a creature by a source with deathtouch is enough to destroy it.”
Understanding the Key Abilities
To fully grasp why Hexproof doesn’t stop Deathtouch, let’s break down the relevant abilities.
What is Hexproof?
Hexproof is an evergreen keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that grants a player or permanent protection from being targeted by spells or abilities controlled by opponents. It’s like having a magical shield that deflects specifically targeted effects. Think of it as a personal bodyguard against your opponent’s interventions. The key phrase is “spells or abilities your opponents control that target.”
For example, if your opponent tries to cast a targeted removal spell like “Murder” on your creature with Hexproof, the spell cannot legally target it and will not resolve. This is a powerful defensive ability, making Hexproof creatures difficult to deal with through direct means.
What is Deathtouch?
Deathtouch is a static ability that modifies the rules concerning combat damage. Specifically, it makes any amount of damage dealt by a source with deathtouch sufficient to destroy a creature that received the damage.
The comprehensive rules state something like: “Any amount of damage dealt by a source with deathtouch to a creature is enough to destroy it.” This means a creature with deathtouch only needs to deal one point of damage to a creature to destroy it, regardless of the latter’s toughness.
Why the Interaction Fails
The crucial difference between Deathtouch and Hexproof lies in the concept of targeting. Hexproof only protects against things that target. Deathtouch is not a targeted ability; it’s a passive effect that changes the rules of damage resolution.
When a creature with Deathtouch deals damage to a creature with Hexproof, the game checks for lethal damage. Since the attacking creature has Deathtouch, any amount of damage (even just one) is considered lethal. Hexproof doesn’t prevent the damage from being dealt; it merely prevents the Hexproof creature from being the target of an opponent’s spells or abilities.
Consider this scenario: A 2/2 creature with Deathtouch attacks a 4/4 creature with Hexproof. The 2/2 deals 2 damage to the 4/4. Even though the 4/4 has 4 toughness and is protected from being targeted, the 2 damage from the Deathtouch creature is enough to trigger Deathtouch’s effect, destroying the 4/4.
Board Wipes and Hexproof
It’s worth noting that effects like “Wrath of God” or “Damnation,” which destroy all creatures on the battlefield, also bypass Hexproof because they do not target individual creatures. These are known as board wipes, and they’re effective answers to creatures with Hexproof because they affect all creatures equally, without selecting specific targets.
Circumventing Hexproof
While Hexproof provides substantial protection, it is by no means invulnerable. Besides board wipes and Deathtouch, here are other ways to deal with Hexproof creatures:
- Forced Sacrifice: Cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures don’t target, and therefore bypass Hexproof.
- Combat Damage (Without Deathtouch): Hexproof does not make a creature invincible in combat. It can still be blocked and defeated through normal combat damage.
- Effects that Give Your Opponent Control: Certain cards allow you to gain control of your opponent’s Hexproof creature, effectively removing the threat.
- Global Enchantments: Enchantments that affect all creatures, such as those that reduce all creatures’ power to zero, can also bypass Hexproof.
- Aura spells: Aura spells target when cast, meaning your opponent can’t put Auras on your hexproof creatures; you can, however. After it enters the Battlefield, it no longer targets, but the Enchant ability restricts was it can legally be attached to.
- Proliferate: Proliferate allows you to add counters to permanents or give players poison counters without targeting, making it a handy ability to have against Hexproof.
Remember, understanding the nuanced interactions between different abilities is key to mastering Magic: The Gathering.
FAQs: Deathtouch and Hexproof
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the relationship between Deathtouch and Hexproof:
1. Can a creature with Deathtouch destroy an Indestructible creature?
No. Indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed by damage or “destroy” effects, so Deathtouch is ineffective against them.
2. Does First Strike beat Deathtouch?
It depends. If a creature with First Strike attacks and destroys a blocking creature with Deathtouch before the regular combat damage step, the Deathtouch creature will not deal damage. However, if the Deathtouch creature survives the first strike damage, it will deal damage in the regular combat damage step, destroying the First Strike creature.
3. Does Trample work with Deathtouch?
Yes. If an attacking creature with Trample and Deathtouch is blocked, it only needs to assign one damage to each blocking creature to assign the remaining damage to the defending player.
4. Does Hexproof stop “destroy all creatures” effects?
No. Effects that destroy all creatures (board wipes) do not target, so Hexproof provides no protection against them.
5. What happens if damage is prevented from a Deathtouch creature?
If damage is prevented, Deathtouch will not trigger. Deathtouch only works when damage is actually dealt.
6. Does Hexproof prevent Counterspells?
No. Hexproof only applies once the creature is on the battlefield. A creature spell on the stack can be targeted by counterspells, even if the creature it will become has Hexproof.
7. Can I enchant my own creature if it has Hexproof?
Yes. Hexproof only prevents your opponents from targeting your permanent. You can enchant your own creature with auras.
8. Does Hexproof stop Mutate?
It can help! With creatures like Gladecover Scout or Paradise Druid already available, the downside of the Mutate ability can be mitigated through hexproof. Also by only running mutate triggers which generate card advantage.
9. Does Hexproof stop Proliferate?
No, Hexproof doesn’t stop Proliferate; the rules text specifically uses the word choose instead of “target.” Since you’re not technically targeting anything, hexproof doesn’t protect against proliferate.
10. Does Double Strike get past Deathtouch?
If a 3/3 with Double strike is blocked by a 1/1 with Deathtouch; additional Combat Damage step; Nothing happens. The 3/3 is blocked, with nothing blocking it.
11. What is the Double Strike rule with Deathtouch?
If your creature has deathtouch and double strike, then your creature deals damage first and always kills your opponent’s creature without receiving any damage.
12. Does a Shield Counter block Deathtouch?
Yes, shield counters prevent damage, including the damage dealt by a source with Deathtouch.
13. Does Fog (prevent all combat damage) prevent Deathtouch from destroying a creature?
Yes, because Deathtouch only works when damage is dealt. If the damage is prevented, the creature will not be destroyed.
14. Can you tap a creature with Hexproof?
Yes. Tapping a creature is an ability but not an ability from an opponent that targets.
15. Does Hexproof stop damage from being dealt?
No, hexproof does not stop damage from being dealt. It prevents the permanent or player from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.
Understanding the nuances of Magic: The Gathering’s rules and interactions is key to strategic gameplay. To further your understanding of games and learning, consider exploring resources like the Games Learning Society, which explores the intersection of games and education: https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/.