Does Meathook Massacre Truly Conquer the Indestructible? A Deep Dive
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Yes, Meathook Massacre can kill creatures with indestructible, and it does so by reducing their toughness to 0 or less. Indestructible only protects a permanent from being destroyed by damage or effects that specifically say “destroy.” It does not protect from effects that lower toughness.
Understanding Indestructible: The Unbreakable Myth
The indestructible keyword in Magic: The Gathering is often misunderstood. It’s tempting to think of it as making a permanent completely invincible, but that’s not entirely accurate. An indestructible permanent cannot be destroyed in two specific ways:
- By lethal damage. Damage marked on a creature doesn’t cause it to be destroyed if it has indestructible. Think of it as the creature shrugging off blows that would fell lesser beings.
- By effects that specifically say “destroy.” Cards that explicitly state “destroy target creature” (or similar wording) simply have no effect on a permanent with indestructible.
However, indestructible does not protect against several other removal methods, which leads us to Meathook Massacre’s effectiveness.
The Meathook Massacre: A Gradual Demise
Meathook Massacre is a powerful black enchantment that, upon entering the battlefield, gives all creatures -X/-X until end of turn, where X is the amount of mana you spent to cast it. This is the key to bypassing indestructible.
For example, if you cast Meathook Massacre for X=3, all creatures get -3/-3. If an indestructible creature has a toughness of 3 or less, it will have a toughness of 0 or less due to Meathook Massacre’s effect. A creature with 0 or less toughness is put into the graveyard as a state-based action, and indestructible doesn’t prevent this. The creature dies because its toughness is too low, not because it was destroyed by damage or a “destroy” effect.
Furthermore, Meathook Massacre also has a triggered ability that causes each opponent to lose 1 life whenever a creature you control dies. This gives you a further advantage as creatures are sent to the graveyard.
Massacre Girl and Indestructible Creatures
Massacre Girl also can function as a board wipe against indestructible creatures, though in a more conditional way. When she enters the battlefield, each other creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Whenever a creature dies this turn, each creature other than Massacre Girl gets -1/-1 until end of turn. If a creature dies from the initial -1/-1 or subsequent triggers and other creatures have low enough toughness values, you can continue to trigger the effect until all creatures, even those with indestructible, have a toughness of 0 or less.
Beyond Damage: Other Ways to Defeat Indestructible
Meathook Massacre highlights a fundamental principle in Magic: there’s almost always a way to deal with any threat. Here are some other common methods to get rid of indestructible creatures:
- Exile: Exiling a permanent bypasses indestructible entirely. Effects like “exile target creature” or “exile all creatures” will remove indestructible permanents without issue.
- Sacrifice: Forcing an opponent to sacrifice their indestructible creature circumvents its protection. Sacrifice isn’t destruction; it’s a player action.
- Counterspells: Countering the creature spell in the first place prevents it from ever entering the battlefield.
- Bounce: Returning a creature to its owner’s hand (or library) is a temporary solution but can disrupt their strategy.
- Control Change: If you gain control of the indestructible creature, you can then sacrifice it yourself!
FAQs: Conquering the Unconquerable
1. Does Deathtouch beat Indestructible?
No. Deathtouch states that any damage dealt by a source with deathtouch is lethal. Indestructible prevents destruction by lethal damage.
2. Does a board wipe destroy indestructible creatures?
It depends on the board wipe. If it destroys, it has no effect. If it exiles, or reduces toughness, it is effective.
3. Does sacrifice beat indestructible?
Yes. Indestructible protects from destruction, but sacrifice is a player action. You cannot choose to save a permanent from being sacrificed.
4. Can you destroy an indestructible artifact?
Not through damage or “destroy” effects, but you can exile it, sacrifice it (if you control it), or reduce its toughness to 0 (if it’s also a creature artifact).
5. Does indestructible prevent damage?
No. Indestructible prevents destruction by damage. The damage is still dealt and can have other effects (like removing loyalty counters from a Planeswalker).
6. Does indestructible work on Planeswalkers?
Planeswalkers can’t have indestructible. However, if an effect would “destroy” a Planeswalker, an indestructible permanent would survive. Damage dealt still removes loyalty counters.
7. Does indestructible prevent -1/-1 counters?
No. -1/-1 counters reduce a creature’s toughness, and if that toughness reaches 0, the creature dies, even with indestructible. This is similar to how Meathook Massacre works.
8. Does infect beat indestructible?
Yes. Infect deals damage in the form of -1/-1 counters. These counters reduce a creature’s toughness, potentially to 0, which gets around indestructible.
9. Does Deathtouch work with 0 power?
No. A creature with deathtouch and zero power cannot deal damage, and thus cannot destroy a creature.
10. Does Deathtouch stop Hexproof?
Hexproof only protects from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch isn’t an ability you target with, so the creature is not protected by hexproof.
11. Does first strike avoid deathtouch?
Yes. If a creature with first strike deals lethal damage to a creature with deathtouch, the deathtouch creature is destroyed before it can deal its damage.
12. Why was Meathook Massacre banned?
Meathook Massacre was banned in Standard to curb the dominance of black midrange decks and promote more diverse strategies.
13. Is Meathook Massacre Pioneer legal?
No. The Meathook Massacre is banned in Pioneer.
14. What other cards work similarly to Meathook Massacre against Indestructible?
Cards that give -X/-X, such as Grasp of Darkness, Deadly Dispute, or Pestilent Haze can also get around indestructible in this manner.
15. Where can I learn more about Magic: The Gathering strategy and game mechanics?
You can find many helpful articles and resources about Magic: The Gathering on various online platforms, including the Games Learning Society website (GamesLearningSociety.org).
Conclusion: Respect the Rules, Master the Game
Indestructible is a powerful ability, but it’s not absolute invincibility. Understanding the precise wording and interactions of cards like Meathook Massacre is crucial for mastering Magic: The Gathering. By knowing the rules inside and out, you can overcome any seemingly insurmountable challenge and dominate the battlefield!