Does Preventing Damage Stop Deathtouch?
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The short answer is yes, preventing damage does stop deathtouch. Deathtouch functions by granting any amount of damage dealt by a source the property that it’s enough to destroy a creature. If the damage is prevented entirely, no damage is dealt, and therefore deathtouch has no effect. Think of it this way: deathtouch modifies the effect of damage, but if there’s no damage to modify, there’s nothing for deathtouch to do.
Deathtouch is a potent ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), transforming even the smallest creature into a lethal threat. Understanding its interactions with other game mechanics, especially damage prevention, is crucial for effective gameplay. While deathtouch can feel unstoppable at times, knowing how to counter it and how it interacts with other abilities is key to mastering the game. Let’s dive deeper into the mechanics of deathtouch and explore the various scenarios where damage prevention comes into play.
Deathtouch: The Basics
Before dissecting its interactions, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of deathtouch. Deathtouch is a static ability that modifies the effect of combat or non-combat damage dealt by a creature possessing it. The official rules text states: “Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.” This means that even a single point of damage from a deathtouch creature is lethal.
However, the critical word is “damage.” For deathtouch to take effect, damage must actually be dealt. Any effect that completely prevents the damage from being dealt will nullify deathtouch’s ability to destroy the creature.
Damage Prevention and Deathtouch
Damage prevention effects come in various forms. Some examples include:
- Spells like Fog: These prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn.
- Abilities like Protection: Protection from a specific color or type prevents damage from sources of that color or type.
- Shield Counters: These prevent the next damage that would be dealt to the permanent they are on.
When a creature with deathtouch attacks or blocks a creature benefiting from a damage prevention effect, the damage is prevented, and the creature survives. The key is that damage prevention happens before deathtouch can modify the outcome. The game checks for prevention effects before applying the deathtouch rule.
Specific Scenarios
Let’s illustrate this with a few scenarios:
- A 2/2 creature with deathtouch attacks a 3/3 creature. Your opponent casts Fog before combat damage. The Fog spell prevents all combat damage that would be dealt that turn. Since no damage is dealt by the attacker, the 3/3 creature is not destroyed.
- Your opponent controls a creature with protection from black, and you attack with a black creature with deathtouch. Protection from black prevents all damage dealt by black sources. No damage gets through, so the creature with protection survives.
- You attack with a creature with deathtouch into a creature with a shield counter. The damage is prevented, the shield counter is removed, and the creature survives.
Beyond Damage Prevention: Other Deathtouch Interactions
While damage prevention is a direct counter, there are other ways to deal with deathtouch creatures. These include:
- Indestructible: Creatures with indestructible simply ignore being destroyed by damage, including damage from deathtouch. Darksteel Myr can happily block deathtouch creatures all day.
- First Strike/Double Strike: If a creature with first strike deals lethal damage to the deathtouch creature in the first combat damage step, the deathtouch creature is destroyed before it can deal damage. Double strike provides two opportunities to destroy the deathtouch creature.
- Removal Spells: Using spells like Murder or Terminate removes the deathtouch creature directly, bypassing its ability entirely.
FAQ Section
Here are 15 frequently asked questions to further clarify how deathtouch works in MTG:
FAQ 1: Technically Deathtouch says that “any amount of damage dealt by a source is enough to kill the creature receiving the damage”, implying the damage has to be dealt in the first place. Does “Prevent all combat damage” counter that?
Yes, “Prevent all combat damage” effects, like the spell Fog, directly counter deathtouch. Since no damage is dealt, deathtouch has no effect. The receiving creature won’t be destroyed.
FAQ 2: What stops Deathtouch?
Several things stop deathtouch:
- Damage prevention effects
- Indestructible
- First strike or double strike (if the creature with these abilities can destroy the deathtouch creature first)
- Removal spells
- Sacrifice
FAQ 3: What wins indestructible vs Deathtouch?
Indestructible wins against deathtouch. Indestructible creatures can’t be destroyed by damage, regardless of whether that damage comes from a source with deathtouch.
FAQ 4: Does Deathtouch override protection?
No, deathtouch does not override protection. Protection prevents damage from sources with the specified characteristic (e.g., color, creature type). If damage is prevented, deathtouch cannot apply.
FAQ 5: Do shield counters block Deathtouch?
Yes, shield counters block deathtouch. A shield counter prevents the next instance of damage that would be dealt to the permanent it’s on. Since the damage is prevented, deathtouch does not trigger.
FAQ 6: Does mirror shield stop deathtouch?
Mirror Shield doesn’t directly stop deathtouch. Mirror Shield grants the equipped creature the ability to be immune to damage dealt by the creature blocked, and it will destroy the blocker. The blockers with deathtouch will damage and destroy creatures, and nothing stops the deathtouch from occurring.
FAQ 7: Do board wipes affect indestructible?
It depends on the board wipe. A board wipe that destroys creatures (e.g., Wrath of God) will not affect indestructible creatures. However, a board wipe that exiles creatures (e.g., Farewell) or gives them -X/-X until their toughness is zero or less (e.g., Languish) will remove even indestructible creatures.
FAQ 8: Does first strike negate deathtouch?
Yes, first strike can negate deathtouch. If a creature with first strike deals enough damage to destroy the deathtouch creature during the first combat damage step, the deathtouch creature is destroyed before it can deal damage in the regular combat damage step.
FAQ 9: Does Hexproof stop Deathtouch?
No, hexproof does not stop deathtouch. Hexproof prevents a creature from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch doesn’t target; it’s a static ability that modifies the effect of damage.
FAQ 10: Does trample work with Deathtouch?
Yes, trample works very effectively with deathtouch. If an attacking creature with deathtouch and trample is blocked, it only needs to assign 1 damage to each blocking creature to kill it. The remaining damage is then “trampled” over to the defending player or planeswalker. This combination makes even small deathtouch creatures incredibly dangerous attackers.
FAQ 11: Does Deathtouch work on Planeswalkers?
Deathtouch does not directly work on Planeswalkers. Deathtouch specifically destroys creatures that are dealt damage. To deal damage to a planeswalker, the attacking creature must be assigned to attack the planeswalker. Then, combat damage is dealt to the planeswalker, and the planeswalker loses loyalty counters equal to the damage dealt.
FAQ 12: Does Double Strike beat Deathtouch?
Double strike can beat deathtouch. If a creature with double strike deals enough damage to destroy the deathtouch creature in the first combat damage step, the deathtouch creature dies before it has a chance to deal damage in the second combat damage step.
FAQ 13: Who wins first strike vs Deathtouch?
The creature with first strike wins if it deals lethal damage to the deathtouch creature during the first combat damage step. The deathtouch creature is destroyed before it can deal damage in the regular combat damage step.
FAQ 14: Does Ward negate Deathtouch?
No, ward does not negate deathtouch. Ward only affects targeted spells and abilities. Deathtouch is a static ability that doesn’t target.
FAQ 15: Can shroud block deathtouch?
No, shroud does not prevent deathtouch. Shroud prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities. Deathtouch doesn’t target, so it still destroys a creature with shroud that is dealt damage by a source with deathtouch.
Conclusion
In summary, while deathtouch is a powerful ability in MTG, it’s not invincible. Damage prevention effects are a direct counter, preventing the damage required for deathtouch to take effect. Understanding these interactions and other ways to counter deathtouch is crucial for strategic gameplay. Understanding the nuances of these interactions helps you become a better player!
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