Does Protection Stop Enchantments? A Deep Dive into Magic: The Gathering’s Protection Mechanic
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Yes, protection absolutely stops enchantments, but with specific nuances that are crucial to understand. In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, protection is a powerful keyword ability that can significantly impact gameplay. One of its primary functions is to safeguard a permanent or player from certain types of interactions, and one of these interactions is being enchanted. This means that if a permanent has protection from a certain quality (usually a color), it cannot be enchanted by Auras that possess that same quality. Furthermore, any existing Auras that match that quality will be detached from the protected permanent.
This article will explore how protection interacts with enchantments, diving into the mechanics and explaining them thoroughly. We’ll also tackle a range of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that delve deeper into various scenarios and related abilities.
How Protection Interacts with Enchantments
The core rule governing this interaction is rule 702.16c in the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, which states: “A permanent or player with protection can’t be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality. Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action.“
Let’s break this down:
- “A permanent or player with protection can’t be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality.” This means that if a creature has protection from red, for instance, you cannot attach a red Aura (like Pacifism if it was red) to it.
- “Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action.” If an Aura that matches the protection quality is already attached to the protected permanent, that Aura will immediately be detached and put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action (meaning it happens automatically without the need for a player to activate it).
This crucial interaction ensures that protection provides comprehensive defense against enchantments that share the protected quality.
Why Does Protection Remove Enchantments?
The reason protection removes enchantments is that it’s designed to provide a specific type of immunity. Protection prevents five primary things: D.E.B.T. which stand for:
- Damage from sources of the specified quality
- Enchanting/Equipping by Auras or Equipment of the specified quality
- Blocking by creatures of the specified quality
- Targeting by spells or abilities of the specified quality
The “E” in D.E.B.T. is what directly impacts enchantments. When a permanent gains protection from a certain color, it actively becomes immune to being enchanted by that color. This goes beyond just preventing new enchantments; it actively removes existing ones that conflict with its newfound protection. This ability is part of what makes protection such a powerful defensive keyword.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
To solidify your understanding of this intricate mechanic, let’s explore some frequently asked questions related to protection and enchantments:
1. If a creature has protection from a color, and an Aura of that color is already attached, does it just fall off, or is it destroyed?
The Aura is not destroyed. It’s put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. This is a distinction from being destroyed, as destroyed effects can trigger abilities, whereas going to the graveyard via state-based actions do not.
2. Does protection from a color prevent all enchantments from affecting the creature?
No. Protection only prevents enchantments of the specified quality (usually a color). For instance, a creature with protection from red can still be enchanted by a green or colorless Aura.
3. Can an Aura with a different color still enchant a creature with protection from a color?
Yes. Auras that do not share a color with the protection can still attach. For example, a creature with protection from black can still be targeted and enchanted by a blue aura.
4. If a creature gains protection from a color after it’s been enchanted, what happens?
The Aura matching the color will immediately fall off the enchanted creature and move to its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action. The protection is checked as soon as it is granted to the creature, removing any problematic Auras that it already had attached to it.
5. Does protection stop enchantments that do not directly target a creature?
Protection from a color does not protect against effects that do not target. For example, a board wipe that destroys all enchantments would affect a creature with protection, because the effect does not target the creature. However, a spell that says “Destroy target enchantment” could not target an aura on a creature that has protection from that color.
6. What is the difference between protection and hexproof in regards to enchantments?
Hexproof prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by spells or abilities controlled by opponents. This means you can’t cast an aura on a permanent with hexproof from your opponents. However, hexproof does not remove an Aura already attached. Protection, on the other hand, prevents a permanent from being enchanted by Auras of the specified quality and removes them if they are already attached.
7. If an Aura grants a creature protection from a color, does it remove itself?
Yes. If an Aura itself has a color that conflicts with the protection it grants to the enchanted creature, the aura will be put into the graveyard as a state-based action.
8. Does protection protect from a global enchantment effect?
No. Protection from a color does not protect from global effects that do not target the creature. For example, a global effect that says “all creatures with enchantments are destroyed” would still destroy a creature with protection from a color if it has an enchantment on it.
9. If a creature has protection from a color, can I attach a colorless enchantment to it?
Yes. Colorless enchantments are not affected by protection from a color. Protection is specific to colors, and colorless is not a color.
10. Can I use an ability to move an aura from one creature to another, if one has protection?
Yes. If you use an ability that is not targetted and is not an Aura itself, such as the ability on Auramancer, you can move the aura off of a creature with protection to a new creature, because the movement is not a cast of an aura, and therefore is not “targeting” the new creature with the aura.
11. Does “Protection from everything” stop all enchantments?
Yes. "**Protection from everything**" effectively means the permanent or player has protection from *all* colors, plus colorless, and anything that has no colors at all. This ensures that **no enchantments can attach** and **any existing enchantments will fall off**.
12. Can I enchant a creature that has “protection from enchantments”?
Yes, but no. There is no ability in MTG that says "protection from enchantments." However, if a creature has **protection from the color of an aura, it cannot be enchanted**. So, a creature with protection from blue cannot be enchanted by blue auras.
13. If I control a creature with protection and a spell that puts an aura directly onto the battlefield without targeting is cast, does the aura attach to my creature?
Yes, it may attach. However, it would then fall off immediately after as a state-based action because it will be checked immediately, and see that it conflicts with the creature's protection.
14. Does protection from a color protect an aura attached to a creature from removal spells?
No. Protection only protects the permanent or player with the protection ability. For example, if your creature with protection from red is enchanted with a red aura, and then an opponent targets that red aura with an enchantment removal spell, it will be destroyed normally. The protection does not protect it from a removal spell.
15. If a creature has multiple instances of protection, are they redundant?
No, instances of protection are not redundant. If a creature has protection from red and protection from black, for example, it is protected from both red and black sources, including enchantments.
Conclusion
Protection is a powerful defensive ability that plays a vital role in Magic: The Gathering. When it comes to enchantments, protection not only prevents new Auras from attaching, but also actively removes existing ones that share the protected quality. Understanding these nuances can drastically improve your strategy and ability to navigate various gameplay scenarios. By grasping the intricacies of protection and its interaction with enchantments, you’ll be well-equipped to make informed decisions and gain a competitive edge in your Magic: The Gathering games.