Does Rabid Bite Count as Combat Damage?
The answer is no, Rabid Bite does not count as combat damage because it is not dealt by an attacking or blocking creature during the damage step, but rather it is a magic ability that causes one of your creatures to deal non-combat damage to a creature you don’t control, and the damage is equal to your creature’s power. This is a crucial distinction in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), as combat damage and non-combat damage have different effects and interactions with various abilities and keywords.
Understanding Combat Damage and Non-Combat Damage
What is Combat Damage?
Combat damage is damage dealt by an attacking or blocking creature to another source during the damage step of the combat phase.
What is Non-Combat Damage?
Non-combat damage, on the other hand, is any damage dealt by any source during the game, excluding combat damage.
FAQs
- Q: What counts as combat damage in MTG? A: Combat damage is damage dealt by an attacking or blocking creature to another source during the damage step of the combat phase.
- Q: Does Rabid Bite work with Deathtouch? A: Yes, Rabid Bite works with Deathtouch, but the Deathtouch creature will only die if the other creature’s power is equal to or more than its toughness.
- Q: What does Rabid Bite do in Magic The Gathering? A: Rabid Bite targets a creature you control and deals damage equal to its power to a target creature you don’t control.
- Q: Can Rabid Bite be used on a tapped creature? A: Yes, Rabid Bite can be used on a tapped creature, as the creature can even be tapped to pay for costs that read “tap an untapped creature you control”.
- Q: Can you get rabies if a rabid animal licks you? A: Yes, you can get rabies if a rabid animal licks your open skin, such as a rash or wound.
- Q: Can you cook rabid animals? A: No, you should not handle or eat game or waterfowl that appear sick, act strangely, or are found dead, as meat from infected game should never be eaten.
- Q: What happens if you tap attacking creatures? A: A tapped, attacking creature can be removed from the battlefield and will not be able to assign or deal combat damage.
- Q: Do you tap attacking creatures? A: Yes, the creature is tapped when it’s declared as an attacker, unless it has Vigilance.
- Q: Why do rabid dogs bite? A: The virus interacts with muscle receptors, reprogramming a dog’s behavior, making it lose fear and become aggressive.
- Q: Does Deathtouch count as combat damage? A: No, Deathtouch does not count as combat damage, but it can still cause lethal damage to creatures.
- Q: What beats indestructible mtg? A: You can exile, reduce its toughness to 0, make your opponent sacrifice it, counter it, enchant it, discard it from your opponent’s hand, or send it to your opponent’s library to beat an indestructible creature.
- Q: Can indestructible counter deathtouch? A: Yes, indestructible creatures cannot be killed by lethal damage caused by Deathtouch.
- Q: What counts as non-combat damage? A: Non-combat damage is any damage dealt by any source during the game, excluding combat damage.
- Q: Does first strike beat Deathtouch? A: Yes, a creature with first strike will hit first and can possibly kill the Deathtouch creature before it has a chance to hit.
- Q: Does infect damage count as combat damage? A: No, infect damage does not count as combat damage, but it can still apply -1/-1 counters to creatures.
By understanding the distinction between combat damage and non-combat damage, as well as how Rabid Bite and other abilities interact with these types of damage, you can improve your gameplay and make more informed decisions in Magic: The Gathering.