How Indestructible Counters Work in Magic: The Gathering
Indestructible counters grant the enchanted permanent indestructibility. This means the permanent cannot be destroyed by lethal damage or effects that specifically state “destroy.” However, indestructible doesn’t make a permanent invincible. It’s a specific shield against certain types of removal, leaving it vulnerable to other strategies. Understanding the nuances of indestructible counters is crucial for mastering Magic: The Gathering (MTG).
Understanding Indestructible
Indestructible is a keyword ability in MTG that dramatically impacts gameplay. When a permanent has indestructible, it’s immune to being destroyed by two primary means:
- Lethal Damage: If a creature with indestructible is dealt damage equal to or greater than its toughness, it doesn’t die. It remains on the battlefield with all damage marked on it (though damage is usually removed during the cleanup step).
- “Destroy” Effects: Spells and abilities that explicitly use the word “destroy” (e.g., “Destroy target creature”) have no effect on a permanent with indestructible.
However, it’s essential to recognize what indestructible doesn’t do. It doesn’t prevent:
- Exile: Permanents can still be exiled, a type of removal that completely removes them from the game.
- Sacrifice: A player can still be forced to sacrifice a permanent with indestructible. Sacrificing isn’t destroying; it’s simply moving the card to the graveyard as a cost or effect.
- Reduction of Toughness to Zero: If a creature’s toughness is reduced to zero or less (e.g., by -1/-1 counters), it still dies, even if it has indestructible.
- Bouncing: Permanents can be returned to their owner’s hand or library.
- Auras and Equipment Removal: Indestructible creatures can still have auras or equipment removed from them.
- Life Loss: Indestructible will not stop you from losing life.
Indestructible vs. Shield Counters
It’s easy to confuse indestructible counters with shield counters. They both offer protection but work differently. Indestructible counters grant the permanent the keyword ability “indestructible” permanently, while shield counters only prevent the next instance of destruction. Shield counters are removed after preventing a destroy effect or lethal damage.
Strategies for Dealing with Indestructible Permanents
Since indestructible doesn’t make a permanent immune to everything, players have several options for dealing with it:
- Exile Effects: Cards that exile creatures or permanents bypass indestructible. Examples include “Swords to Plowshares” and “Path to Exile.”
- Sacrifice Effects: Effects that force an opponent to sacrifice a creature (e.g., “Diabolic Edict”) are effective, as they don’t destroy the permanent.
- Toughness Reduction: Cards that reduce a creature’s toughness can kill an indestructible creature if the toughness reaches zero or less. “Grave Titan” combined with cards that put -1/-1 counters on creatures, such as “Plague Engineer,” could be a useful combo.
- “Bounce” Effects: Returning a permanent to its owner’s hand or library (e.g., “Unsummon”) removes it from the battlefield, albeit temporarily.
- Control Magic Effects: Use spells that allow you to take control of an opponent’s indestructible permanent.
- Board Wipes that Exile or Reduce Toughness: Some board wipes exile all creatures (e.g., “Farewell”) or give all creatures -X/-X until end of turn (e.g., “Toxic Deluge”).
FAQs About Indestructible Counters
1. Can you have multiple indestructible counters on a creature?
Yes, you can have multiple indestructible counters on a creature. Having more than one doesn’t provide any additional benefit, as a single indestructible ability is sufficient to prevent destruction.
2. Does indestructible stop trample?
Yes, in a way. When a creature with trample attacks and is blocked by an indestructible creature, you must assign lethal damage to the indestructible creature before you can assign any remaining damage to the defending player. Since the indestructible creature doesn’t die from the damage, the excess damage still tramples over.
3. Does Deathtouch beat indestructible?
No, deathtouch doesn’t defeat indestructible. Deathtouch causes damage to be considered “lethal damage,” but indestructible prevents destruction from lethal damage. The creature with indestructible survives.
4. What happens when you block with an indestructible creature?
When you block with an indestructible creature, it effectively soaks up damage without being destroyed. The attacking creature still deals damage, but the indestructible creature remains on the battlefield.
5. Do board wipes work on indestructible?
It depends on the type of board wipe. Board wipes that “destroy all creatures” are ineffective against indestructible. However, board wipes that exile all creatures or give all creatures -X/-X until end of turn will work.
6. Does indestructible stop sacrifice effects?
No, indestructible does not stop sacrifice effects. Sacrificing a permanent is a cost or effect that moves the permanent to the graveyard, but does not destroy it. Indestructible only prevents destruction.
7. Can a sorcery destroy an indestructible creature?
If the sorcery says “destroy,” it won’t work. However, sorceries that exile creatures or give them -X/-X until end of turn will work.
8. How do you destroy indestructible and Hexproof?
Hexproof prevents targeting, so you can’t target it with spells, but you can still get rid of it with cards that target all creatures such as wrath of god. You can’t directly destroy an indestructible creature, so you need to use exile effects, sacrifice effects, or toughness reduction to remove it.
9. Does Hexproof stop Deathtouch?
Hexproof prevents a permanent from being the target of spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch is a characteristic of damage, not a targeted ability, so hexproof does not prevent it.
10. Does indestructible stop damage from infect?
No, indestructible does not stop damage from infect. Infect places -1/-1 counters on creatures when they are dealt damage, and indestructible does not prevent -1/-1 counters. If a creature’s toughness reaches 0 or less due to -1/-1 counters, it will be put into the graveyard.
11. Can Planeswalkers be indestructible?
Yes, Planeswalkers can be indestructible. An indestructible planeswalker would survive a board wipe that destroys permanents. However, damage to a planeswalker still causes loyalty counters to be removed.
12. Can you exile an indestructible creature?
Yes, exiling a creature is one of the most effective ways to remove an indestructible creature from play. Exile completely removes the card from the game, bypassing indestructible’s protection.
13. Does indestructible stop damage from wither?
No, indestructible does not stop damage from wither. Wither places -1/-1 counters on creatures when they are dealt damage, and indestructible does not prevent -1/-1 counters. If a creature’s toughness reaches 0 or less due to -1/-1 counters, it will be put into the graveyard.
14. Are indestructible counters permanent?
Indestructible counters do not get removed by damage; they grant the permanent the keyword ability of indestructible. Indestructible counters are permanent unless an effect removes them.
15. How do indestructible counters interact with state-based actions?
Indestructible counters cause a permanent to ignore state-based actions that would destroy it due to lethal damage. However, if a creature with indestructible has 0 or less toughness, state-based actions will still cause it to be put into its owner’s graveyard.
Conclusion
Indestructible counters are a powerful tool in MTG, providing significant protection against destruction. However, they are not a guarantee of invincibility. Understanding the limitations of indestructible and the various ways to counter it is crucial for building effective strategies and outmaneuvering opponents. The strategies and tactics used within Magic the Gathering are often complex. Learn more about game-based learning through websites like Games Learning Society or GamesLearningSociety.org.