What Happens When You Destroy a Blocking Creature in Magic: The Gathering?
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If you destroy a blocking creature in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) after blockers have been declared, the attacking creature is still considered blocked, but it won’t necessarily deal damage to the defending player. The destroyed blocking creature is removed from combat, which significantly impacts how combat damage is calculated, especially if trample is involved. Understanding these nuances is crucial for effective play. Let’s delve into the specific rules and scenarios to make it crystal clear.
The Core Mechanic of Removing Blockers
How It Works: The Short Version
When a blocking creature is removed from combat – through destruction, exile, being bounced back to its owner’s hand, or any similar effect after it has been declared as a blocker but before damage is dealt – the following happens:
- The attacking creature remains blocked. This is important to note; being blocked is not dependent on the blocking creature surviving.
- The blocking creature is removed from the damage assignment order.
- If the attacking creature lacks trample, it will deal no combat damage to the defending player since it is still considered blocked by a removed creature.
- If the attacking creature has trample, it will deal all its damage to the defending player since it no longer needs to deal damage to a blocking creature. Trample requires lethal damage be assigned to blockers before assigning damage to the defending player; when there are no blockers to assign damage to, then the damage can be assigned to the defending player.
Rule 509.2a and its Implications
Rule 509.2a in the MTG Comprehensive Rules dictates this behavior. It states that during the declare blockers step, if a blocking creature is removed from combat or a spell or ability causes it to stop blocking an attacking creature, the blocking creature is removed from all relevant damage assignment orders. This rule highlights that removal from combat doesn’t reverse the blocking status but affects how damage is allocated.
Trample and its Interaction with Removed Blockers
The trample ability is paramount in these situations. When a creature with trample is blocked and the blocker is subsequently removed, it drastically changes the damage assignment. Ordinarily, trample allows the attacking creature to deal damage exceeding the toughness of the blocking creature to the defending player. However, with the blocker removed, the trample creature can assign all of its combat damage to the defending player since zero damage is considered lethal to a creature that is no longer present. This interaction provides a major advantage to attacking with tramplers when removal is in your hand.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do blocking creatures deal damage?
Blocking creatures do not deal damage to the defending player they are blocking in combat, even if they have abilities like trample. They deal damage to the attacking creatures they are blocking. Some cards may have triggered abilities that can deal damage to the attacking player as a result of blocking (e.g. Assembled Alphas), but this is from triggered abilities and not from combat damage being assigned by the blocking creature to the defending player.
2. What happens if a blocking creature is exiled or bounced?
If a blocking creature is exiled or bounced (returned to its owner’s hand) after being declared a blocker, the effect is the same as if it were destroyed. The attacking creature is still considered blocked, but will not deal damage unless it has trample or is blocked by another creature.
3. How does trample work when a blocker is removed?
When a blocker is removed after being declared, a creature with trample will assign all of its damage to the defending player. This is because trample requires lethal damage to be assigned to the blockers before dealing damage to the player. With no blockers present, zero damage is considered lethal to the missing creature and the remaining damage can be assigned to the player.
4. What are the basic rules for blocking in MTG?
A creature must be untapped to block. Each creature can only block a single attacker, but multiple defending creatures can block the same attacker. Both players can cast instants and activate abilities after blockers have been declared, but before damage is dealt.
5. Is blocking considered combat damage?
Yes, blocking is considered combat damage. However, the blocking creature will deal its combat damage to the attacking creature it is blocking, not to the defending player.
6. Does trample do damage when blocking?
Trample has no effect when a creature with trample is blocking or is dealing noncombat damage. The trample ability modifies how combat damage is assigned by an attacking creature.
7. Does Deathtouch stop trample?
No, deathtouch does not stop trample unless the creature with deathtouch has first strike, and is thus able to destroy the creature with trample before it does any damage, which prevents the trample damage from being assigned to the player. If the creature with trample survives, it will still assign lethal damage to the creature with deathtouch and any more damage can be assigned to the defending player.
8. Can you sacrifice a blocking creature with trample?
Yes, you can sacrifice a blocking creature after it has been declared as a blocker. If the attacking creature has trample, it can assign all its damage to the defending player since there is no creature to assign lethal damage to anymore.
9. Does Deathtouch cancel Deathtouch?
No, two instances of deathtouch do not cancel each other out. Deathtouch has no interaction with an opponent with Deathtouch.
10. Can you regenerate a blocking creature?
Yes, you can regenerate a blocking creature. However, the creature is removed from combat. It will not receive damage, but will also not deal damage. It remains on the battlefield tapped.
11. What is the disadvantage of blocking?
Blocking involves managing the interactions of multiple creatures. It can be more strategically complex than attacking since you have to determine which blocks to make and manage the potential for interactions such as activated or triggered abilities. A simple “attack” is more straight forward than multiple blocks.
12. Can you double block in MTG?
Yes, multiple creatures can block the same attacking creature. This is called double blocking or even triple blocking, quadruple blocking, etc. It’s a common tactic to ensure an attacking creature is dealt a significant amount of damage and to ensure its destruction when blocked by multiple creatures.
13. Do flying creatures take damage when blocking?
Yes, if a flying creature blocks another creature (flying or non-flying), both creatures deal combat damage to each other. The flying ability has no effect in terms of damage prevention, only in determining whether or not they are able to block.
14. Does first strike beat deathtouch?
Yes, a creature with first strike will hit first. If it deals lethal damage to a creature with deathtouch, the deathtouch creature dies before it can deal any damage to the first strike creature. This is a common way to use first strike to neutralize the effects of deathtouch.
15. Does Lifelink work when blocking?
Yes, lifelink works whenever a creature with the lifelink ability deals damage. This includes damage dealt while blocking. This means that the controller of the lifelink creature will gain life equal to the amount of damage it deals while blocking.
Conclusion
Understanding the intricacies of what happens when you destroy a blocking creature is fundamental to mastering MTG combat. The interplay of blocking, trample, damage assignment, and other abilities can dramatically alter the flow of a game. Knowing when to use removal spells on blockers, especially when facing trampling creatures, can be the difference between victory and defeat.