Planeswalker Down! What Happens When Loyalty Hits Zero?

In the thrilling world of Magic: The Gathering (MTG), planeswalkers are powerful allies you can summon to the battlefield. But these characters, much like you, have a life force, represented by loyalty counters. So, what happens when that loyalty dwindles to nothing? The answer is decisive: a planeswalker with 0 loyalty is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action, meaning it happens automatically before any player can react. Think of it as a mechanical process ensuring the game stays balanced. Let’s dive deeper into the mechanics and common questions surrounding this rule.

Understanding Planeswalker Loyalty and Death

The core concept is simple: loyalty is life for planeswalkers. They enter the battlefield with a certain number of loyalty counters, and these numbers fluctuate as you use their abilities or they take damage from your opponent. Understanding this fundamental aspect is key to mastering the use of planeswalkers in your MTG strategy.

How Loyalty is Managed

• Gaining Loyalty: Most planeswalker abilities add loyalty counters as part of their cost. These are typically marked with a plus sign (+) followed by a number.
• Losing Loyalty: Planeswalker abilities can also reduce loyalty, indicated by a minus sign (-) followed by a number. More significantly, damage dealt to a planeswalker results in a loss of loyalty equal to the amount of damage.
• Zero Loyalty Means Graveyard: When loyalty reaches zero, the planeswalker immediately “dies” and is placed in the owner’s graveyard.

Planeswalker Zero Loyalty FAQs: Your Burning Questions Answered

Here are 15 common questions players ask regarding the fate of planeswalkers when their loyalty reaches zero:

1. Can I respond to my planeswalker reaching 0 loyalty? No. State-based actions are checked before any player receives priority. This means your planeswalker will be sent to the graveyard before you have a chance to cast an instant or activate an ability in response. There’s no last-minute save!

2. Can planeswalker loyalty go negative? While you can’t intentionally activate an ability that would leave a planeswalker with negative loyalty, damage can certainly cause this. However, the planeswalker will still die when state-based actions are checked, regardless of whether the loyalty is zero or negative.

3. How exactly do planeswalkers lose loyalty? There are two primary ways: by activating abilities that cost loyalty and by taking damage. An opponent can attack a planeswalker with their creatures, redirecting the damage to the planeswalker. The planeswalker loses loyalty equal to the damage dealt.

4. What happens when a planeswalker “dies”? In MTG terminology, “dies” simply means “is put into a graveyard from the battlefield.” When a planeswalker’s loyalty reaches 0, it “dies” and goes to the graveyard.

5. If my planeswalker’s loyalty is reduced to zero by an opponent’s spell, can I activate an ability in response? Sadly, no. As mentioned above, state-based actions are checked before players receive priority. Once the spell resolves and your planeswalker has 0 loyalty, it’s immediately sent to the graveyard.

6. Can I proliferate planeswalker loyalty to prevent it from dying? Yes, you can! Proliferate adds a counter to each permanent and/or player that already has a counter. So, if your planeswalker is low on loyalty but still has at least one counter, you can use Proliferate to add more loyalty counters and keep it alive.

7. Does copying a planeswalker ability affect its loyalty? No. Copying an ability doesn’t change the loyalty of the original planeswalker. The loyalty cost is paid when the ability is activated, not when it’s copied.

8. What is the “legendary planeswalker rule” and how does it relate to loyalty? The “legendary planeswalker rule” states that if you control two or more legendary planeswalkers with the same name, you must choose one and put the others into your graveyard. This rule is separate from the zero-loyalty rule, but it’s another way planeswalkers can end up in the graveyard.

9. If a creature with deathtouch deals damage to a planeswalker, does it automatically “kill” the planeswalker, regardless of its remaining loyalty? No. Deathtouch only affects creatures. Damage dealt by a creature with deathtouch reduces a planeswalker’s loyalty by the amount of damage, and the planeswalker only “dies” if its loyalty reaches zero as a result.

10. Can I use a “flicker” effect to save a planeswalker with 0 loyalty? No. Flicker effects exile a permanent and then return it to the battlefield. Because the planeswalker will go to the graveyard immediately, you can’t target it with a flicker effect in time to save it.

11. If my planeswalker takes lethal damage in combat, does that mean it reaches 0 loyalty and dies? Yes, that’s correct. Combat damage is dealt simultaneously. If a planeswalker takes enough damage to reduce its loyalty to 0 (or less), it will be put into its owner’s graveyard as a state-based action immediately.

12. What happens if a planeswalker’s ability puts another planeswalker of mine to zero? The original planeswalker’s ability goes onto the stack. Once that ability resolves and puts the other planeswalker to zero, state-based actions are checked and it will die before you can react.

13. Can my opponent choose to attack me or my planeswalker? Yes, when your opponent attacks, they can declare which player or planeswalker they are attacking with each of their creatures. This strategic choice is a key element of MTG gameplay.

14. If a planeswalker becomes a creature, does the zero-loyalty rule still apply? This is a complex scenario. If a planeswalker becomes a creature (through an effect like that of Gideon planeswalkers, for example), it is subject to the normal rules for creatures as well as planeswalkers. If its loyalty reaches zero, it still dies due to state-based actions. Additionally, if its toughness is reduced to zero or less, it also dies as a creature.

15. Are colorless planeswalkers treated differently when it comes to loyalty? No. Colorless planeswalkers like Karn and Ugin are treated the same as colored planeswalkers regarding loyalty. When their loyalty hits zero, they are sent to the graveyard via state-based actions. Colorless planeswalkers are planeswalkers that don’t have any colored mana symbols in their casting costs.

Mastering Planeswalker Strategy

Understanding what happens when a planeswalker reaches 0 loyalty is crucial for strategic play in Magic: The Gathering. Knowing the rules allows you to plan your moves carefully, protect your planeswalkers effectively, and exploit your opponent’s vulnerabilities. You can learn even more about the design and learning aspects of games and planeswalkers at the Games Learning Society, found at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/. Or visit GamesLearningSociety.org for more info!

Final Thoughts

Planeswalkers are valuable assets in MTG, but they are not invincible. Protecting them, managing their loyalty, and understanding the consequences of zero loyalty are essential skills for any player looking to dominate the battlefield.