Decoding Protection in Magic: The Gathering – Mastering the DEBT Acronym

The mnemonic for protection in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is DEBT. This simple acronym encapsulates the four key elements that protection prevents: Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting. When a creature or player has protection from a specific quality (like a color or card type), it becomes incredibly resilient to effects from sources with that quality. Understanding and correctly applying DEBT is essential for any MTG player looking to master the game’s intricacies. Protection can be tricky, but DEBT provides a straightforward framework for grasping its powerful implications.

Unpacking the DEBT Acronym

Let’s dissect each component of the DEBT acronym to fully understand how protection functions:

Damage

A permanent with protection from a specified quality (e.g., protection from red) cannot be dealt damage by sources of that quality. This means that a creature with protection from red will ignore any damage dealt to it by red spells, red creatures, or any other red source of damage. This aspect of protection is straightforward, as it effectively nullifies any red damage aimed at the protected creature.

Enchanting/Equipping

This part of protection dictates that a creature with protection from a specified quality cannot be enchanted or equipped by Auras or Equipment of that quality. For example, a creature with protection from green cannot be enchanted by a green Aura, nor can it be equipped with green Equipment. Existing enchantments or equipment are unaffected and remain attached, but new ones cannot be applied.

Blocking

A creature with protection from a specified quality cannot be blocked by creatures of that quality. If a creature with protection from black attacks, it is unblockable by any black creatures. This aspect of protection can be a key factor in pushing damage through to an opponent, as it opens attack paths that would otherwise be closed.

Targeting

This is perhaps the most crucial aspect of protection. A creature with protection from a specified quality cannot be targeted by spells or abilities of that quality. This means that a creature with protection from blue cannot be targeted by blue spells, blue activated abilities, or blue triggered abilities. This prevents any such effects from being aimed at that protected creature. Note that this does not protect against board wipes or non-targeted effects.

Protection from Everything

A special case exists called “protection from everything.” This indicates that a permanent has protection from every source, regardless of color, card type, or any other characteristic. A creature with protection from everything can’t be targeted, damaged, blocked, or enchanted/equipped by any source. This makes them exceptionally hard to remove, and only vulnerable to effects that don’t target (like board wipes or sacrifice effects).

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Protection

Does Protection Stop Deathtouch?

Yes, protection stops deathtouch. If a source with deathtouch deals damage to a creature with protection from that source’s color, the damage is prevented, and deathtouch has no effect. For example, damage from a black creature with deathtouch would not destroy a creature with protection from black because the damage is prevented.

Can You Target Your Own Creature If It Has Protection From a Color?

No, you cannot. Protection prevents a permanent or player from being targeted by any spell or ability with the specified quality. It does not matter who controls the source of the ability or spell. The quality of the source is what matters.

Does Protection From a Color Stop Board Wipes?

No, protection from a color does not stop board wipes. Board wipes typically do not target creatures; instead, they affect all creatures or all creatures of a specific type, on the battlefield. Since they do not target, protection is ineffective.

Does Protection Prevent Commander Damage?

Yes, protection prevents combat damage, including Commander damage. Protection prevents all damage from the specified source quality, including combat damage. However, if an effect says damage cannot be prevented, then the damage will still be applied even if protection is present.

Can You Block a Creature with Protection?

No, you cannot block a creature with protection from the color of your creature. If a creature has protection from a specific color, it is unblockable by creatures of that color.

Does Protection from a Color Prevent Trample?

Yes and no. When a creature with protection blocks a creature with trample, the blocking creature still takes enough damage to be lethal, but any remaining damage from the trampling creature will go through to the defending player. If the damage dealt by the attacking creature is equal or less than the toughness of the blocking creature, no damage will trample through.

What Wins Indestructible vs Deathtouch?

Indestructible wins against deathtouch. Deathtouch normally destroys a creature if it takes damage from the deathtouch source. However, indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed, so deathtouch has no effect on them.

Does Hexproof Cancel Deathtouch?

No, Hexproof does not stop Deathtouch. Hexproof prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities controlled by opponents. However, deathtouch is a property of the damage source and doesn’t target, so hexproof has no effect on the damage.

Does Deathtouch Beat Trample?

No, deathtouch does not stop trample. Deathtouch will cause lethal damage to the blocking creature, but any remaining damage will trample through to the defending player.

How Does Trample Work Against Protection?

A creature with trample must assign lethal damage to the blocking creature, with any extra damage assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked. Even if a blocking creature has protection from the attacking creature’s color, the attacking creature must still assign lethal damage. Any remaining damage will then trample over to the defending player.

What Does Protection From Everything Do in MTG?

Protection from everything prevents all instances of damage, enchanting/equipping, blocking, and targeting from any source, regardless of color, card type, or any other characteristic.

Can You Counter Spells With Protection?

Yes, you can. Protection only applies to permanents, not to spells on the stack. If you cast a spell that is red with protection from blue on a permanent, your opponent can still counter the spell since the spell is not a permanent at that time.

What Does OTP Mean in MTG?

In MTG, OTP is short for “One True Pairing”. This is a term of endearment for a player’s favorite card pairing or strategy that they enjoy playing.

What Colors Mean Protector?

While no one color is exclusively “the protector”, black is often associated with protection, banishing, grounding, and safety in MTG. However, protection abilities can be found across the color pie.

How Do You Beat Protection in MTG?

The best way to beat protection is to utilize cards that don’t rely on targeting or specific colors, such as mass removal spells (board wipes) or cards that destroy creatures without targeting them. Using diverse removal spells of multiple colors is also a viable option so that you have more options.

Final Thoughts

Protection in Magic: The Gathering can be a complex ability, but using the DEBT mnemonic (Damage, Enchanting/Equipping, Blocking, and Targeting) makes it much easier to understand. By internalizing this simple acronym, you can significantly improve your gameplay, plan your strategies more effectively, and navigate through tricky board states. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a new player, mastering protection is essential for success in MTG.