clarification on a trample + burn scenario
Asked by ilikeoldcardsbetter 14 years ago
if you attack with, say... Hellspark Elemental and the defending player blocks with a 0/3 wall (just to keep it simple). no damage would normally get through to the player. but what if you Shock the wall? will two damage get through via the elemental
the attack step works like this.
begin step. you can chose to play instants and/or abilities then your opponent gets to do the same.
Declare attackers I declare attackers. Normally your opponent can't respond at this step unless there usa a triggered effect.
Then there's the chance to declare instant s and effects after attackers have been declared
Defenders are declared - you can't declare instants/effects until this step is completed.
Instants and effects can then be played after. and before damage step begins.
There is an important reason for this being laid out.
if you say shock before the defenders are assigned- the opponent knows that blocking could loose him a creature and for the prevention of 1 damage I think most would take the damage from the creature and not bother blocking unless they needed to. If you shock after blockers are assigned before damage step begin's then the opponent can't do much about that. they will lose the creature and take 2 damage.
Why?
The creatures defence is reduced because od the damage done by Shock by 2. Leaving it with 1 defence. So your trampling damage during the damage step does 1 to the creature and the remaining 2 to the opponent.
Now if the creature didn't trample and you used lightening bolt... You would then need to bolt the creature before declare defenders step otherwise you would be doing no damage to the opponent. Why? Well because as soon as the creature is declared the blocker then it is there stopping the path of your attack. this is why trample is awesome.
September 5, 2010 11:18 p.m.
thaimaishuu says... #4
Just to be clear. I think the combat mechanic works so that you need to deal 1 more damage to make it lethal (put in graveyard) and not that it becomes a 0/1 for defense.
Trample damage is assigned as lethal damage first to the defending creature(s). Then trample damage to the player or planeswalker.
I emphasize lethal because sometimes you don't have to deal damage equal to toughness. Such as with deathtouch. One point of damage with deathtouch deals lethal damage to a creature. So if a 3/1 creature has deathtouch and trample is blocked by a 0/3 creature, then the attack player may choose to deal 1 damage to the 0/3 and the remaining 2 damage to the defending player or planeswalker.
A little off topic, sorry. =/
September 6, 2010 1:50 a.m.
@Zylo - not really - toughness doesnt change, as thaimaishuu said, it is lethal damage that counts.
what you said, "So when you deal 2 damage to the wall it is really a 0/1 until end of turn.." is just wrong - its a 0/3 with 2 points of damage.
October 25, 2010 2:32 p.m.
@$ªmHεiπ I know it's still a 0/3, I was putting it into easier terms of thinking of it. That's exactly what WOTC did when they made duel of the Planeswalker for Xbox, when a creature is dealt damage it shows the creatures temporary toughness in red. I only said it like that to help people see what the 2 damage was doing.
Zylo says... #1
Yes, as far as I know. The way trample works is the creature assigns damage to the defending creature equal to it's toughness first and then the rest to the play if there is any left to be assigned to the player. So when you deal 2 damage to the wall it is really a 0/1 until end of turn and then 2 damage from the Hellspark Elemental would go through to the player.
September 5, 2010 10:26 p.m.