How do you assign combat damage to a planeswalker?
Asked by Hidden_Blade 14 years ago
Ok so i was just wondering because an earlier question confused me somewhat.
When you attack, do you assign what creatures are attacking who?(eg. Raging Goblin is attacking Elspeth, Knight-Errant , Goblin Guide is attacking player).
Or do you assign who is attacking who after blockers are chosen? Do you basically redirect damage to the planeswalker if you want?
You declare on attack if you are attacking the planeswalker or the player.
October 27, 2010 9:59 a.m.
When you attack, you choose who your creatures attack, players or planewalkers.
When you do direct damage like Lightning Bolt to a planewalker, you must target the player that controls the planewalker and then redirect the damage to the planeswalker.
Personally I think that is silly, but it is how it works. So if your opponent has an Ivory Mask out it protects the planeswalker from burn basically
October 27, 2010 10 a.m.
MTGO has it funky where you have to redirect. But the actual rule of the game is that you declare your target for attack during your attack phase.
October 27, 2010 10:01 a.m.
I played mtgo the other day and it allowed me to select who I was attacking, no redirect
October 27, 2010 10:07 a.m.
This is the answer your looking for, this from Wizards of the Coast website.
As the declare attackers step begins, if the defending player controls a planeswalker, the active player declares who or what each attacking creature is attacking: the defending player or one of that player's planeswalkers. All the attacking creatures may attack the same thing, or they may attack different things. If the defending player controls multiple planeswalkers, any or all of them can be attacked during the same combat phase.
As the declare blockers step begins, the defending player declares which creatures he or she controls (if any) are blocking the attacking creatures. The blocking creatures don't care who or what the attackers are attacking.
During the combat damage step, damage from unblocked creatures attacking the defending player, damage from blocked creatures, and damage from blocking creatures is assigned and dealt as normal. Unblocked creatures that are attacking a planeswalker assign and deal their combat damage to that planeswalker, which causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from it. Planeswalkers, like players, don't deal combat damage.
October 27, 2010 11:26 a.m.
Also this applies as well.
If a creature with trample is attacking a planeswalker and is blocked, the attacker must assign lethal damage to each blocker, and may assign excess damage to the planeswalker. However, a creature with trample that's attacking a planeswalker can't "trample over" that planeswalker and assign combat damage to the defending player.
If a planeswalker leaves play or changes controllers, it's removed from combat and stops being attacked. However, a creature that was attacking that planeswalker isn't removed from combat -- it continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it remains an attacking creature but assigns no damage during the combat damage step. If it is blocked, it will deal damage to any creature blocking it as normal. If the attacker has trample, the trample ability has no effect because there's nothing for the creature to assign excess damage to.
In the Two-Headed Giant multiplayer variant, a creature can attack the defending team or attack a planeswalker controlled by either member of that team. A creature attacking a planeswalker can be blocked by creatures controlled by either member of the defending team, not just creatures controlled by the planeswalker's controller.
MiracleAttack says... #1
I think the question you're referring to was about playing the MTG online game, which plays differently for obvious reasons.
You declare your attackers first and tell your opponent what you are attacking. That player then assigns blockers to your attackers if they choose.
To deal damage to Elspeth, you would have to declare that you are attacking the player and then say that you wish to redirect damage to Elspeth. If the player cannot prevent the damage, then it goes through to Elspeth and she loses however many counters.
October 27, 2010 9:58 a.m.