The Magic School RETURNS! TMS #3: Damage Basics

Welcome back!
  I know I've slacked on The Magic School, so here I am with what I hope is an interesting read for you this time around.

  From time to time, we need to be reminded of the basic rules of the game. Sometimes we make things so complex (and in this game, rightfully so!) that even the simplest rules start to get questions because "it can't be that simple!"

  Today's topic isn't exactly simple, but it's not the most difficult either (Hello Stack! Good to see ya Layer rules!). If you understand the examples, you'll get the basics of how damage works.

So now that class is back in session...let's begin!





Our first lesson will be back to basics...damage rules!

We had an issue come up as to how exactly damage works on a creature. Things like...

a) Does damage lower toughness?
b) Does damage cause destruction when a creature's toughness is lowered? Or is the creature simply but into the graveyard if it gets to 0 or less toughness?
c) Who makes these rules anyway? (I can answer that one here and now: NOT ME, THANK GOODNESS! :p  )

So let's get to it, shall we?

Let's consult the Comprehensive Rules (CR) first. CR 118 is the "Damage" section. In it are various rules dealing with what exactly is the source of damage, how damage is dealt, etc. I'm more concerned at this point with how the actual damage works. So let's snip the rules that matter...

118.3. Damage may have one or more of the following results, depending on whether the recipient of the damage is a player or permanent, the characteristics of the damage’s source, and the characteristics of the damage’s recipient (if it’s a permanent).
*118.3a Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.
*118.3b Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from that planeswalker.
*118.3c Damage dealt to a creature by a source with wither causes that many -1/-1 counters to be put on that creature.
*118.3d Damage dealt to a creature by a source without wither causes that much damage to be marked on that creature.
*118.3e Damage dealt to an object or player by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller to gain that much life, in addition to the damage’s other results.

118.4. Damage is processed in a three-part sequence.
*118.4a First, damage is dealt, as modified by replacement and prevention effects that interact with damage. (See rule 614, “Replacement Effects,” and rule 615, “Prevention Effects.”) Abilities that trigger when damage is dealt trigger now and wait to be put on the stack.
*118.4b Next, damage that’s been dealt is transformed into its results, as modified by replacement effects that interact with those results (such as life loss or counters).
*118.4c Finally, the damage event occurs.

118.5. Damage dealt to a creature or planeswalker doesn’t destroy it. Likewise, the source of that damage doesn’t destroy it. Rather, state-based actions may destroy a creature or planeswalker, or otherwise put it into its owner’s graveyard, due to the results of the damage dealt to that permanent. See rule 704.

118.6. Damage marked on a creature remains until the cleanup step, even if that permanent stops being a creature. If the total damage marked on a creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a permanent is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.11, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).


So let's approach the first question...does damage lower toughness? ANSWER: No...unless the source dealing the damage has Wither (which isn't really a permanent reduction as it relies on -1/-1 counters that can be removed by effects that say so, but I digress...).

See the results of damage dealt to a creature...

*118.3c Damage dealt to a creature by a source with wither causes that many -1/-1 counters to be put on that creature.
*118.3d Damage dealt to a creature by a source without wither causes that much damage to be marked on that creature.

"But that still doesn't answer my question. Does damage marked on a creature count as a toughness reduction?"

Still, no. See CR 118.6...

118.6. Damage marked on a creature remains until the cleanup step, even if that permanent stops being a creature. If the total damage marked on a creature is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed as a state-based action (see rule 704). All damage marked on a permanent is removed when it regenerates (see rule 701.11, “Regenerate”) and during the cleanup step (see rule 514.2).

My question for you is one of logic: If damage reduced a creature's toughness, then why would 118.6 specifically call out damage greater than or equal to a creature's toughness as a state-based destruction if damage is a reduction of toughness (Wither notwithstanding)? So even if you feel the CR doesn't answer your question, by logical deduction I can safely tell you it does not cause toughness reduction (Wither notwithstanding).



So how about our second question...What happens if a creature's toughness is lowered after damage is marked on a creature? ANSWER: ...It depends where its toughness winds up after you lower it.

CR704 defines what a State-Based Action (SBA) is as well as what actions in a game are considered SBAs. Rule 704.5 specifically lays out the SBAs. Specifically, when it concerns itself with how a creature "dies"...

704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. Regeneration can’t replace this event.

704.5g If a creature has toughness greater than 0, and the total damage marked on it is greater than or equal to its toughness, that creature has been dealt lethal damage and is destroyed. Regeneration can replace this event.

So let's say your opponent has a Rampaging Baloths (6 toughness). You're running a R/B deck and have Puncture Blast, Shock, and Puncture Bolt in hand and ready to take out your opponent's Rampaging Baloths. What's the result if you use up all those burn spells?

You cast Puncture Blast first: Puncture Blast deals 3 damage in the form of 3 -1/-1 counters to Rampaging Baloths (0 damage marked, toughness at 3 due to 3 -1/-1 counters). Next, you cast Shock (2 damage marked, toughness still at 3 [damage doesn't cause toughness reduction and Shock doesn't have Wither]). Next, you cast Puncture Bolt (3 damage marked, toughness now at 2 [remember to resolve all of a spell's or abilities before you look at how SBAs affect the board, since SBAs only check the results after the resolution of each spell/ability]). Now that Rampaging Baloth's damage is greater than the toughness (3 [damage] > 2 [toughness]), Rampaging Baloths is destroyed as a SBA. If the Baloths had "Regenerate" somehow (through a certain similarly-named Aura maybe) you could use it since going to the graveyard this way is destruction and not "put into the graveyard."

No matter the variation, it'll always end up the same: you can only reduce its toughness to 2 (3 from Puncture Blast, 1 from Puncture Bolt), and you'll do 3 damage, making the game go "Okay...creature with more than 0 toughness and has damage greater than it toughness...destroy it!"


Now let's say we've got Rampaging Baloths in battle with Boggart Ram-Gang (3/3 with Wither) equipped with Bonesplitter (making it a 5/3). You already Puncture Blasted their Rampaging Baloths, so now it's a 5-toughness creature with 1 damage marked.

Battle goes on without any interruptions, and Boggart-Ram Gang puts 5 -1/-1 counters on Rampaging Baloths. What's the result?

"Well, Rampaging Baloths has 1 damage on it and 0 or less toughness, so...I don't know really. I'd guess it's destroyed because its damage is greater than its toughness."

AND...I'd say you're wrong (but good guess though!).


Rampaging Baloths does have 1 damage on it versus a toughness of 0 (it started with 6, then got 1 -1/-1 counter from Puncture Bolt to put it at 5 toughness, then 5 more -1/-1's to put it at...0!!). So it's true...its toughness is less than the damage marked on it.

BUT... according to Rule 704.5, a creature is destroyed if its toughness is greater than 0 and the marked damage on it is greater than its toughness. If it's 0 or less, it's "put into the graveyard." (And Regeneration doesn't stop "put into the graveyard" effects).


I told ya it'd depend on how things went. :)


I want to clarify rule 118.4, the one that deals with how you deal damage. This rule basically says "Figure out what the final results of damage will be, then do it." Rules 118.4a and 118.4b are the "Figure it out" part, and 118.4c is the "Actually do it" part.



I had more, but I think I just heard a few of my own braincells bursting after this. :p  So I'll let this sink in and do another TMS over the weekend over Level Up specifics and an odd Searing Blaze scenario: If you cast Searing Blaze, your opponent copies it (say, with Wild Ricochet), and the only creature on the battlefield is your opponent's 1/1...is this even legal? Find out Sunday!


Don't forget, we have our Vintage Proxy tournament this weekend! Be sure to join us if you're in the mood for good old-fashioned Vintage play with the ability to use Power 9 without shelling out $600 each.