MtG: FNM standard

= MtG: FNM standard
= Friday, June 5th, 2009

Hrm. Not sure what to think. First time in a while we actually had too few people. Decided to run the tournament anyway as a non-sanctioned event. I got to play my Bant deck (squire beats), and only went 1-2. Scott won (I lost to him first round) with his Reveillark /goblin deck 3-0.

There were two interesting rules issues which popped up. One actually occurred during a game, and I made a ruling, but promised to look it up and let them know since I wasn’t 100% sure, and didn’t communicate clearly on it. The other was a purely hypothetical situation which we’ve been talking about, and someone wanted to know the exact rules pertaining to that situation. So here are the official deals with both.

NAP has 8 life, and a Rhox War Monk in play. AP is attacking with three 4/4 creatures. NAP blocks one. No fast effects are played, so combat damage goes on the stack. No fast effects are played, so damage is resolved. AP would gain priority after any object is removed from the stack, but before he does, SBE are checked. The following occur as SBE (1) Rhox War Monk is put into it’s owner’s graveyard because it’s taken damage equal or more than it’s toughness. (2) NAP loses the game because they have 0 or less life.

SBE are not checked again, nor does Rhox War Monk’s ‘Lifelink’ trigger and go on the stack. The game is already over.

408.1b Spells and activated abilities are played by players (if they choose) using a system of priority, while other kinds of abilities and effects are automatically generated by the game rules. Each time a player would get priority, all applicable state-based effects resolve first as a single event (see rule 420, “State-Based Effects”). Then, if any new state-based effects have been generated, they resolve as a single event. This process repeats until no more applicable state based effects are generated. Then triggered abilities are added to the stack (see rule 410, “Handling Triggered Abilities”). These steps repeat in order until no further state-based effects or triggered abilities are generated. Then the player who would have received priority does so and may play a spell or ability, take a special action

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AP is attacking with a Blitz Hellion (7/7 trample). NAP declares a 4/4 as blocking. AP plays a flame javelin targeting the 4/4.

The 4/4 goes to the graveyard because it took 4 damage from flame javelin. Then combat damage is assigned. Because the blocking creature is no longer present, and the attacking creature has trample, AP can assign all 7 damage to the defending player.

Conversely, AP is attacking with a Blitz Hellion, NAP blocks with a 4/4. Combat damage goes on the stack. AP assigns 4 damage to the blocker, and 3 to NAP. NAP assigns 4 damage from his blocker to the Blitz Hellion. Then, with combat damage still on the stack NAP casts incinerate on the Blitz Hellion.

The Blitz Hellion takes 3 from incinerate. Then it takes 4 more from combat damage. Simultaneously the 4/4 blocker takes 4 from Blitz Hellion, and NAP takes 3. Both creatures are put into their owner’s graveyards.

310.2c A blocked creature will assign combat damage, divided as its controller chooses, to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it will assign no combat damage.

502.9c If an attacking creature with trample is blocked, but there are no creatures blocking it when damage is assigned, all its damage is assigned to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking.