C - Combat Rules
C.1 - The Combat Phase
- C.1.1 - The combat phase is divided into five steps: [CompRules 1999/04/23]
1. Beginning of Combat
2. Declare Attackers
3. Declare Blockers
4. Combat Damage
5. End of Combat
- C.1.2 - All creatures involved in the attack move through all the steps
at the same time. In other words, you do not move one attacker through
the steps, and then go back and move a different attacker through.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.1.3 - A creature is only considered an "attacking creature" during steps
2 through 5, or "blocking creature" during steps 3 through 5.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.1.4 - A creature is removed from combat if it stops being a creature.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.1.5 - A creature is removed from combat if its controller changes or if
it leaves play. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.1.6 - A creature is removed from the combat if it regenerates.
[CompRules 1999/04/23] Note that it actually has to have its destruction
prevented by a regeneration effect, not simply have a regeneration effect
played on it in order to get removed. See Rule G.29.
- C.1.7 - Once a creature is declared as an attacker or blocker, tapping or
untapping the creature will not remove it from combat or prevent it from
dealing combat damage. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.1.8 - The term "combat damage" applies only to damage dealt in step 4
due to combat. Spells and abilities which do damage during the combat
phase are not considered "combat damage". [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.1.Ruling.1 - A creature which is removed from combat stops being an
attacking or blocking creature. It does not untap. If removed prior to
step 4, it will not deal or receive combat damage during step 4.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.1.Ruling.2 - If combat damage is redirected, it is still "combat damage".
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.1.Ruling.3 - The combat phase can be mapped in a longer form like this:
1. Triggers on "beginning of combat", then chance for instants.
2. Declare attackers.
3. Triggers on attack declaration, then chance for instants.
4. Declare blockers.
5. Triggers on block declaration, then chance for instants.
6. Assign combat damage (but don't deal it yet)
7. Chance for instants.
8. Deal combat damage.
9. Triggers on damage being dealt, then chance for instants.
10. Triggers on "end of combat", then chance for instants.
Creatures killed or removed from combat before step 6 don't deal or
receive damage. Ones killed, that leave play, or that stop being
creatures during step 7 still deal damage but will not receive it. Ones
removed from combat (but still in play and are still creatures) during
step 7 both deal and receive damage. [D'Angelo 2000/06/20]
C.2 - Step 1: Beginning of Combat
- C.2.1 - After triggered abilities which trigger on beginning of combat are
added to the stack, the current player receives priority to play spells
and abilities. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
C.3 - Step 2: Declare Attackers
- C.3.1 - At the start of this step, the current player declares any creatures
he or she wants to attack with this turn. If no attackers are declared,
the game skips the rest of this step, all of steps 3 and 4, and goes
directly to the End of Combat step (see Rule C.6). This is called a "null
attack". If a legal attack is declared, first place any triggered
abilities which triggered on the attack declaration on the stack, then the
current player receives priority to play spells and abilities.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.2 - You declare an opponent (not any of your opponent's creatures) to
attack. You cannot attack yourself or your own creatures.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.3.3 - Only creatures the current player controls can attack. Creatures
which are tapped or of creature type Wall cannot attack.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.4 - Creatures which the current player did not control continuously
since the beginning of the turn cannot attack. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
See Rule G.37.
- C.3.5 - Declaration of attackers is simultaneous, not sequential, and it
does not go on the stack. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.6 - Tapping the creature is not considered a cost to attack. This
does take place, however, just before any attack costs would be paid.
[CompRules 2002/02/20 - 308.2]
- C.3.7 - An attack declaration may have additional costs associated with it.
If these costs include a mana payment, then the current player may play
mana abilities in order to make the payment. [CompRules 1999/04/23] For
example, Propaganda imposes a mana payment on declaring attackers.
- C.3.8 - A creature becomes an attacking creature during the
declaration (just after the attack is determined to be valid) and remains
an attacking creature until removed from combat or until the end of the
phase. [CompRules 1999/04/23] [bethmo 1999/10/05]
- C.3.9 - If there are creatures that must attack, the attack declaration is
illegal if any subset of the creatures that were required to attack but
were left out could have been added to the set of attackers.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.2]
- C.3.Ruling.1 - Players are not allowed to declare an illegal attack. If a
player announces a creature which cannot attack, or some combination of
creatures which is not legal, or if a player cannot pay any costs
associated with the attack, then that attack declaration is ignored and
the player gets a chance to try again. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.2]
- C.3.Ruling.2 - Effects can prevent a creature from attacking. For example,
Island Sanctuary. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.1]
- C.3.Ruling.3 - Creatures which have the ability to not tap when attacking,
must still be untapped during this step in order to be declared as an
attacker. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.Ruling.4 - Creatures with a zero power can still attack.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.3.Ruling.5 - You only check if the creature is allowed to attack (such as
can only attack if opponent has Islands) during this step. If any attack
enablers are removed or attack inhibitors are introduced later, it does
not make a difference. The creature is still attacking.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.Ruling.6 - You are not required to maximize the number of attackers or
to attack with all "must attack" creatures if those creatures are unable
to attack given the choice of attackers you make. So, you can attack with
a single creature with Errantry and leave other creatures behind. But
if you have an Orcish Conscripts that is required to attack and at
least two other creatures attack, it is illegal for the Conscripts to not
be included. [WotC Rules Team 1997/08/05]
- C.3.Ruling.7 - If you have two creatures with "This creature can't attack
unless another creature attacks", then you can declare both of them and
have them meet each other's requirement. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.3.Ruling.8 - An ability which involves "attacking alone" or "blocking
alone" refers to having the creature be the only attacker or only blocker.
For example, Reckless Ogre reads "Whenever Reckless Ogre attacks alone,
it gets +3/+0 until end of turn." and the ability triggers when it is the
only attacker. [WotC Rules Team 2000/01/11]
- Note - Banding of attackers must be declared at the same time attackers are
declared and cannot be changed later. See Rule A.7.3.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Note - Players do get a chance to play spells and abilities during this
step after attackers are declared. This is an ideal time for the
defending player to eliminate any attackers they do not want to deal with,
using Incinerate for example. It is also a good time to enhance
blockers with spells like Jump so they can be used for blocking.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Creatures which are destroyed are removed from the combat even if
they are regenerated. See Rule C.1.6. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
C.4 - Step 3: Declare Blockers
- C.4.1 - At the start of this step, the defending player declares any
creatures he or she wants to block with this turn. If a legal set of
blockers is declared, first place any triggered abilities which triggered
on the blocking declaration on the stack, then the current player receives
priority to play spells and abilities. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.2 - For each blocking creature, the defending player chooses which
one attacking creature it will block. Any number of blocking creatures
can be assigned to block the same attacker. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.3 - Only untapped creatures the defending player controls can be
declared as blockers. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.4 - Declaration of blockers is simultaneous, not sequential, and it
does not go on the stack. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.5 - A blocking declaration may have costs associated with it. If these
costs include a mana payment, then the defending player may play mana
abilities in order to make the payment. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.6 - A creature becomes a blocking creature during the declaration and
remains a blocking creature until removed from combat or until the end
of the phase. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.7 - An attacking creature which is blocked by one or more creatures
becomes a blocked creature during the declaration and remains a blocked
creature until removed from combat or until the end of the phase.
[CompRules 1999/04/23] Similarly, an attacking creature which does not
have any blockers assigned to it becomes "not blocked" in the same way.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.8 - Once an attacking creature becomes blocked, it cannot be unblocked.
Removing all of the creatures blocking it will still not unblock it, and
it still will not damage the defending player. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.9 - If there are creatures that must block, the blocking declaration is
illegal if any subset of the creatures that were required to block but
were left out can be added to the set of blockers.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.3]
- C.4.10 - If a creature is required to block more creatures than it can
legally block, then the defender chooses which creature(s) to block, but
must choose to block as many as possible. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.4.11 - If a blocker legally blocks one creature in a band of attackers, it
is considered to block all members of that band, even if it could not
legally block some or all of the other creatures in the band.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.4.Ruling.1 - Players are not allowed to declare an illegal block. If a
player announces a creature which cannot block, or some combination of
creatures which is not legal, or if a player cannot pay any costs
associated with the block, then that blocking declaration is ignored and
the player gets a chance to try again. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.3]
- C.4.Ruling.2 - Blocking does not cause the creature to tap.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.4.Ruling.3 - You don't have to block with any creatures if you don't want
to. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.4.Ruling.4 - Effects can prevent a creature from blocking. For example,
Pacifism. [CompRules 2001/07/23 - 500.1]
- C.4.Ruling.5 - You only check if the creature is allowed to block (such as
a Flying creature can block an attacking Flying creature) during this
step. If any attack enablers are removed or attack inhibitors are
introduced later, it does not make a difference. The creature is still
blocking. [CompRules 1999/04/23] For example, giving an attacking
creature Flying after a non-Flying creature blocks it will not change
anything. The attacker and blocker will still deal damage to each other.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.4.Ruling.6 - To legally block, a creature must get around all of the
attacking creature's evasion abilities (see Rule A.13). For example, a
Flying creature with Fear can only be blocked if the blocking creature
has Flying (to satisfy the Flying evasion ability) and if it is Black
and/or Artifact (to satisfy the Fear evasion ability).
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.4.Ruling.7 - There is no restriction about controlling the creature since
the start of your most recent turn on declaring blockers like there is
on declaring attackers. You can use any untapped creature you have.
[D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.4.Ruling.8 - You are not required to maximize the number of blockers or
to block with all "must block" creatures if those creatures are unable
to block given the choice of blockers you make.
[WotC Rules Team 1997/08/05]
- C.4.Ruling.9 - As per Rule C.4.6, once a creature is a "blocking creature",
it remains one. Even removing the attackers it blocked from combat will
not change this status. So if a spell or ability affects "blocking
creatures" the creature will be affected. If the spell or ability asks
if the creature is "blocking a creature", however, the answer is "no".
To put this in plainer language, asking if a creature is a "blocking
creature" means the same as "is involved in the combat on the defending
player's side" while "blocking a creature" is a specific question about
how it is involved. [D'Angelo 2002/02/23]
- Note - Banding of blockers is not declared at this time. In fact, you never
declare banding while blocking. See Rule A.7.11. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- Note - Players do get a chance to play spells and abilities during this
step after blockers are declared. This is an ideal time for the attacking
player to enhance their attackers, using Howl from Beyond for example.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Creatures which are destroyed are removed from the combat even if
they are regenerated. See Rule C.1.6.
C.5 - Step 4: Combat Damage
- C.5.1 - The active player announces how each attacking creature will deal
its damage. Then the defending player announces how each blocking
creature will deal its damage. This is the assigning of combat damage.
These announcements go on the stack as a single entry. Then the active
player receives priority to play spells and abilities. When the
announcements resolve, the damage is actually dealt to the creatures.
[CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.2 - Each attacking creature and each blocking creature assigns combat
damage equal to its power. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.3 - An unblocked creature assigns its combat damage to the defending
player. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.4 - A blocked creature assigns its combat damage, divided as its
controller chooses, to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are
currently blocking it (which can happen if all of its blockers were
removed from combat), then it assigns no combat damage (unless it has
Trample, see Rule A.32.3). [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.5 - A blocking creature assigns its combat damage, divided as its
controller chooses, to the creatures it is blocking. If it is not
blocking any creatures (which can happen if all of them were removed from
combat), then it assigns no combat damage. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.6 - When combat damage resolves, the amount of damage and the division
of that damage among creatures is dealt as originally assigned. This
happens even if the creature dealing damage is no longer in play or if its
power has changed. If a creature that was supposed to receive damage is
no longer in play, then the damage that was to be dealt to it is not
dealt to anything. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.7 - Combat damage comes from the creature as the creature exists when
the combat damage resolves. If the creature already left play, then the
game remembers the creature's characteristics at the time it left play.
[CompRules 1999/04/23] This rule means that if the creature was blue when
damage was assigned, but is black when the combat damage is resolved, then
the damage is considered to be black damage, not blue.
[D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.5.8 - Assigning combat damage isn't a spell or ability, so it cannot be
countered. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.5.9 - If an attacking or blocking creature has First Strike, then there
are two Combat Damage steps. In the first one, only creatures with
First Strike assign and deal damage. In the second one, any attacking
or blocking creatures which did not assign damage in the first step do so.
Creatures which are destroyed in the first step are removed from combat
before the second step, so they do not get to deal damage.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.2b] If a creature gains or loses first strike
between the steps, this change will be ignored. The check for whether or
not a creature has first strike is only performed once and determines
if the creature deals damage in the first or second damage step.
[CompRules 2001/07/23 - 502.2c]
- C.5.10 - The damage sharing ability of Banding reverses the normal rule for
who decides how to divide damage. If there is one or more blockers for a
given attacker, and one of those blockers has Banding, then the defending
player decides how the attacking creature's damage is divided among the
blockers. If there is one or more attackers blocked by a single blocker,
and at least one of the attacking creatures has Banding, then the
attacking player decides how to divide the blocking creature's damage
among the attacking creatures. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- C.5.Ruling.1 - Each attacking creature deals damage separately (even if it
attacked in a band, see Rule A.7.3). Each blocking creature deals damage
separately (even if it is blocking with a banding creature, see
Rule A.7.11). [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.5.Ruling.2 - When assigning damage among multiple blockers, you can
assign it in any way you choose, with all damage going to one blocker,
or any division of damage among the blockers, as long as each point of
damage is assigned somewhere. You can assign more damage to a creature
than that creature's toughness. [D'Angelo 1998/08/04]
- C.5.Ruling.3 - If there is just one blocker and it has banding, the
defending player still decides how damage is divided. This can be
important if the attacking creature has Trample (see Rule A.32), or if a
creature like Thorn Elemental is involved. [DeLaney 2000/01/13]
- Note - There used to be a rule that if a blocking creature was tapped at
the time when it would assign damage, then it would assign no combat
damage. This rule no longer exists. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - A blocked Trample creature which has no blocker to assign damage to
instead assigns damage to the defending player as if it were unblocked.
See Rule A.32.2. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
C.6 - Step 5: End of Combat
- C.6.1 - All "at end of combat" abilities trigger and are placed on the
stack, then the current player receives priority to play spells and
abilities. [CompRules 1999/04/23]
- C.6.Ruling.1 - If a creature is removed from the combat but is still in
play, all "at end of combat" abilities that would affect that creature
will still happen. [D'Angelo 1999/05/01]
- Note - Remember to check for mana burn at the end of this step because it
is the end of the phase. See Rule P.4.2.
C.7 - Must Attack or Block
- C.7.1 - If it is illegal to attack or block with the creature, then the
"must attack" or "must block" can be ignored since it cannot be followed.
See Rule C.3 to see what makes a creature unable to attack, and Rule C.4
to see what makes a creature unable to block. [D'Angelo 1998/02/03]
- C.7.2 - If there is a cost to declare the attacker, the fact that it would
be required to attack if possible does not require you to pay the cost in
order to allow it to attack. For example, you don't have to pay the
Brainwash cost on a Juggernaut. If you do pay the cost, it must
attack, but if you do not, it does not. This is true even if the
enablement cost is zero, as with Dark Maze. [D'Angelo 1997/10/13]
- C.7.3 - A creature that must attack on a turn, must only attack once that
turn. It is not forced into every attack on that turn.
[Duelist Magazine #17, Page 48, 1997/06/01]
- C.7.4 - If you have any creatures that must attack, then you must declare
an attack. [D'Angelo 2002/03/16]
- C.7.Ruling.1 - You are not forced to maximize the number of "must attack"
(or block) creatures that you can declare. [WotC Rules Team 1997/08/05]