Does protection from everything mean unblockable?

Does Protection from Everything Mean Unblockable?

Magic: The Gathering is a game of strategy and intricacies, with rules that govern how cards interact with each other. One of the most powerful abilities in the game is Protection from Everything, which grants a permanent or player immunity from harm. But what exactly does this mean, and how does it affect game strategy?

Direct Answer

No, Protection from Everything does not mean unblockable. While it prevents a permanent or player from being targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by any object, it does not necessarily mean it cannot be blocked. Let’s break down what protection from everything means in detail.

What does Protection from Everything mean?

According to the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, Protection from Everything is a variant of the protection ability that protects a permanent or player from each object regardless of its characteristic values. This means that a permanent or player with protection from everything:

• Cannot be targeted by spells or abilities
• Cannot be dealt damage
• Cannot be enchanted by Auras
• Cannot be equipped by equipment
• Cannot be attacked or blocked

Key Point: Protection from everything does not make a creature or player unblockable.

Protection and Deathtouch

Some players might be tempted to believe that protection from everything would negate the effects of Deathtouch, a creature ability that destroys the defending player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. However, this is not the case. If a creature with protection from everything is attacked by a creature with Deathtouch, the damage is still dealt, and the protection from everything simply prevents the creature from being destroyed or damaged. The protection does not interfere with the effects of Deathtooth, which are separate and independent.

Protection and Indestructible

Similarly, protection from everything does not affect indestructible creatures. Indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed or damaged, regardless of whether they have protection from everything or not. A board wipe that destroys or damages creatures will not affect an indestructible creature with protection from everything. On the other hand, if the board wipe exiles or gives -X/-X to creatures, the indestructible creature may still be affected.

Protection and Board Wipes

A common scenario is a board wipe, which can either destroy, exile, or give -X/-X to all creatures on the battlefield. In this case, if the board wipe is a destroy or damage effect, protection from everything will not stop it from affecting a protected creature. However, if the board wipe exiles or gives -X/-X to creatures, the protection from everything may prevent it from being affected.

Conclusion

In summary, Protection from Everything is a powerful ability that prevents a permanent or player from being targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by any object, but it does not make them unblockable. Creatures with protection from everything can still be blocked by creatures with blocking abilities. It’s essential to understand how protection from everything works and how it interacts with other abilities and effects in Magic: The Gathering to build effective decks and make strategic decisions during gameplay.

Key Takeaways

• Protection from everything does not make a creature or player unblockable.
• Protection from everything prevents targeting, damage, enchantment, and equipment from objects.
• Deathtouch does not negate the effects of protection from everything.
• Indestructible creatures are not affected by protection from everything, even if they are attacked by Deathtooth or boarded wiped.
• Protection from everything may prevent some effects from boarding wiping or giving -X/-X to creatures.

Table: Effects of Protection from Everything

I hope this article provides a comprehensive overview of how Protection from Everything works in Magic: The Gathering. If you have any questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask in the comments!