Can You Proliferate a Creature with Protection?
Direct Answer
Yes, you can proliferate a creature with protection. When you proliferate, you’re choosing permanents or players who have a counter, then giving each of those targets an additional counter of the same type they already have. Protection does not prevent this.
Key Points
• Protections are types of abilities that shield a permanent or player from certain types of effects, but they don’t specifically target counters.
• Proliferate is an ability that adds an additional counter to a permanent or player who already has a counter.
• Protection doesn’t interfere with proliferate because protection is not an attempt to "target" the counters.
Underlying Rules
According to the Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules, protections are defined as follows:
"A protection from [some effect] means that the object it’s on can’t be affected by the indicated effect."
Meanwhile, proliferate is defined as:
"Whenever a permanent with proliferate is played or ‘cast,’ each permanent with a counter on it gains one additional counter."
It’s clear that the text doesn’t mention "choose" or "target" when describing proliferation. Instead, it uses the term "each permanent" to indicate the subjects of the proliferate effect.
Important Consequence
This distinction is significant because it means that you can use cards like Vorel, the Hull Clade to double counters on a creature with protection. Even if the creature has protection, it still allows you to add counters to it via proliferate.
Case Study
Let’s consider the following example:
- You control a Scavenging Ooze with two +1/+1 counters.
- You play Vorel, the Hull Clade, which doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on Scavenging Ooze.
In this scenario, you are applying the proliferate effect to the Scavenging Ooze, despite its protection. Since the effect doesn’t target or "choose" the creature, protection doesn’t intervene.
Conclusion
To summarize:
- Protection does not prevent proliferation from adding counters to a creature.
- The key difference is that protection only shields against specific types of effects, whereas proliferation is an attempt to add an additional counter.
Useful Cards and Interactions
Here are some additional cards and interactions you can use to take advantage of proliferate on creatures with protection:
• Vorel, the Hull Clade (as discussed above)
• Simic Ascendancy, which allows you to draw a card each time a creature gets +1/+1 counters
• Exploding Kitten, which destroys any creature with a specific type (e.g., -1/-1 counters)
• Crucible of Worlds, which can change the type of counter on a permanent
Keep in mind that this article is based on a specific situation and may not cover every possible interaction or card combination. Always double-check the relevant rules and card texts before playing a game.