Do you get life blocking in Lifelink?
The answer is a resounding yes! Lifelink is a powerful keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that allows a creature to gain life whenever it deals combat damage to a player. But does this ability apply when the creature is blocking? In this article, we’ll explore the intricacies of Lifelink and blocking, and answer this question in full.
What is Lifelink?
Lifelink is a static ability that allows a creature to gain life whenever it deals combat damage to a player. This ability was first introduced in the Mercadian Masques set, and has been a staple of the game ever since. Whenever a creature with Lifelink deals combat damage to a player, its controller gains that much life.
Blocking and Lifelink
When a creature with Lifelink is blocked by one or more creatures, the question arises: do the blocking creatures gain life too? The answer is yes, but only in specific circumstances. According to the official Magic: The Gathering FAQ, if a creature with Lifelink is blocked by exactly one creature, the Lifelink ability still triggers, and the controller gains the expected amount of life. However, if multiple creatures are blocking the Lifelink creature, the ability only triggers once, and the controller only gains life equal to the combat damage dealt by the blocking creature or creatures.
Damage Assignment
When a creature is blocked, the attacking player must declare a damage assignment order for the blocking creatures. This order determines which blocking creature receives damage first, and in what order damage is assigned. The damage assignment order only affects how damage is dealt to the blocking creatures, and does not impact the Lifelink ability.
Lifelink Stacking
In cases where multiple creatures with Lifelink are blocking a single attacker, the Lifelink abilities will not stack. According to the Magic: The Gathering FAQ, "Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant." This means that when two or more creatures with Lifelink are blocking, the ability only triggers once, and the controller only gains life equal to the combat damage dealt by the blocking creatures.
Spirit Link and Lifelink
Spirit Link is a triggered ability that allows a creature to gain life whenever a creature with flying is blocked by another creature. Some players may wonder whether Lifelink and Spirit Link can be combined to gain extra life. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Lifelink is a static ability that triggers on damage dealt, while Spirit Link is a triggered ability that triggers on a specific situation (a creature with flying being blocked). These two abilities are separate and distinct, and cannot be combined.
Conclusion
In conclusion, when a creature with Lifelink is blocking, it will still gain life for its controller, but only if it is blocking a single opponent’s creature. If multiple creatures are blocking, the Lifelink ability will only trigger once, and the controller will only gain life equal to the combat damage dealt by the blocking creatures. Lifelink is a powerful ability that can be used to gain an advantage in many situations, but it is important to understand the rules and nuances of blocking and damage assignment to make the most of it.