Does Infect Trigger Lifelink?
Infect and Lifelink are two powerful abilities in Magic: The Gathering that can greatly impact the game. Infect is an ability that allows a creature to deal damage to a player’s life total, while Lifelink is an ability that allows a creature to gain life when it deals damage to a player. But does infect trigger lifelink? In this article, we’ll explore the answer to this question and provide some insight into how these abilities work together.
Direct Answer: Yes, Infect Triggers Lifelink
The answer to this question is a simple yes. Infect triggers lifelink, meaning that when a creature with infect deals damage to a player, the player’s life total will decrease, and the creature’s controller will gain life.
How Infect and Lifelink Work Together
To understand how infect and lifelink work together, it’s important to understand how each ability works separately.
- Infect: Infect is an ability that allows a creature to deal damage to a player’s life total. When a creature with infect deals damage to a player, the player’s life total will decrease by the amount of damage dealt.
- Lifelink: Lifelink is an ability that allows a creature to gain life when it deals damage to a player. When a creature with lifelink deals damage to a player, the creature’s controller will gain life equal to the amount of damage dealt.
When a creature with both infect and lifelink deals damage to a player, the infect ability will cause the player’s life total to decrease, and the lifelink ability will cause the creature’s controller to gain life. This means that the creature’s controller will gain life equal to the amount of damage dealt, and the player’s life total will decrease by the same amount.
Examples
Here are a few examples to illustrate how infect and lifelink work together:
- Example 1: A creature with infect and lifelink deals 3 damage to a player. The player’s life total will decrease by 3, and the creature’s controller will gain 3 life.
- Example 2: A creature with infect and lifelink deals 2 damage to a player, and then deals an additional 1 damage to itself. The player’s life total will decrease by 2, and the creature’s controller will gain 2 life.
Consequences of Infect Triggering Lifelink
When infect triggers lifelink, it can have significant consequences for the game. Here are a few things to consider:
- Life Gain: When a creature with infect and lifelink deals damage to a player, the creature’s controller will gain life. This can be a significant advantage, especially in games where life totals are low.
- Player’s Life Total: When a creature with infect and lifelink deals damage to a player, the player’s life total will decrease. This can put the player at a disadvantage, especially if they are already low on life.
- Game State: When infect triggers lifelink, it can significantly alter the game state. For example, if a player is at 1 life and a creature with infect and lifelink deals 1 damage to them, the player will die, and the game will end.
Conclusion
In conclusion, infect triggers lifelink, meaning that when a creature with infect deals damage to a player, the player’s life total will decrease, and the creature’s controller will gain life. This ability can have significant consequences for the game, and players should be aware of how it works to make informed decisions during gameplay.