Does Lifelink Work When Blocking?
A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding Lifelink and Blocking
Lifelink is a popular mechanic in Magic: The Gathering that allows players to gain life when a creature with lifelink deals damage. But have you ever wondered if lifelink works when blocking? In this article, we’ll dive deep into the world of lifelink and blocking, and explore the answers to this question.
Yes, Lifelink Does Work When Blocking
To understand how lifelink works when blocking, we need to first understand what lifelink is and how it functions. Lifelink is a creature ability that allows a creature to gain life whenever it deals damage to a creature or player. This includes combat damage, which is dealt when a creature attacks an opponent, as well as non-combat damage, which is dealt by a creature’s abilities or spells.
How Blocking Works
Blocking is the process of using a creature to absorb damage dealt to an opponent. When a creature blocks, it puts itself in the way of the attacking creature and prevents the damage from being dealt to the opponent. However, the blocking creature does not gain life when it blocks, as the lifelink ability only works when a creature deals damage, not when it is dealt damage.
Why Lifelink Works When Blocking
So, why does lifelink work when blocking? The reason is that lifelink is a trigger ability that is activated when a creature deals damage, not when it is dealt damage. When a creature blocks, it is absorbing the damage and preventing it from being dealt to the opponent. However, the blocking creature is still dealing damage to the opponent, which means that the lifelink ability is triggered and the player gains life.
Key Points to Remember
- Lifelink works when a creature deals damage, not when it is dealt damage.
- When a creature blocks, it absorbs the damage and prevents it from being dealt to the opponent.
- Despite being blocked, a creature with lifelink can still gain life if it deals damage to the opponent.
- Lifelink does not work when a creature is dealt damage by an opponent’s spell or ability.
Example Scenario
Let’s consider an example scenario to illustrate how lifelink works when blocking. Suppose we have a creature with lifelink, "Angel of Mercy", that has 3 power and 2 toughness. We’re in the middle of a battle and our opponent’s "Demon of Deceit" is attacking us. We decide to block with "Angel of Mercy".
The combat damage from "Demon of Deceit" is dealt to "Angel of Mercy", and because it’s blocking, "Angel of Mercy" is absorbing the damage and preventing it from being dealt to us. However, since "Angel of Mercy" is dealing damage to our opponent, its lifelink ability is triggered and we gain 3 life.
Conclusion
In conclusion, lifelink does work when blocking, as long as the creature with lifelink deals damage to the opponent. This can be an incredibly powerful strategy in certain situations, allowing players to gain life and gain an advantage over their opponents. By understanding how lifelink works when blocking, you can make more informed decisions during your games and come out on top.