Does Protection Prevent Trample Damage?
Protection is a crucial keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that can save a creature from harm. But what happens when a creature with protection is attacked by a trampling creature? Does protection prevent trample damage? In this article, we’ll dive into the details of protection and trample to answer this question.
What is Protection?
Protection is an evergreen keyword ability that prevents a permanent or player from being the target of spells or abilities played by opponents. This means that if a creature with protection is attacked, it can’t be targeted by the attacking player’s spells or abilities.
What is Trample?
Trample is a keyword ability that allows a creature to deal excess damage to the defending player or planeswalker when it attacks. When a creature with trample attacks, it assigns its combat damage to the defending player or planeswalker, and if the defending player or planeswalker has a creature or planeswalker with a power or toughness greater than or equal to the attacking creature’s power, the excess damage is dealt to the defending player or planeswalker.
Does Protection Prevent Trample Damage?
Now, let’s get to the main question: does protection prevent trample damage? The answer is no, protection does not prevent trample damage. When a creature with trample attacks a creature with protection, the attacking player still has to assign enough damage to the protected creature to make it lethal. The excess damage, if any, is dealt to the defending player or planeswalker.
Here’s an example:
- A 5/5 black creature with trample attacks a 3/3 white creature with protection from black.
- The attacking player assigns 3 damage to the protected creature, making it lethal.
- The excess 2 damage is dealt to the defending player.
How Does Trample Work with Protection?
When a creature with trample attacks a creature with protection, the attacking player has to assign enough damage to the protected creature to make it lethal. The excess damage, if any, is dealt to the defending player or planeswalker. This means that protection doesn’t prevent the trampling creature from dealing excess damage, it just prevents the trampling creature from targeting the protected creature with its trample damage.
Example Scenarios
Here are some example scenarios to illustrate how trample works with protection:
| Scenario | Trampling Creature | Protected Creature | Damage Assigned | Excess Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5/5 black | 3/3 white with protection | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 5/5 black | 2/2 white with protection | 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 4/4 red | 3/3 blue with protection | 3 | 1 |
In each scenario, the trampling creature assigns enough damage to the protected creature to make it lethal, and the excess damage is dealt to the defending player or planeswalker.
Conclusion
In conclusion, protection does not prevent trample damage. When a creature with trample attacks a creature with protection, the attacking player still has to assign enough damage to the protected creature to make it lethal. The excess damage, if any, is dealt to the defending player or planeswalker. Understanding how trample works with protection can help you make informed decisions during gameplay and improve your overall Magic: The Gathering strategy.