Does Trample Work on Creatures with Protection?
Trample is a popular mechanic in Magic: The Gathering that allows creatures to assign excess damage to the opponent’s life total, rather than being blocked by another creature. However, a common question that arises is whether trample works on creatures with protection. In this article, we will explore the rules and examples that govern this mechanic, providing a comprehensive answer to the question.
First Off, What is Trample?
Trample is a mechanic that allows creatures to deal excess damage to the opponent’s life total, rather than being blocked by another creature. This means that if a creature with trample attacks, and the opponent has a creature with toughness greater than or equal to the attack value of the trampling creature, the opponent’s creature will be assigned damage equal to its toughness, and the remaining damage will be assigned to the opponent’s life total.
Does Trample Work on Creatures with Protection?
The answer is yes. Trample will work on creatures with protection. Protection is a mechanism that allows a creature to avoid damage from certain sources, but it does not prevent trample from occurring.
Here’s an example:
Suppose a player controls a 5/5 green creature with trample, and their opponent blocks it with a 3/3 creature with protection from green. The 5/5 creature’s toughness is 5, and it deals 2 damage to the opponent’s life total. The opponent’s creature with protection can only block 3 damage, and the remaining 2 damage is assigned to the opponent’s life total.
How Does Trample Work with Protection?
Trample works in a way that’s independent of protection. When a creature with trample attacks, it always deals damage equal to its toughness to the blocking creature, regardless of whether that creature has protection. This means that the protection only affects the blocking creature, and the excess damage assigned to the opponent’s life total is unaffected.
What About Shields?
Shields are a special type of protection that only work against combat damage. This means that shields do not affect trample. Trample is a mechanic that deals damage directly to the opponent’s life total, so shields do not come into play.
Here’s an example:
Suppose a player controls a 5/5 white creature with trample, and their opponent blocks it with a 3/3 creature with a shield. The 5/5 creature’s toughness is 5, and it deals 2 damage to the opponent’s life total. The opponent’s creature with a shield can’t block any damage, but the 5/5 creature still deals 2 damage to the opponent’s life total, unaffected by the shield.
Conclusion
In conclusion, trample works on creatures with protection. Protection only affects the blocking creature, and trample always deals damage to the opponent’s life total, regardless of whether the blocking creature has protection or not. Shields do not affect trample, and trample is a powerful mechanic that can be a game-changer in the right circumstances.
Table: Trample and Protection
| Creature with Trample | Blocking Creature | Protection? | Shields? | Trample Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/5 green | 3/3 green | Yes | No | 2 damage to opponent’s life total |
| 5/5 white | 3/3 white | No | Yes | 2 damage to opponent’s life total |
| 5/5 blue | 3/3 blue | Yes | Yes | 2 damage to opponent’s life total |
In this table, we see that trample works on creatures with protection, but protection does not affect trample. Shields do not affect trample, but trample can still deal damage to the opponent’s life total.
Summary
To summarize, trample works on creatures with protection. Protection only affects the blocking creature, and trample always deals damage to the opponent’s life total. Shields do not affect trample, and trample is a powerful mechanic that can be a game-changer in the right circumstances.