What are the rules for infect in Magic?
Infect is a mechanic in Magic: The Gathering that allows creatures to deal damage to players, instead of dealing combat damage. This mechanic was introduced in the Mirrodin set and has since become a popular way to create innovative and complex card interactions. In this article, we will delve into the rules of infect and explore how it works in Magic.
Infect Basics
Infect is a mechanic that modifies the way damage is dealt to players. When a creature with infect deals damage to a player, it puts a number of -1/-1 counters equal to the damage dealt on the player’s life total. This means that instead of dealing combat damage, infect creatures deal life loss.
How Infect Works
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how infect works:
- A creature with infect deals damage to a player.
- The amount of damage dealt is determined by the creature’s power and the number of times it’s been blocked (if it’s been blocked, the damage is reduced by the blocker’s toughness).
- The damage dealt is converted into -1/-1 counters, which are placed on the player’s life total.
- The player’s life total is reduced by the number of -1/-1 counters placed on it.
Key Points to Remember
Here are some important points to keep in mind when playing with infect:
- Infect doesn’t deal combat damage: Infect creatures don’t deal combat damage, they deal life loss.
- Infect doesn’t care about toughness: Unlike regular combat damage, infect damage is not reduced by toughness.
- Infect can’t be prevented: Infect damage can’t be prevented by cards that normally prevent combat damage, such as cards with the prevent or protect ability.
Infect and Poison Counters
Infect also interacts with poison counters, which are a type of counter that can be placed on players. Here are some key points to keep in mind:
- Poison counters: Infect creatures can place poison counters on players, which reduce their life total by the number of counters placed on them.
- Toxic creatures: Toxic creatures apply a specified number of poison counters, rather than a number of poison counters equal to their power. This means that a toxic creature will always apply a fixed number of poison counters, regardless of the amount of damage it deals.
Infect and Wither
Wither is a mechanic that causes players to lose life. Infect interacts with wither in the following way:
- Infect and Wither: Infect creatures don’t interact with wither, they only deal life loss.
- Lathril: Lathril, a planeswalker, has an ability that causes players to lose life. Infect creatures don’t interact with this ability.
Strategies for Infect
Here are some strategies for playing with infect:
- Infect combo decks: Infect combo decks use infect creatures to quickly eliminate opponents. These decks typically rely on cards that enable the infect creatures to deal damage.
- Control decks: Control decks use infect creatures to gradually wear down opponents. These decks typically rely on cards that enable the infect creatures to deal damage and protect the player’s life total.
- Aggro decks: Aggro decks use infect creatures to deal direct damage to opponents. These decks typically rely on cards that enable the infect creatures to deal damage quickly and efficiently.
Conclusion
Infect is a mechanic that allows creatures to deal damage to players, rather than dealing combat damage. This mechanic is a key part of Magic: The Gathering and is used in many different types of decks. By understanding how infect works, you can create complex and innovative card interactions and become a better player.
Here is a summary of the key points covered in this article:
- Infect Basics: Infect is a mechanic that modifies the way damage is dealt to players.
- How Infect Works: Infect deals life loss to players, rather than combat damage. The amount of damage dealt is determined by the creature’s power and the number of times it’s been blocked.
- Key Points to Remember: Infect doesn’t deal combat damage, infect doesn’t care about toughness, and infect can’t be prevented.
- Infect and Poison Counters: Infect creatures can place poison counters on players, which reduce their life total by the number of counters placed on them.
- Infect and Wither: Infect creatures don’t interact with wither, they only deal life loss.
- Strategies for Infect: Infect combo decks, control decks, and aggro decks all use infect creatures to deal damage to opponents.
I hope this article has been helpful in understanding the rules of infect in Magic: The Gathering. Happy gaming!