When a Planeswalker Enters the Battlefield?
As Magic: The Gathering enthusiasts, we are familiar with the concept of Planeswalkers. These legendary creatures are considered as unique entities, having their own abilities, and rules regarding their interaction with other elements in the game. So, when a Planeswalker enters the battlefield, what happens?
Intrinsic Ability and Loyalty Counters
Before Entering the Battlefield: A Planeswalker is a permanent that is brought into play as a sorcery. As a player, you have the opportunity to cast your Planeswalker at any time when you could cast a sorcery. This includes main phases, not combat, and not before combat phases.
Initial State: When a Planeswalker enters the battlefield, it comes with its own loyalty counters, as printed on the card. These counters are used to determine whether the Planeswalker will remain on the battlefield or be sent to the graveyard.
Rules Regarding Abilities: Planeswalkers have their own unique abilities, which can be used during the game. These abilities are activated whenever the Planeswalker attacks or is blocked, when it becomes tapped, when it is an enchanted permanents, and during an opponent’s untap step.
Unique Interaction with Creatures and Lands: Planeswalkers are not creatures and don’t have toughness or power. They do not produce mana, but can tap to add loyalty counters.
Combat and Blocking: If a Planeswalker would deal combat damage to an opponent, and the Planeswalker’s toughness would be reduced to zero, it is still destroyed only if it’s in response to a damage-trading spell. Any excess damage would not apply to the Planeswalker.
Permanent Interactions: Planeswalkers can be used as target for spells, abilities, and effects that target creatures. They also can be blocked as though it were a creature, however, this only affects the blocking creatures, not the Planeswalker itself.
Planeswalker Combat: Unlike creatures, a planeswalker is a separate entity from its controller, and can only be tapped by its controller. When a Planeswalker attacks, its controller assigns it to the defending opponent, and its toughness remains unchanged.
Redirection and Damage: Gut shot cards can target an opponent to redirect damage, not the Planeswalker specifically. Additionally, Combat damage hits the Planeswalker and not the opponent, and can’t be prevented.
Key Reminders:
- Planeswalkers can be cast at any time, except during combat phases or before combat phases.
- Planeswalkers start with loyalty counters and come into play tapped.
- Planeswalkers do not produce mana and don’t have toughness or power.
- Planeswalkers can’t be targeted by spells that target only creatures.
- Gut shot cards can’t target the Planeswalker, and combat damage directly affects it.
Table of Contents
- What Happens When a Planeswalker Enters the Battlefield?
- Initial State of a Planeswalker
- Rules Regarding Planeswalker Abilities
- Interactions with Creatures and Lands
- Combat and Blocking
- Permanent Interactions
- Gut Shot Cards and Planeswalkers
By following these guidelines, you can better understand how Planeswalkers function when entering the battlefield, and interact with other game elements in a more precise and efficient manner.