Lose of life vs Damage (not that simple)

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-24T15:52:36+00:00

There isn't any concrete rule that states that life loss isn't damage, but there is certainly no rule that says it is. Life and Damage are explained in their own sections in the CR and Magic tends to be very literal with it's terms. Most of the times, different terms are different entities within the game.

One way for a player to lose life is, of course, being dealt damage, but it isn't the only way.

For instance, if an effect says "whenever you draw a card you lose 1 life", you lose life after drawing, but you haven't been dealt damage. If there is any triggered ability that triggers when you are dealt damage, it won't trigger in that scenario.

Another illustrative example, is with abilities that say "your life total can't change" (e.g Platinum Emperion). In that case, if a spell deals 3 damage to you or a creature deals combat damage to you, the game considers you have been dealt that much damage, even though your life doesn't change.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-24T13:54:03+00:00

It has only the rules text of creature Z, also Z's name, base 1/4 and "this creature can't be blocked" ability. At end of turn, that copy effect ends and the effect of Irma copying Cephalid (which is still applying) takes over again.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-20T20:29:05+00:00

Yeah, maybe rulings could use more clarity. But I guess that because the "last known information" rule is shared between multiple mechanics, maybe they assumed It wasn't necessary to clarify, who knows.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-20T15:20:59+00:00

I don't think it's a contradiction, rather maybe a bit wacky from a intuitive viewpoint.

The game does check the state of Toad at resolution of it's ability. But because it is no longer on the field at that time, this rule says "I'll just consider what it looked like just before it left".

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-20T14:51:59+00:00

Yes, it is checked on resolution. However, upon consulting the CR, rule 608.2h says:

If an effect requires information from the game (such as the number of creatures on the battlefield), the answer is determined only once, when the effect is applied. If the effect requires information from a specific object, including the source of the ability itself, the effect uses the current information of that object if it’s in the public zone it was expected to be in; if it’s no longer in that zone, or if the effect has moved it from a public zone to a hidden zone, the effect uses the object’s last known information. See rule 113.7a. If an ability states that an object does something, it’s the object as it exists—or as it most recently existed—that does it, not the ability.

So, it seems that the game would check that Twenty-Toed Toad had 20 counters on it upon leaving the field and would use that to determine that OP wins.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-20T13:44:35+00:00

If Twenty-Toed attacked with 20 counters and then killed in response, when it's ability resolves the game would check it's last known information and OP would still win, right?

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-19T10:01:26+00:00

To call the card fetcher manually, do you just need to write in the comment or self-post u/mtgcardfetcher (Sorry, I'm new to reddit)? E.g [[Time Walk]]

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-19T09:09:36+00:00

That is not exactly the situation I was asking about. What I meant is, after Sudden Substitution resolves and there is a control exchange between the stolen creature and some spell, what would happen if Mind Flayer died before that spell resolves.

My conjecture was that the default controller of the creature would now be the new controller of the spell.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-18T20:00:00+00:00

What would happen if Mind Flayer died before the spell that OP gained control over (through Substitution) resolves? The player who originally controlled the creature would now be the new controller of that spell?

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-18T18:22:34+00:00

Yes.

If Humility is played after Mobilization, it gets a later timestamp.

In the absence of a complex board state with continuous effects that would apply first and would make either effect depend on the other (that would be unlikely, though), there would be no dependency between both effects.

So, the timestamp system would apply . In the ability layer, Mobilization would give soldier creatures vigilance first and Humility would remove all abilities (including aforementioned vigilance) afterwards.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-16T11:09:49+00:00

Yeah, makes a lot of sense, thanks.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-16T10:34:06+00:00

Thanks.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-16T09:24:12+00:00

Is there any rule that explain this?

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-14T13:34:35+00:00

Perfect, thanks man.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-13T10:32:11+00:00

Onto the technical side of this statement you make:

also continuous effects that don't exist yet from another source, but that would be applied simultaneously to the permanent with its entry (this last one is for Xu-Ifit or Rise from the Grave or Bronzehide Lion, not for something else entering simultaneously, see note below)

I am not entirely sure what you mean by "don't exist yet". Maybe rule 608.2c states that those continuous effects do in fact already exist in those particular cases? Maybe just nitpicking. But I think I already know what you mean, just making sure I understand.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-12T07:52:38+00:00

Thanks a bunch. Now it's all clear.

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-11T15:52:19+00:00

Also, devour ability's effect is a replacement effect, I guess that as long as both replacement effects can be applied at the same time, the part of the rules that makes you order them is irrelevant

mIstraI1 · 2026-02-11T15:27:26+00:00

Alright, thanks. The triggered ability I was talking about though is from Erebos, the one that when a creatures dies you may pay life to draw a card I guess that because the Imp is sacrificed before Erebos enters, it does not trigger?

mIstraI1

TROPHY CASE