Does Flanking bypass Indestructible?
Asked by TypicalTimmy 2 years ago
So we know if a creature had Indestructible, dealing lethal damage won't kill it. For example, my opponent had a Heliod, God of the Sun and I deal 7 damage to it, combat, non-combat or a mixture, he won't die.
However, a Death Wind for -6/-6 will kill him.
My understanding is that even if you hit him with a Lightning Bolt for 3 damage, as long as that 3 remains marked on him, a Death Wind for -3/-3 will kill him.
Furthermore, DW at -3/-3 and then blocking with a 4/4 will kill him.
If all of this is correct, does Flanking also work? For example, I attack with some 5/5 who happens to have Flanking. Heliod blocks.
Heliod gets -1/-1 until end of turn due to Flanking. Since he doesn't have this ability, he gets the penalty.
He moves from a 5/6 down to a 4/5. Then he is dealt 5 combat damage.
On him, until end of turn, he has 5 combat damage marked and -1/-1 marked.
Therefore, just as with the above examples, he should still die, despite having indestructible, correct?
DragonWolf is correct. Marking damage on something and reducing its toughness are different things. Lethal damage destroys a creature, as do explicit effects like Murder. A creature with 0 toughness isn't destroyed; it just dies, the same as if it had been sacrificed.
Indestructible prevents a creature from being destroyed, so as long as its toughness is still more than 0 it will survive regardless of damage.
If you want to remove an indestructible creature, your options are to reduce it to 0 toughness (i.e. Death Wind, Soul-Scar Mage), force a sacrifice (i.e. Tribute to Hunger), exile removal (Sever the Bloodline), or removing the indestructibility first (Bonds of Mortality, Turn to Frog).
DragonWolf420 says... Accepted answer #1
704.5f If a creature has toughness 0 or less, it's put into its owner's graveyard. Regeneration can't replace this event.
a creature with 3 toughness that's dealt 3 damage with lightning bolt, is not the same as a creature with 0 toughness, so i'm afraid your initial assumption is incorrect. damage doesn't reduce toughness.
February 16, 2022 3:10 a.m.