Protection regarding Global Effects

Asked by TehGrief 6 years ago

Among the group that I play with, we have encountered a troubling question which none of us can agree on an answer for.

The situation is as follows:

• With Absolute Law active on the battlefield, its effect reads "All creatures have protection from red.".

And if we read the rulings:

• " 702.16e. Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented."

We can assume all damage from red sources is prevented. So no target damage can be applied from spells or abilities.

In this situation; if we were to apply a global effect, such as an attacking Lord of Shatterskull Pass or casting Blasphemous Act where no targets are applied, does this bypass the protection ruling for preventing damage from red sources?

The reason we are curious is because the ruling makes it appear that it would simply sponge the damage. Though, effects like Wrath of God bypass "protection from white".

Ideas?

Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1

The damage from Lord of Shatterskull Pass and Blasphemous Act will be prevented.

The key thing to understand is that the rules of the game and the text on each card are meant to be read and applied literally. Protection from N does 4 things, which can be remembered as D.E.B.T.:

• All Damage from N sources gets prevented
• The object can't be Enchanted/Equipped by N auras and equipment
• If it's a creature, the object can't be Blocked by N creatures
• The object can't be Targeted by N spells or abilities from N sources

Protection stops Lord of Shatterskull Pass and Blasphemous act because the rules say protection prevents damage, and those cards say they deal damage. Protection doesn't do anything to defend against Wrath of God, etc. because Wrath doesn't do anything that protection can stop.

August 3, 2017 10:21 a.m.

Neotrup says... #2

It is worth noting that Red does have a decent answer to this. Red has access to effects like Leyline of Punishment and Flaring Pain which, while it doesn't remove protection, it does stop the damage prevention portion of protection so that effects like Blasphemous Act can get through.

August 3, 2017 11:29 a.m.

Epochalyptik says... #3

Note that the rules are worded very particularly. 702.16e makes no mention of "target" anything. It has nothing to do with targeted effects. Rather, it simply states that any damage that would be dealt by sources of the stated quality to a protected object is prevented.

August 3, 2017 11:44 a.m.