During the combat phase of a two-player game, the active player is the attacking player and the opponent is the defending player. If a creature is attacking a planeswalker and that planeswalker leaves the battlefield (or stops being a planeswalker) before the combat damage step, that creature won't deal combat damage. The damage dealt as a result of the triggered ability isn't combat damage. Combat damage is dealt by attacking and blocking creatures during the combat damage step. /b/ And even though they can be attacked, planeswalkers are never considered players./b/

http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/tcg/resources/rules/MagicCompRules_20121001.txt

306.7. If noncombat damage would be dealt to a player by a source controlled by an opponent, that opponent may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker the first player controls instead. This is a redirection effect (see rule 614.9) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see rule 616). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied.

614.9. Some effects replace damage dealt to one creature, planeswalker, or player with the same damage dealt to another creature, planeswalker, or player; such effects are called redirection effects. If either creature or planeswalker is no longer on the battlefield when the damage would be redirected, or is no longer a creature or planeswalker when the damage would be redirected, the effect does nothing. If damage would be redirected to or from a player who has left the game, the effect does nothing.

And this means, yes, one could redirect damage from Hellrider to a Planeswalker.

Appreciate the clarification aeonstoremyliver, much obliged :)

Love this build. I've got one similar and have been toying with the idea of trying to work in Curse of Stalked Prey . What are your thoughts. And ya I would say Appetite for Brains would be the best way of dealing with Sigarda, Host of Herons +1 from me

I'd run 4x Brimstone Volley and 2x Tragic Slip , the ability to finish of an opponent will more often than not be more valuable than tragic slip's ability to remove creatures, I'm attempting to build a similar sort of deck suicide jund also you are somewhat lacking sac outlets? aristocrat is pretty much your only one as far as i can see?

@stormkirkjb87 good call on Appetite for Brains , I'll throw a couple in my SB. Thanks!

@salfiert56 I do run 2 Killing Wave s as well, but I could use more. I was thinking card:Altar's Reap. Thoughts?

Slitherhead is an absolutely garbage card. There are much better 1-drops you could be playing instead, e.g. Rakdos Cackler .

ways to deal with Sigarda: Tribute to Hunger , Killing Wave , Mutilate .....

scratch that. Mutilate works anyway

-3 slither

-2 killing wave

-2 decay

-2 killing wave

-2 reap

-3 slip

-2 loleth

+4 Diregraf Ghoul

+4 Rakdos Cackler

+4 Rancor

+4 Pillar of Flame

Why does everyone hate on Slitherhead he's lol trolls best friend.

So is Gravecrawler , but he's actually good

But if you notice he is running both Slitherhead and Gravecrawler so it's like the 3 amigos. The way I see it i t works amazingly well.

maybe card:Ghoulcaller's Chant to get even more use out of Lol Troll's buddies

Naw, see the Slitherhead is like that kid at school is a year or two younger than you and the Gravecrawler but always really wants to hang out with you guys because he thinks you're super cool. Obviously, you guys are the raddest of the rad, but this kid won't leave you alone. It get's to be borderline-stalker creepy. He always just pops up at the worst times, like when you're about to get in your car to bounce from school and he's like, "Where are you guys going? Can I come too?" and you and the Crawler just feel bad for the kid so you tell him where you're going and invite him along. You didn't want to be a dick, but now you're sitting in the drive-thru line of In-N-Out wanting to kill yourself because the Slitherhead is just ranting about how cool his pet turtle is and all the cool shit it can do, but no one really cares. You don't even have the heart to tell him that his pet turtle has been dead for years. You finally take him home and drop him off, not just before he says "You guys are the two best friends I've ever had," with a tear in his eye. He leaves and you look at the Crawler and say, "We gotta take care of this." The next day at school this kid is following you guys everywhere: from the library to class and then even into the restroom while you drop a deuce. You and the Crawler put up with this for a couple of weeks and then invite him to go hang out with you guys at an old abandoned warehouse of I-5. You take him out there and get him in to the deepest part of the warehouse where he turns around to see you holding a pistol to his face. He starts crying and through the tears asks, "...Why? I thought we were best friends..." You stare back blankly into his eyes and respond in a whisper:"Diregraf Ghoul was a better friend than you...and I killed your turtle," and proceed to blow his brains out, which you and the Crawler then feast on. The end.

Like omigod! Best comparison ever!

he's for the Lotleth Troll to feed on cause it gives him 2 counters

Synergy with 1 card. That's a reason to waste 4 spots.

Diregraph goul is not that good and slitherhead helps other creatures as well like for example -against pillar of flame. IMO. So the rakdos cackler and rancor are def good adds to consider as ghoulcallers's chant as well.

Diregraf Ghoul is worthless unless he's in your opening hand. Yea that's just what I want to draw mid-game, a tapped 2/2 with no abilities. At least the Slitherhead can at least chump block immediately and distribute a FREE counter. Its not all about the synergy with one card. If this was a super fast pure aggro deck, I would run Diregraf Ghoul , but this isn't that type of deck. I've had good success with Slitherhead in it so far, so I will continue to run him for now

technically he has synergy with anyone since he can buff anyone you want. Diregraf just derps for a turn and does nothing if you dont lay him first 2 turns

Awesome story Superpack1, but I actually like Slitherhead in this mid-range build.

Haha thanks! I may or may not have been a little drunk when I wrote it, but it was fun. And yeah, in all honesty Slitherhead really isn't that bad