Can Alesha, Who Smiles at Death resurrect a creature with Defender?
Asked by DanKlaxton 9 years ago
For example, if I have an AEtherflame Wall in my Graveyard, and use Alesha's ability to bring it back, is the Wall's Defender ability ignored, and I can use it to attack (after paying one red mana)?
TheRedMage says... #2
As a general rule - "to attack" in magic speciically means "to be declared as an attacker when the game asks you to declare attackers at the beginning of the declare attacker step of the combat phase".
Attacking restrictions on cards, like "cannot attack" (i.e. defender), "cannot attack alone", "can only attack alone", "must attack every turn unless you control a creature named Advocate of the Beast" and so on are checked when the game prompts you to declare attackers. The game goes:
- "Good day Sir! I would love to know whether you would be interested in declaring some attackers!"
- "Just Mogg Flunkies, please."
- "I am afraid we can't have that, can we?"
- "Mogg Flunkies and Marauding Maulhorn then?"
- "Seems fine to me! Let me just turn those sideways for you, and your damage should be delivered in two to three steps. Have a nice day!"
After that, though, those restrictions are not checked again.
If something is being put on the battlefield attacking, it never actually "attacks" according to this definition - it just appears on the battlefield sideways and pointed at your opponent's dumb face. So all the attacking restrictions of the card are never checked and are thus ignored.
By the same token, if a creature gains an attacking restriction after it's declared as an attacker (let's say I activate the activated ability on my Gelid Shackles that are enchanting your Marauding Maulhorn while it's attacking, or attack you with a face-down creature and then pay it's megamorph cost to reveal a Dirgur Nemesis) it won't do anything.
JWiley129 says... Accepted answer #1
Short Answer, yes.
Long Answer, Alesha puts creatures with power 2 or less into play tapped and attacking. This gets around all the restrictions a creature might have on when it can or cannot attack. In the case of AEtherflame Wall, since it has Defender it cannot attack normally. However you can bring it back into play with Alesha and pay some amount of
to have AEtherflame Wall deal damage.
By the same token, you can attack with Alesha and put Master of Cruelties into play tapped and attacking. :)
April 2, 2015 3:20 p.m.