Can you prevent death using Children of Korlis
Asked by Thundagawd 8 years ago
It's an odd way to word the title, I know, but let's say you were to take enough damage to reduce your life total to 0, do you have time to sac Children of Korlis and regain all your health, or do you "lose" the very moment your health hits 0?
I ask because I'm working on Orzhov suicide deck revolving around draining your own life using various cardss like Pain's Reward, Immolating Souleater, etc. retrieving it with cards like Children of Korlis and Tainted Sigil, and then instakilling the opponent with Vizkopa Guildmage or Sanguine Bond, I just want to know how close to ''Death'' I can actually go without actually losing the game.
Should also be noted that any form of paying life requires you have that much life to pay, so attempting to pay the 
for the Immolating Souleater can't be done if you only have one life and no red mana, same for Pain's Reward if you have say 2 life you may only bid 2 life and not 3.
118.4. If a cost or effect allows a player to pay an amount of life greater than 0, the player may do so only if his or her life total is greater than or equal to the amount of the payment. If a player pays life, the payment is subtracted from his or her life total; in other words, the player loses that much life. (Players can always pay 0 life.)
July 12, 2015 6:21 a.m.
Epochalyptik says... #3
Children of Korlis's ability is an activated ability. Remember that spells and activated or triggered abilities that aren't mana abilities use the stack. If you go to 0 life, you'll lose the game as a state-based action before you have a chance to activate, much less resolve, Children of Korlis's ability.
July 12, 2015 12:53 p.m.
Thundagawd says... #4
Awesome, thanks for the answers guys! Just didn't want to screw myself over and then have us all degenerate into arguing over the outcome since none of us know the specifics by heart haha.
July 12, 2015 6:07 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
Angel's Grace might be able to help you, though. Life loss and life payment effects can still take you to 0 (damage can't while Angel's Grace 's effect applies), but you won't lose the game that turn and are free to use other cards to kill your opponents.
This would be good with Pain's Reward , which allows you to bid more life than you have (so you could bid 50 even at 10 life and later use that life change to kill opponents with more life than you). You'd just have to remember to cast Angel's Grace before you start resolving Pain's Reward .
July 12, 2015 6:14 p.m.
Thundagawd says... #6
That's actually a really good idea, I'll have to toss a few of those in the deck in that case. Maybe try to pair it with Near-Death Experience or something, thanks for the suggestion!
DJSeras says... Accepted answer #1
The Rules prevent this
118.6. If a player has 0 or less life, that player loses the game as a state-based action. See rule 704.
Although if said player has a card with an effect such as Lich's Mirror or Platinum Angel in play, those can change the outcome.
July 12, 2015 6:10 a.m.