Combat Damage Phase
Asked by TwinStags 4 years ago
I’m struggling with the process of the combat damage phase.
How I currently see it: combat damage is assigned, happens, related triggers, then priority.
What has me confused:
510.2. Second, all combat damage that’s been assigned is dealt simultaneously. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack. No player has the chance to cast spells or activate abilities between the time combat damage is assigned and the time it’s dealt.
MTG: opponent’s turn: Great article for learning turn process.
Can you play pump spells to save your creatures? You shouldn’t be able to because the SBA. When can you play spells/abilities during the combat damage phase? When does damage actually resolve? Doesn’t 510.2 basically say you can’t play spells?
I know I’m misreading things, but I’d like to develop a more solid and clear view of how certain priorities and steps work. If you have any good articles or forums or pictures I’d love it. I’ve googled and searched... but I’m missing some piece
Looks like you also asked for a good breakdown of the Combat Phase. I don't know of any links, but I can provide a simplified breakdown here. Each event will be listed in the order they occur, and I will put in red when the active player gets priority (the time when players will have a chance to past spells)
First: Beginning of Combat Step
- If in multiplayer, you declare who the defending players will be. In single player, this does not do anything.
- The Active Player gets priority.
Second: Declare Attackers Step:
- Active player chooses which creatures will attack and which players/planeswalkers each creature will attack.
- Check to make sure the attacks azre legal.
- Deal with Banding.
- Tap the creatures.
- Pay optional costs.
- On attack abilities trigger.
- The Active Player gets priority.
Third: Declare Blockers Step
- Defending player declares blockers.
- Check to make sure the blocks are legal and pay any costs.
- Attacking player announces what order their creatures will be doing damage (though not actually the assigned damage); then Defending player does the same.
- The Active Player gets priority.
Fourth: Combat Damage Step - There might be two combat damage steps if a creature has First/Double strike (or 3 if in Unset land with Last/Triple strike). These all follow the same order, but only with the associated creatures (i.e. first strike Combat Damage Step = only with first strike or double strike, followed by regular with the non-first strike creatures).
- Players announce the actual assignment of damage (i.e. my 4/4 will deal 1 damage to your blocking 1/1, and 3 to your blocking 2/2).
- All combat damage is dealt simultaneously.
- The Active Player gets priority. (State based actions will check once a player gains priority and those marked with lethal damage will die).
Fifth: End of Combat Step
- The Active Player gets priority. All "End of Combat" triggers go on the stack.
- Once priority is passed, creatures and planeswalkers are removed from combat and you go into the Postcombat Main Phase.
July 15, 2019 5:41 p.m.
Thanks, what you said is what I figured... I guess what really messed me up was the wording in the Wizard’s article:
Combat Damage step: At the beginning of the combat damage step, each player chooses how creatures he or she controls will deal damage. If any of the creatures has first strike, there are two separate combat damage steps. The most significant tactical aspect of your opponent's combat damage step is mostly the same as your own: it is after damage has been assigned but is the last step before it resolves.
Prevention-related: Again, this can include formal damage prevention (Mending Hands), pump (Fortify's +0/+2 option), and bounce (Boomerang). At this point, pump no longer includes the possibility of the death of an attacker. Bounce on an opposing creature will not prevent your creature from dying, but bounce on your own creature will nevertheless result in your opponent's creature's death.
Additionally, you now have motivation to play cards such as Holy Day to prevent damage to yourself.
Sacrifice effects: This is a situation that I overlooked last week that comes up all the time. Once damage is on the stack—pending, whether or not the creatures that were responsible for this damage are around when it resolves—is the key time to sacrifice a creature for a particular ability, if the creature is going to die anyway.
Another detail to remember is that the sacrificed creature is never actually dealt damage. This is sometimes relevant in affecting combat damage-related effects and abilities.
Also, you can’t sac a creature during the combat damage phase if it would die from combat damage? You could sac it beforehand(block phase), but not while damage is being assigned/dealt and/or it would die?
July 15, 2019 6:06 p.m.
You’re looking at outdated information back from a time when combat damage used the stack. That is no longer the case, nor has it been the case since 2010.
You’ll be able to activate an ability that requires a sacrifice during declare blockers, just as you would any other ability. This allows you to sacrifice a creature that would die during the combat damage step. However, since it dies before the combat damage step, it will not be around to deal any damage.
Caerwyn says... #1
You cannot play pump spells to save your creatures during the Combat Damage Step
However, you can play pump spells during the priority phase of the Declare Blockers Step. This occurs after blockers have been assigned, but before damage is dealt, so you have a chance to pump your creatures based on how your opponent blocks.
Damage also does not resolve - it simply occurs when the game tells you to deal combat damage.
July 15, 2019 5:28 p.m. Edited.