Sacrifice vs. Destroy
Asked by Riveyn 4 years ago
I’m still working on understanding the language of the cards, so I would like to see if anyone can clarify a question I have. Tamiyo, Collector of Tales has the ability: “Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause you to discard cards or sacrifice permanents” If an opponent plays a card that says “Destroy” instead of “Discard” or “Sacrifice”, would Tamiyo, Collector of Tales be removed to my graveyard? I feel like that’s how the situation would resolve, but I’m still getting used to how the language works.
MindAblaze says... #2
Also, discarding is the specific action of taking a card from your hand and putting it in your graveyard, either as the cost or effect of a spell or ability. It has to specifically say Discard to be considered a discard.
Magic is very particular about the wording used, and in most cases, cards only do exactly what they say.
March 5, 2020 2:35 p.m.
SplendiferousPotato says... #3
I would like to take this moment to point how strong a combination Avacyn, Angel of Hope, Sigarda, Host of Herons, and Privileged Position are when they are on the same battlefield.
But yeah, in general, the five ways to get something off the battlefield are 1) Exile, 2) Destroy 3) Bounce (return to hand), 4) Sacrifice, and 5) Tuck/shuffle effects (shuffle that thing into your library).
Discarding cards is in an entire separate realm - the "Hand Disruption" category. [shivers]
March 5, 2020 2:38 p.m.
Thank you for the breakdown! I’m glad to know I’m understanding the language better.
March 5, 2020 2:54 p.m.
In the future, please use the Rules Q&A section of the forums if you have questions about cards, rules, keywords, or card interactions. That section has some added functionalities, such as the ability to "mark as answer" a post once your question has been resolved. I have gone ahead and moved this for you.
Just so you have them, here are the relevant rules, which are fairly well-written and might prove helpful:
701.16a To sacrifice a permanent, its controller moves it from the battlefield directly to its owner’s graveyard. A player can’t sacrifice something that isn’t a permanent, or something that’s a permanent they don’t control. Sacrificing a permanent doesn’t destroy it, so regeneration or other effects that replace destruction can’t affect this action.
701.7b The only ways a permanent can be destroyed are as a result of an effect that uses the word “destroy” or as a result of the state-based actions that check for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g) or damage from a source with deathtouch (see rule 704.5h). If a permanent is put into its owner’s graveyard for any other reason, it hasn’t been “destroyed.”
701.8a To discard a card, move it from its owner’s hand to that player’s graveyard.
I'd also like to point out that SplendiferousPotato missed another extremely common method of removing something from the battlefield--other state based actions that send cards to the graveyard. For example, a creature with 0 toughness is not destroyed or sacrificed (say someone used Toxic Deluge), it simply is sent to the graveyard--such a creature would not be saved by indestructible, regeneration, or anti-sacrifice effects. The legend rule is another SBA that is neither a sacrifice nor destruction.
I mention that because the fact that 0 toughness and the legend rule neither destroy nor sacrifice is something that trips up newer players.
March 5, 2020 3 p.m. Edited.
SplendiferousPotato says... #6
Oh damn! I completely forgot about SBA. My bad, y'all. This is especially disappointing, given my love for Toxic Deluge. Thanks for the correction, I really ought to know better at this point lol.
Massacar says... Accepted answer #1
Destroy and Sacrifice are two different keywords, though they may have similar outcomes (sending something to the graveyard) they have different purposes.
Destroying something simply means that thing is removed from play and put into the graveyard. Now something that is indestructible would be immune to this effect.
Sacrificing (AKA Saccing) is similar, but it's where a player either chooses to, or is compelled to by some effect such as Dictate of Erebos, to move a permanent from the field to the graveyard.
It's distinct from destruction partially so that effects such as Regenerate, or anything else that can replace destruction effects, aren't applicable.
To answer your question Tamiyo, Collector of Tales will not protect you from destroy effects. But something like Avacyn, Angel of Hope would.
March 5, 2020 2:23 p.m.