What happens if I damage a Rock Hydra with no counters?
Asked by chosenone124 6 years ago
Suppose I have the emblem of Gideon, Ally of Zendikar out and a 0 counter Rock Hydra. My opponent Lightning Bolts my Hydra. Can I prevent the damage?
nothing is stopping you from paying 3 red to prevent the 3 damage. not sure why you felt the need to ask. or why your opponent feels the need to bolt a 1/1 for that matter.
June 4, 2017 8:26 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
I just realized you might be looking at a physical copy of Rock Hydra, which was only ever printed with the extremely old-fashioned and confusing rules text. For weird old cards with weird old text, be sure to check the Oracle text given in its Gatherer entry to see if the rules text has been clarified and updated since the original printing.
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #1
Yes, if you use the activated ability. Not having +1/+1 counters will stop the "for each 1 damage..." ability from doing anything, as it says. However, there's nothing stopping you from activating the ": Prevent the next 1 damage that would be dealt to Rock Hydra this turn" ability.
June 4, 2017 8:20 p.m.