can an attacking creature still deal damage if it got exiled prior to the damage step of the attack phase?
Asked by franyelly 11 years ago
A couple of friends and I were playing commander deck. I got Venser, the Sojourner's emblem in play during my turn. Then, one of my friends decides to attack me during his turn. I saw that if the damage went through I would have lost the game. Therefore, as a result I play an instant during his attack phase. This enabled me to trigger the ability of the emblem. This allow me to exile that attacking creature prior the damage step of the attack phase. I think the damage never take place because I removed the creature before it got to the damage step, but my friend claims that even if the creature got removed during the combat step, the damage still gets to be dealt. Who is right in this situation? Quoting some rulings will help lot.
Epochalyptik says... #2
Please link all cards in your question.
Venser, the Sojourner
You are correct. Combat damage is only dealt in the combat damage step, and only by creatures that are still in combat. If you remove a creature from combat prior to the combat damage step, then it won't be around to deal combat damage.
November 21, 2013 1:32 a.m.
Roguebolt0 says... #3
also aside it sounds as though what your friend may have hadin mind was that since they were declared attacking that the damage was sort of "queued up" so to speak.
I hope that doesn't sound too confusing.
November 21, 2013 1:49 a.m.
parasitian says... #4
He might of based his idea around the original mtg rulings in which damage is put on the stack. I apologize if I am wrong on this but based on my knowledge if he didn't hear about the rules update he would be correct based on the old rulings depending on when you exiled the creature.
November 21, 2013 2:06 a.m.
Thanks a lot guys. You have helped me clear this misunderstanding. Also, I apologize for my bad grammar.
November 21, 2013 2:27 a.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #6
@parasitian: Sort of, but not really. Under the previous rules where combat damage was put onto the stack, that still only happened during the combat damage step. If the creature was removed from combat before that step started then it wouldn't be able to assign any damage.
smash10101 says... Accepted answer #1
You are correct. Combat damage is not dealt until the combat damage step. An exiled creature does not exist to deal combat damage.
From MTG Salvation wiki, because they summarize it nicely:
The combat phase is the third phase in a turn, and has five steps in this order:
If no creatures are declared as attackers, the declare blockers step and combat damage step are skipped. If any attacking or blocking creatures has first strike or double strike, there are two combat damage steps.
A creature is removed from combat if:
When a creature is removed from combat it stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature.
If a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking do not remove the creature from combat.
November 21, 2013 1:29 a.m.