Can you goto negative life, or do you just drop to 0?
Asked by firerunner36 11 years ago
For some reason I can't find any good answers for this elsewhere but here's how the situation stands: if you have Platinum Angel and are reduced to less than 0 life do you just goto 0 or do you actually go into the negatives. Also if it does drop you to negatives would Beacon of Immortality put you further negative?
Fyi, most questions can be answered by looking at the gatherer entry for the card(s) in question.
November 20, 2013 5:18 a.m.
firerunner36 says... #3
Thnx for the info, my phone was not cooperating, it kept taking me to the wrong pages.
November 20, 2013 6:24 a.m.
Yes, you can, but Phyrexian Unlife doesn't let you. Just to be clear, it gives all damage done to you infect, so instead of taking more damage, you start getting poison counters.
While you can go down to negative life, it rarely matters, unless you have one of the few cards out (Platinum Angel , Phyrexian Unlife , Lich ) that prevent you from losing the game when you go to 0 or less.
November 20, 2013 8:08 a.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #5
Phyrexian Unlife actually has errata pointing out that if the damage that puts you at zero or lower puts you at negatives, you stay at negatives but remain in the game. Its ability to change damage into poison counters doesn't work until you're at zero or less. So if you were at 5 life, then hit for 10, you'd go to -5 and further hits would give poison counters.
November 20, 2013 11:45 a.m.
StoutPuppet6 says... #6
The thing about negative life i have to ask...
Can you be less than dead?
And question...
can you use Sphinx's Revelation to IN RESPONSE to being at 0 life...gain life to set your total to however much mana you put into revelation?
February 23, 2014 1:52 p.m.
StoutPuppet6 says... #7
Just checked the mtg wiki and you lose the game by being at 0 or less life so yes you can go to less than 0!
February 23, 2014 1:54 p.m.
nobu_the_bard says... #8
If you are at zero or less life, you will lose the game the next time states are checked (which will happen before you get priority). You should start a new Q&A for additional questions.
JWiley129 says... Accepted answer #1
Cards like Phyrexian Unlife do allow you to go to negative life, so yes you can have negative life. And according to Gatherer, Beacon of Immortality will double a negative life total. So if you're at -5, you will go to -10, and so on.
November 20, 2013 5:09 a.m.