Gideon, Guardian of Justice
Asked by shifterfox 12 years ago
So..He's a 2ww planeswalker who grows in loyalty counters quickly and needs 15 counters to trigger his bomb ultimate move.
As a planeswalker, he enters with 4 counters, then can increase his counters rapidly as a planeswalker. Planeswalkers perish, by means of sacrificing, when they have 0 loyalty counters on them as a state-based action.
His second ability, for 0, turns him into an Indestructible x/x creature, where x is equal to the number of loyalty counters on him.
He can get big...fast...and cheap.
Now, my question revolves around damage. Indestructible does not give protection from damage, nore does it prevent damage, nore regenerate damage. Damage still occurs, it just cannot become lethal damage resulting in the card's destruction.
Indestructible creatures can be destroyed by negetive effects turning their toughness to 0. They can be bounced back to hand/deck. They can be exiled. They can also be sacrificed to be put into the graveyard.
As an indestructible creature, if you were to deal damage to him, say with Searing Spear , would this also result in the removing of that many loyalty counters, not only making him weaker, but possibly allowing the chance to bypass his "indestructible" ability altogether simply due to 0 loyalty counters requiring him to be sacrificed? Or does he no longer get considered a planeswalker, despite being a permanent with loyalty counters on him while a creature, preventing the loss of those counters through damage of any kind? If the loyalty counters can be reduced through damage, he'd either be sacrificed via planeswalker rules or the 0 toughness rule if he hits 0 loyalty.
So...would damage reduce his loyalty counters while he is a creature?
Rhadamanthus says... Accepted answer #2
Part of the 0 ability of Gideon, Guardian of Justice specifically says "He's still a planeswalker". As long as he's a planeswalker, all the rules about planeswalkers will apply to him. Damage will cause him to lose loyalty counters, and he will be put into the graveyard if he drops to 0 loyalty.
However, the only way to deal him damage while he's a creature would be on the back of Skullcrack or something similar, as part of the 0 ability also says "Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn".
January 8, 2013 12:16 a.m.
If you read the rest of his ability it clearly states that you prevent all the damage done to him until the end of the turn.
0: Until end of turn, Gideon becomes an indestructible Human Soldier creature with power and toughness each equal to the number of loyalty counters on him. He's still a planeswalker. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to him this turn.
Therefor no loyalty counter would be removed from him because of any kind of damage once that ability has resolved.
January 8, 2013 12:19 a.m.
Well I forgot about that card and other cards that say their damage cannot be prevented
January 8, 2013 12:20 a.m.
shifterfox says... #5
ah okay. xD I slipped on the prevent damage bit, but means skullcrack can woop'im woot!
shifterfox says... #1
oh..and yes, I mean by first targeting the player with Searing Spear , then redirecting it to deal the damage.
January 8, 2013 12:12 a.m.