Goaded creatures may attack Planeswalkers?
Asked by dnthymamai 1 year ago
Hello friends. Could you please provide me with an answer as to whether a Goaded creature can attack Planeswalkers or not?
Say you have Firkraag, Cunning Instigator, and you goad a creature an opponent controls. Can that opponent choose to attack with his goaded creature another opponent's Planeswalker?
(Years ago, you would attack a player and then redirect the damage to their Planeswalker, but now, as of 2022, Planeswalkers are permanents that can be attack directly, correct? That's why Propaganda and Ghostly Prison won't "protect" your Planeswalkers)
Here are two links that say two TOTALLY DIFFERENT things:
- https://mtg.fandom.com/wiki/Goad
"A goaded creature has to attack a player (not a planeswalker) other than you if it can"
- https://draftsim.com/mtg-goad/
"A goaded creature must attack a player but you can decide to attack that player directly or a planeswalker that player controls."
Maybe I don't understand something and it's my fault. Can someone tell me which is the correct answer?
Thank you very much in advance.
TheVectornaut says... #2
Edit: I looked at some old rules questions, and it looks like my answer is still mostly correct. However, the words "if able" in the rules for goad do allow planeswalkers to become the only valid attack options in the rare circumstance that all players the goaded creature would normally be forced to attack are not able to be attacked (via an effect like Blazing Archon's).
August 15, 2022 1:24 p.m.
dnthymamai says... #3
Thank you TheVectornaut. I too believe the things you cited are correct. If no other answer comes I'll follow the simple rule of 'reading the card explains the card' when Goad text printed on cards says "Until your next turn, that creature attacks each combat if able and attacks a PLAYER other than you if able" and close this thread.
Thanks again
August 15, 2022 1:45 p.m.
Related, the "if able" would see effects like Propaganda and no longer think the creature is able [to attack the player]. Of course you can still attack the player if you want by paying the 2, but you would be allowed to attack one of their planeswalkers with a goaded creature.
508.1d The active player checks each creature they control to see whether it’s affected by any requirements (effects that say a creature attacks if able, or that it attacks if some condition is met). If the number of requirements that are being obeyed is fewer than the maximum possible number of requirements that could be obeyed without disobeying any restrictions, the declaration of attackers is illegal. If a creature can’t attack unless a player pays a cost, that player is not required to pay that cost, even if attacking with that creature would increase the number of requirements being obeyed. If a requirement that says a creature attacks if able during a certain turn refers to a turn with multiple combat phases, the creature attacks if able during each declare attackers step in that turn.
TheVectornaut says... Accepted answer #1
As a rule, I would trust the rules wiki over any article, even one written by an experienced player. If goad allowed planeswalkers to be attacked, that fact would likely be mentioned somewhere in the rules of the goad mechanic just like it is in the rules for declaring attackers (508.1b). So unless Wizards has simply worded the goad rules very poorly, you should not be able to choose a planeswalker as the attack target of a goaded creature.
August 15, 2022 1:15 p.m.