Indestructible???
Asked by roinujo1 9 years ago
So lets say I have a 5/5, regular, generic creature and the opponent has a 3/3, indestructible creature. This creature has already been the target of a Lightning Strike , but hasn't been destroyed because it has indestructible. You attack and he blocks with the 3/3. Does the 3/3 get destroyed? Does any damage go through to the opponent?
hyperlocke says... #2
702.12b A permanent with indestructible cant be destroyed. Such permanents arent destroyed by lethal damage, and they ignore the state-based action that checks for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g).
Though it is dealt lethal damage, it isn't destroyed. Unless the attacking creature has trample, it blocks the whole damage. If it blocks a trampling creature, combat damage is handled like with any non-indestructible creature (in this case, it blocks 3 of the incoming damage).
June 26, 2014 6:28 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
Any damage dealt to a creature stays marked on it until the end of the current turn, and as the others have said, being indestructible means that having lethal marked damage won't destroy the creature.
Your blocking question gets very interesting if the 5/5 attacker gets trample. For damage assignment, "lethal damage" also takes into account how much damage a creature currently has marked on it. If a 5/5 with trample gets blocked by a 3/3 indestructible who already has 3 marked damage, then the attacking player can choose to assign all 5 damage to the defending player. Without trample, things happen as normal (all damage gets assigned to the blocker).
June 26, 2014 7:24 p.m.
hyperlocke says... #4
@Rhadamanthus: Huh, didn't consider that at all... that's really interesting.
billpasdmf says... Accepted answer #1
Two things can cause a creature to be destroyed.
It takes lethal damage.. Which is to say enough damage that is equal to or greater than the creatures toughness.
Any card that says "destroy" on it, in reference to creatures. Eg Terror or Wrath of God .
Both of these cases are stopped by the 'indestructible ability. It doesn't matter how many times you attempt to destroy a creature in a single turn, it will not work as long as the creature is indestructible.
In your example. Lightning Strike deals lethal damage to the 3/3, which does not kill it. It blocks the 5/5; which also deals lethal damage and does not kill it.
No damage would go through to the opponent, unless the 5/5 has trample. In cases of trample, it deals lethal damage and then moves onto the opponent. Lethal damage doesn't mean that it kills it, it just means an amount that would normally kill it, if it didn't have indestructible or protection from that creature. So, 3 damage to the creature and then 2 to the opponent.
June 26, 2014 6:25 p.m.