New Way Forward and Lethal?

Asked by spacecoyote1313 1 month ago

Okay I had a pretty intense match 3/game 3.

Scenario: Opponent is at 6 life, I am at 5 life. I have a 4/3 and a 3/2 on board, opponent has nothing. I play a hasty 6/5 and attach for lethal. My opponent plays New Way Forward on the 6/5 attacker, now the damage is prevented and redirected at me upon combat. However, I still have a 4/3 and 3/2 hitting for lethal.

Question: Who wins? Damage happens all at once, would I deal 7 and the 6 would be redirected at me before, same time, or after? I was thinking it was a draw but everyone else softly agreed I won because lethal 7 would happen then the redirected 6. But unsure!

Yesterday says... Accepted answer #1

New Way Forward specifically has a reflexive triggered ability as part of its effect ("when damage is prevented this way ..."). It's a triggered ability that triggers off of the damage being prevented, and it goes on the stack and can be responded to.

You won that game because state based actions would have caused your opponent to lose it before the triggered ability had a chance to resolve.

Conversely, some cards like Deflecting Palm don't use this wording and don't have a trigger. If the opponent had used Deflecting Palm instead, damage to both of you would have happened at the same time and the game would have been a draw.

April 5, 2025 2:25 a.m.