phyrexian obliterator and blocking

Asked by erc1017750 13 years ago

if i attack with Phyrexian Obliterator and it is blocked by a 2/2 creature, can the defending player once damage is resolved sac the 2/2 creature as part of the effect of doing damage to the obliterator. It feels like after damage has been dealt the creature should already be gone but I am not positive about the timing of the abilities

BrightGreenLine says... Accepted answer #1

If the 2/2 didn't have first strike, then he cannot sacrifice it to the Obliterator's effect because it would already be dead. Once he declares blockers and damage assignments are done, here's how the game plays out:

1. Runeclaw Bear blocks Phyrexian Obliterator , Obliterator does 5 damage to bear and bear does 2 damage to Obliterator.
2. Phyrexian Obliterator's ability triggers, remembering the 2 damage dealt to it by Runeclaw Bear. It is placed on the stack.
3. Before priority is given to either player, State-Based Actions are checked. The bear has 5 damage marked and only 2 toughness, so it is placed into the graveyard. The Obliterator has 2 damage marked and 5 toughness, so it stays around.
4. Phyrexian Obliterator's ability can now be responded to by both players. It is important to note that even if the Obliterator is killed now, such as with Dismember , the bear's controller will still have to sacrifice 2 permanents. Once players have chosen to respond and all of those spells or abilities are resolved, then the Obliterator trigger resolves and the owner of the dead bear now has to sacrifice 2 other permanents.

Now, if your opponent blocked with something with first strike, like Black Knight , the game would play out a little differently. Instead of dealing damage simultaneously, your opponent would hit your Obliterator first for 2 damage. Then, after the first-strike damage has been dealt out you'd put the Obliterator trigger on the stack, and he would still have a very alive (but soon to be very dead) Black Knight that he could sacrifice to it.

In the example you gave however, your opponent would not be able to sacrifice his 2/2 to the Obliterator because it will have already died in combat.

June 27, 2011 9:13 p.m.

xxxxxxCronoxxxxxx says... #2

short answer no

once damage resolves the creature gose into the graveyard and the ability triggers at the same time when the ability resolves the 2/2 is nolonger in the battlefield to sac

you couldnt even do that in the old combat rules

but if something would trigger the ability before the 2/2 took normal damage he could then sac the creature before it took 5 damage from the obliterator

June 27, 2011 9:35 p.m.