Trample and Ghostly Possession
Asked by WorkAround 13 years ago
- Does trample go over the creature if I have any creature and "Ghostly Possession" on it?
- I have "Gostly Possession" equiped to "Darksteel Myr" does trample go over?
I would like a rule number if you can.
WorkAround says... #2
But with Ghostly Possession it provents all damage. Meaning there was none done in the first point. So I don't think it can go over for the damage was not lethal damage it was no damage?
If I'm wrong could someone could explain what happens a little better?
November 13, 2011 2:23 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #3
mozerdozer is right. Damage assignment doesn't take into account effects that would change the amount of damage dealt. If Grizzly Bears enchanted with Ghostly Possession blocks a War Mammoth , the attacking player can assign 2 damage to the Bears and 1 damage to the defending player. Then when damage is dealt immediately after that, Possession prevents the damage to the Bears and the defending player takes the 1 damage he was assigned.
November 13, 2011 2:59 p.m.
Trample takes into account all damage that has been dealt previously in the turn, and all damage that would be dealt at the same time (from other creatures in combat), but it does not "see" into the future to know that damage will be prevented.
Remember, the full text for Trample reads "If this creature would ASSIGN enough damage..."
"Assigning" damage can be thought of as "trying" to deal damage, and "dealing" damage is actually dealing damage. Therefore, calculations based on damage ASSIGNMENT will ignore any prevention effects that will be applied to the damage.
mozerdozer says... Accepted answer #1
702.18b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures thats being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage thats actually dealt. The attacking creatures controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case cant assign any damage to the player or planeswalker its attacking.
"but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage thats actually dealt"
Hence, Trample ignores Ghostly Possession and Indestructibility completely.
November 13, 2011 11:40 a.m.