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benevolent unicorn vs persistent artifact
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Ohioguy
May 14, 2013, 3:10:42 PM5/14/13
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I have a few artifacts in my deck like Onyx Goblet, which when you
tap, cause target player to lose 1 life.
My opponent likes to play creatures like "Benevolent Unicorn", a 1/2
white creature that has "whenever a spell assigns damage to a creature
or player, that damage is reduced by 1".
He says that this decreases any damage, such as damage caused when my
creatures attack, since all creatures in the game are spells. According
to this logic, only lands that can cause damage would not be affected by
the benevolent unicorn.
However, I believe that the artifact, while it was a spell when cast,
is no longer considered a "spell" for the purpose of deciding if the
damage from it can be blocked. I think that the benevolent unicorn's
designer meant for it to block sorcery and instant type direct damage
cards. I also made the argument that the damage I'm causing is an
activated ability, not a spell.
Which of us is right?
tap, cause target player to lose 1 life.
My opponent likes to play creatures like "Benevolent Unicorn", a 1/2
white creature that has "whenever a spell assigns damage to a creature
or player, that damage is reduced by 1".
He says that this decreases any damage, such as damage caused when my
creatures attack, since all creatures in the game are spells. According
to this logic, only lands that can cause damage would not be affected by
the benevolent unicorn.
However, I believe that the artifact, while it was a spell when cast,
is no longer considered a "spell" for the purpose of deciding if the
damage from it can be blocked. I think that the benevolent unicorn's
designer meant for it to block sorcery and instant type direct damage
cards. I also made the argument that the damage I'm causing is an
activated ability, not a spell.
Which of us is right?
David DeLaney
May 14, 2013, 9:05:44 PM5/14/13
to
On 2013-05-14, Ohioguy <no...@none.net> wrote:
> I have a few artifacts in my deck like Onyx Goblet, which when you
> tap, cause target player to lose 1 life.
>
> My opponent likes to play creatures like "Benevolent Unicorn", a 1/2
> white creature that has "whenever a spell assigns damage to a creature
> or player, that damage is reduced by 1".
>
> He says that this decreases any damage,
Before reading ANY further, this is not the case. The Unicorn does what it
> I have a few artifacts in my deck like Onyx Goblet, which when you
> tap, cause target player to lose 1 life.
>
> My opponent likes to play creatures like "Benevolent Unicorn", a 1/2
> white creature that has "whenever a spell assigns damage to a creature
> or player, that damage is reduced by 1".
>
> He says that this decreases any damage,
says it does:
If a spell would deal damage to a creature or player, it deals
that much damage minus 1 to that creature or player instead.
Not "assign", "deal". It does not apply to 'any damage whatsoever'; it only
reduces damage dealt by spells.
In particular, it does nothing at ALL against the loss of life - which is
NOT damage - caused by the ABILITY of an Onyx Goblet to a player. It only
affects damage, not loss of life, and only damage from spells, not from
abilities.
> such as damage caused when my
> creatures attack, since all creatures in the game are spells.
only exist on the stack, after leaving your hand and before they're done
resolving. A creature spell that gets cast will put a creature into play
when it resolves, and USUALLY will not deal any damage to anything at all in
the process. A creature in play is not a spell; using the ability of a
creature (or other card or token) in play is an ability, not a spell; and
attacking with a creature is not a spell. Neither is blocking with a
creature. Benevolent Unicorn is NOWHERE near as handy for your opponent as
he wants to think.
> However, I believe that the artifact, while it was a spell when cast,
> is no longer considered a "spell" for the purpose of deciding if the
> damage from it can be blocked.
spell. But you can't "block" damage. The only blocking in the game is
done by creatures, and only to creatures attacking their controller.
Benevolent Unicorn has nothing to do with blocking; prevention of damage
isn't "blocking". Countering a spell (or ability) isn't "blocking", either.
If you read the rulebook thinking it is you'll get very confused.
> I think that the benevolent unicorn's
> designer meant for it to block sorcery and instant type direct damage
> cards. I also made the argument that the damage I'm causing is an
> activated ability, not a spell.
prevent damage from Enchant/Enchantment spells, Artifact spells, or
Creature spells that actually CAUSE damage on resolving ... but very very
few do, so it's pretty much "all Instants/Sorceries", yep.
> Which of us is right?
The rulebook, and some basic explanation books, are findable online at the
wizards.com website, collected at
http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/Resources.aspx?x=magic/rules
- it sounds like your friend needs the Basic Rulebook at the top of the page,
and then both of you want to go over the Comprehensive Rules. Yes, the latter
is 1.2 MEGAbytes even in a text file, and is sort of boring, but covers
absolutely -everything- you could want to know about Magic. (Part of its
length comes from it having to cover every ability, and every singularly-weird
card, from the last 20 years of expansions and sets...)
Dave
--
\/David DeLaney posting thru EarthLink - "It's not the pot that grows the flower
It's not the clock that slows the hour The definition's plain for anyone to see
Love is all it takes to make a family" - R&P. VISUALIZE HAPPYNET VRbeable<BLINK>
http://panacea.phys.utk.edu/~dbd/ - net.legends FAQ/ I WUV you in all CAPS! --K.
blinking...@gmail.com
Jun 21, 2017, 12:07:46 PM6/21/17
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The unicorn is a mirror with some signal loss.(reflect attack)
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