Yep, can't attack and can't block are both basically short for can't be declared as an attacker and can't be declared as a blocker. This is basically the same reason why Alesha lets you have an attacking Wall of Wood without removing Defender.

Similarly a Phantom Warrior can still become blocked by means of Curtain of Light.

Just played some EDH for the first time in a while, and my lack of playing has left me rusty with some of the finer rules interactions. I'd like to run a couple things past y'all.

1) If I am at 2 life and being attacked by two Grizzly Bears with no blockers, will my Intervention Pact let me live?

2) I know that I can use an instant to respond to the triggers off of a Manabarbs, but if i tap my lands to pay for the spell after announcing it, will the barbs hit me before the spell resolves?

3) Does copying a Relentless Assault with Twincast grant two additional combat phases, or are they redundant?

Thanks for the help!

yes, the pact is a replacement effect, so you gain life as the damage is being dealt. you never drop to 0.

yes, if you trigger an ability while casting a spell, it goes on the stack at the next available interval, which is once the spell is fully declared.

you get two.

Be careful about how you use those two extra combat phases, though, since your creatures will get untapped twice before the first extra combat phase, and not at all before the second extra combat phase.

Thanks you two, especially for that warning about the untapping. Not a lot of vigilance in my deck.

Minor note: The life is actually gained immediately after the damage is prevented, not at the exact same time. You're still right, because state-based actions aren't checked until after both the damage and the lifegain have happened and someone's about to gain priority, but there is a point where his life total hits 0, however briefly.

The difference doesn't matter here--it almost never will--but I figured I'd mention it in passing just in case.

huh, good to know.

you say "almost never will". out of curiosity, is there a corner case where it might?



PS: never mind, angel's grace. right?

That wasn't the one I was thinking of--mine was way more complicated and way less likely to occur--but yes, that's one.

Wait, doesn't prevention mean the damage isn't dealt in the first place? How would his life total drop to 0?

two bears

Oh, Intervention Pact only prevents one source. Ok then.

If I reveal Zendikar Incarnate with Nissa's Revelation, will I draw cards equal to the number of lands I control? Does the ability work in all zones?

Yes, characteristic defining abilities function in all zones.

My thanks.

I control Psychogenic Probe. My opponent casts Mind's Desire with a storm count of 9. That player has 5 cards in his or her library. How much damage does that player takes from my Probe?

assuming they somehow don't win partway through the MD resolution...

701.16f If an effect causes a player to shuffle a library containing zero or one cards, abilities that trigger when a library is shuffled will still trigger.

So I have a question about Flameshadow Conjuring. If the tokens die before they are exiled, will it trigger Shadows of the Past? I'm 99.84% certain it will but I just want confirmation. Thanks.

Yes.

Yes, it is. Almost everything else that uses "before" is defining a casting/activating restriction (Master Warcraft), setting up an ante rider, or using it in reminder text only. The only other exceptions I can find are Backup Plan and cards like Quenchable Fire and Drain Life. And a few Un-cards, but those don't really count.

Can you take something with Willbreaker using Throwing Knife (on an attacking creature) WITHOUT sacrificing the knife? This is an argument on MTGS.