Magic the gathering lifelink rules

Lifelink is an ability keyword in Magic: The Gathering. With lifelink, any damage your creature does gives you life! In this article, I look at what lifelink does in MTG with magic the gathering lifelink rules and examples, the best lifelink cards, lifelink decks, and how to play against lifelink.

Lifelink is an ability that both old and new MTG players love to use. Lifelink is a static evergreen ability that mainly creature cards get in MTG. However, there are instances where you, as a player, can link the ability to yourself. In essence, it says that any source that would deal damage will give life back to its controller equal to the amount of damage dealt. This article will cover all the rules regarding Lifelink and precisely how it works. Want to know how it works when a creature attacks or blocks?

Magic the gathering lifelink rules

The mechanic, which is automatic and does not get added to the stack, is primarily used on White and Black cards. Any time that creature deals damage, you gain life for however much damage it dealt. If your creature has two power and you attack with it, you gain two life. This effect will happen whether the creature is dealing damage to a player, planeswalker, or creature. It does not matter if that creature is attacking, blocking, or affected by a spell that causes it to do damage. That means this effect is not exclusive to combat damage. Here are a couple of the weird situations you might find yourself in with Lifelink accompanied by their ruling. As a static ability, life gain from Lifelink happens at the same time as combat damage. Their life total effectively becomes X minus damage dealt plus life gained all at once. Lifelink persists regardless of where a creature might be when they deal damage. If there is a niche card or ability that has a creature dealing damage from your hand, library, or graveyard, that damage dealt will still result in life gain. Some cards have triggered abilities based on instances of life gain. While lifelink all happens at the same time, if you have multiple different creatures with lifelink, each individual creature causes a separate instance of life gain. Skip to content Category: MTG. How does Lifelink work in Magic: The Gathering?

This meant that its life gain if caused by combat, would arrive too late to prevent the player from losing the game due to combat damage from the same combat. Not only that, I now gain 4 life, as my creature has lifelink. This will go apply to any case where a creature with Lifelink is blocking.

Lifelink is a keyword ability introduced in Future Sight. Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source's controller to gain that much life. Future Sight hinted at a lot of things from Magic's potential future on its futureshifted cards. For lifelink, that future was the very next set released, Tenth Edition. Before the rules changes in Magic , lifelink was a triggered ability , and it used the stack along with combat damage. This meant that its life gain if caused by combat, would arrive too late to prevent the player from losing the game due to combat damage from the same combat.

Griselbrand Illustration by Igor Kieryluk. Life is an important resource in Magic. Time and time again, the use of life totals has broken MTG. But what if you could replenish that resource? What if you could get back your diminished life? Lifegain becomes less and less important outside of aggro matchups. It's pretty self-explanatory: Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.

Magic the gathering lifelink rules

Lifelink is an ability that both old and new MTG players love to use. Lifelink is a static evergreen ability that mainly creature cards get in MTG. However, there are instances where you, as a player, can link the ability to yourself. In essence, it says that any source that would deal damage will give life back to its controller equal to the amount of damage dealt.

Where to watch till death do us part

Lifelink persists regardless of where a creature might be when they deal damage. For example, suppose an opposing player attacks with a creature or many creatures with Lifelink, but you play Hindervines. This is the strength of Vault of the Archangel. Magic The Gathering is a complex game, and a lot of this complexity comes from how old it is — I'm sure we've all heard somebody mention that they own a Reserved List card and wondered what that Lifelink Keyword Abilities. Lifelink is another great and unique ability that creature cards have in MTG. Exclusive email updates! If your creature has two power and you attack with it, you gain two life. You, the player, would then get 6 life back. Now Felidar Sovereign deals 4 damage to Jaya, which destroys it. Continue Reading. Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths introduced lifelink counters. Marie Douglas says:.

Matt Bassil. Published: Jun 6, Lifelink is a keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering that lets you gain life equal to the damage your creatures deal.

Neither white nor black has many creatures with abilities that deal targeted damage. A life of learning: How to play MTG. Usually, this is an Aura or Enchantment, but certain cards of types can give lifelink. Future Sight hinted at a lot of things from Magic's potential future on its futureshifted cards. Although your opponent will still gain life, their creature will also die. These cards are found in many starter decks and are a great way to get into MTG as well. Category: MTG. Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life. Matt Bassil Published: Jun 6, Your email is only used for updates and email-based ad targetting. Wizards of the Coast. For example, if you attacked with two Solitudes, each would have Lifelink. In the example above, we discussed how a player would still gain life whether their card had attacked a player or another creature.