Redirection effect

A redirection effect is a kind of replacement effect that causes damage that would be dealt to one creature, planeswalker, or player to be dealt instead to another creature, planeswalker, or player. They are usually not prevention effects, but serve a similar purpose.

Description

Some older cards were printed with the term “redirect” to indicate a redirection effect. Such cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they explicitly state that damage that would be dealt to one object or player is dealt “instead” to another.

R&D has scaled back on doing damage redirection, but it's primary in white. Similar to prevention effects, partial redirection has been removed from design since Harm's Way in Magic 2010, while total redirection has scarce printings.

Redirection is often limited to one's own permanents (Gideon's Sacrifice), but higher-power effects deflect the damage to an opponent or their permanents (Pariah, Kor Dirge). Damage prevention can also function as redirection by using a triggered ability to deal the prevented damage to a different target (Phyrexian Vindicator).

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Redirection Effect

A kind of replacement effect that causes damage that would be dealt to one creature, planeswalker, or player to be dealt instead to another creature, planeswalker, or player. See rule 614.9.

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 614.9. Some effects replace damage dealt to one battle, creature, planeswalker, or player with the same damage dealt to another battle, creature, planeswalker, or player; such effects are called redirection effects. If one of those permanents is no longer on the battlefield when the damage would be redirected, or is no longer a battle, creature, or planeswalker when the damage would be redirected, the effect does nothing. If damage would be redirected to or from a player who has left the game, the effect does nothing.

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Redirect (Obsolete)

Some older cards were printed with the term “redirect” to indicate a redirection effect. Such cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference so they explicitly state that damage that would be dealt to one object or player is dealt “instead” to another. See Redirection Effect.

See also

• Spell redirection