Battle

Battle
Card Type
Statistics	36 cards 2.8% 11.1% 11.1% 11.1% 13.9% 13.9% 5.6% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 5.6% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% 2.8% as of March of the Machine
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type:"Battle"

Battle is a card type introduced in March of the Machine.

History

Battle was teased before its release in Phyrexia: All Will Be One, when it was listed as a card type on the card Atraxa, Grand Unifier. This teaser was reminiscent of the planeswalker type, which was first hinted at on Tarmogoyf in Future Sight.

There are 36 planes being invaded in March of the Machine, and hence one battle for every plane with a card set in them so far, and plus a few extras. All of them are Sieges in this first iteration. Going forward, Battles are considered to be deciduous.

Description

Battles are double-faced cards that can transform (TDFC's). Battle cards have a unique horizontal card frame with the title bar, type line, and text box positioned in the center of the card. The artwork for battles fills the entire remaining card space, excluding the border. Additionally, a small star icon on the bottom-right side of the text box represents the starting defense of the battle. A standard front-face icon is positioned to the left of the card name.

The front side with landscape art is placed horizontally on the battlefield (the first permanent to do so). Battles can be cast during your main phase, just like creatures, sorceries, and other non-Instant spells.

Each battle enters the battlefield with defense counters on it, equal to its defense, found in the lower right corner of the front face. This tells you how much damage it takes to defeat a battle. Any damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. You win the Battle when Defense = 0, and you get a reward.

Future Battles don’t have to be double-faced.

Subtypes

A battle's subtype provides rules on how it can be attacked. and the award for winning the battle.

• Siege — "As a Siege enters, choose an opponent to protect it. You and others can attack it. When it's defeated, exile it, then cast it transformed."

Rules

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

Battle

A card type. A battle is a permanent. See rule 310, “Battles.”

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

• 310. Battles
  • 310.1. A player who has priority may cast a battle card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a battle as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
  • 310.2. When a battle spell resolves, its controller puts it onto the battlefield under their control.
  • 310.3. Battle subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: “Battle — Siege.” Battle subtypes are also called battle types. See rule 205.3q for the complete list of battle types.
  • 310.4. Defense is a characteristic that battles have.
    • 310.4a The defense of a battle card not on the battlefield is equal to the number printed in its lower right corner.
    • 310.4b A battle has the intrinsic ability “This permanent enters the battlefield with a number of defense counters on it equal to its printed defense number.” This ability creates a replacement effect (see rule 614.1c).
    • 310.4c The defense of a battle on the battlefield is equal to the number of defense counters on it.
  • 310.5. Battles can be attacked. (See rule 508, “Declare Attackers Step.”)
  • 310.6. Damage dealt to a battle results in that many defense counters being removed from it.
  • 310.7. If a battle’s defense is 0 and it isn’t the source of an ability which has triggered but not yet left the stack, it’s put into its owner’s graveyard. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)
  • 310.8. Each battle has a player designated as its protector.
    • 310.8a As a battle enters the battlefield, its controller chooses a player to be its protector. Which players may be chosen as its protector are determined by its battle type (see rule 310.11). If it has no battle types, its controller becomes its protector.
    • 310.8b A battle’s protector can never attack it. A battle can be attacked by any attacking player for whom its protector is a defending player. Notably, a Siege battle can be attacked by its own controller.
    • 310.8c A battle’s protector may block creatures attacking that battle with creatures they control. Creatures controlled by other players can’t block those attackers.
    • 310.8d If a battle’s protector is a different player than its controller, all rules and effects that refer to the “defending player” relative to a battle that is being attacked refer to that battle’s protector rather than its controller. See rule 508.5.
    • 310.8e If a rule or effect refers to the player who protects a battle, it means the player who is that battle’s protector.
    • 310.8f A battle can have only one protector at a time. A battle’s protector stops being its protector if another player becomes its protector.
    • 310.8g A battle’s protector doesn’t change if it stops being a battle or it becomes a copy of another battle.
  • 310.9. A battle can’t be attached to players or permanents, even if it is also an Aura, Equipment, or Fortification. If a battle is somehow attached to a permanent, it becomes unattached. This is a state-based action (see rule 704).
  • 310.10. If a battle that isn’t being attacked has no player designated as its protector, or its protector is a player who can’t be its protector based on its battle type, its controller chooses an appropriate player to be its protector. If no player can be chosen this way, the battle is put into its owner’s graveyard. This is a state-based action (see rule 704).
  • 310.11. All currently existing battles have the subtype Siege. Sieges are subject to special rules.
    • 310.11a As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller must choose its protector from among their opponents. Only an opponent of a Siege’s controller can be its protector.
    • 310.11b Sieges have the intrinsic ability “When the last defense counter is removed from this permanent, exile it, then you may cast it transformed without paying its mana cost.”

Rulings

• Battles are susceptible to more than just combat damage. Some spells and abilities may specifically say that they cause damage to be dealt to battles. Also, any spell or ability that says "any target" can target a battle.
• Battles enter the battlefield untapped.
  • They can be tapped, but they don’t naturally tap. Being tapped doesn’t have any mechanical relevance.
• Battles that are Animated as creatures in addition to being a battle can't attack or block.
  • Battles that become an attacking or blocking creature drop out of combat.
  • Battle creatures that receive damage remove that many defense counters in addition to the damage being marked on the creature.
  • If lethal damage also removes the last defense counter, the battle creature will die before it can be exiled and the back face be cast.

Trivia

• Battles can (mostly) do what the unreleased Structures did, so Mark Rosewater doesn't expect R&D to ever make Structures specifically.
• "Only a battle's protector may block creatures attacking it. Don't confuse protector for Controller. You're going to attack battles that you Control, the first time you've been able to attack your own permanents. Fun!"