Protection
| Protection | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Static |
| Introduced | Alpha |
| Last used | Magic 2015 |
| Reminder Text | Protection (This can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything (quality).) |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Protection" | |
Protection is a former evergreen keyword ability that grants several different effects to the permanent or player it is affecting.
Description
This ability represented a magical resistance to certain types of magic, often related to color. It was introduced in Alpha [1] and still saw frequent use on cards until Magic Origins. It is found most often in white, but all colors have at least a few cards that grant protection from their enemy colors. With Magic Origins the keyword was demoted from "evergreen" to "deciduous". It's now a tool the toolbox of R&D that they can use, but not in every set. [2]
Rules
The current reminder text for protection reads "This [object] can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, or enchanted by anything [quality]."
The effects of protection are often described using the mnemonic DEBT. The permanent or player with protection can't be:
- Damaged by sources with the given quality (all such damage is prevented)
- Enchanted or equipped by permanents with the given quality
- Blocked by creatures with the given quality (if it's a creature)
- Targeted by spells of the given quality, or abilities with sources of the given quality.
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 702.16. Protection
- 702.16a Protection is a static ability, written “Protection from [quality].” This quality is usually a color (as in “protection from black”) but can be any characteristic value or information. If the quality happens to be a card name, it is treated as such only if the protection ability specifies that the quality is a name. If the quality is a card type, subtype, or supertype, the ability applies to sources that are permanents with that card type, subtype, or supertype and to any sources not on the battlefield that are of that card type, subtype, or supertype. This is an exception to rule 109.2.
- 702.16b A permanent or player with protection can’t be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can’t be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.
- 702.16c A permanent or player with protection can’t be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality. Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. (See rule 704, “State-Based Actions.”)
- 702.16d A permanent with protection can’t be equipped by Equipment that have the stated quality or fortified by Fortifications that have the stated quality. Such Equipment or Fortifications become unattached from that permanent as a state-based action, but remain on the battlefield. (See rule 704, “State-Based Actions.”)
- 702.16e Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented.
- 702.16f Attacking creatures with protection can’t be blocked by creatures that have the stated quality.
- 702.16g “Protection from [quality A] and from [quality B]” is shorthand for “protection from [quality A]” and “protection from [quality B]”; it behaves as two separate protection abilities.
- 702.16h “Protection from each [characteristic]” is shorthand for “protection from [quality A],” “protection from [quality B],” and so on for each possible quality the listed characteristic could have; it behaves as multiple separate protection abilities.
- 702.16i “Protection from each [set of characteristics, qualities, or players]” is shorthand for “protection from [A],” “protection from [B],” and so on for each characteristic, quality, or player in the set. It behaves as multiple separate protection abilities.
- 702.16j “Protection from everything” is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent or player with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent or player can’t be targeted by spells or abilities and can’t be enchanted by Auras. Such a permanent can’t be equipped by Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures. All damage that would be dealt to such a permanent or player is prevented.
- 702.16k “Protection from [a player]” is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent or player with protection from a specific player has protection from each object that player controls and protection from each object that player owns not controlled by another player, regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent or player can’t be targeted by spells or abilities the specified player controls and can’t be enchanted by Auras that player controls. Such a permanent can’t be equipped by Equipment that player controls, fortified by Fortifications that player controls, or blocked by creatures that player controls. All damage that would be dealt to such a permanent or player by sources controlled by the specified player or owned by that player but not controlled by another player is prevented.
- 702.16m Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent or player are redundant.
- 702.16n Some Auras both give the enchanted creature protection from a quality and say “this effect doesn’t remove” either that specific Aura or all Auras. This means that the specified Auras aren’t put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. If the creature has other instances of protection from the same quality, those instances affect Auras as normal.
- 702.16p One Aura (Benevolent Blessing) gives the enchanted creature protection from a quality and says the effect doesn’t remove certain permanents that are “already attached to” that creature. This means that, when the protection effect starts to apply, any objects with the stated quality that are already attached to that creature (including the Aura giving that creature protection) will not be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. Other permanents with the stated quality can’t become attached to the creature. If the creature has other instances of protection from the same quality, those instances affect attached permanents as normal.
Protection is commonly misunderstood as being complete exemption from effects created by cards with the quality being protected from, which would allow, for example, a creature with protection from white to survive the effect of Wrath of God. This is not the case, however, as anything other than the specific things mentioned above is not hampered by protection in any way. Thus, as Wrath of God does not attempt to damage or target the creature, it will still be destroyed.
Example
History
Protection always appears in the form "protection from" followed by one or more qualities or characteristics. The first qualities were colors, but other qualities were introduced later, as detailed in the table below (sorted by default in chronological order):
Notes and references
- ↑ Brady Dommermuth (June 01, 2009). "Mechanically Inclined". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Template:NewRef
- ↑ a b Tsabo Tavoc originally had "protection from Legends", but this was errataed to "protection from legendary creatures when "Legend" ceased to be a creature subtype.