Protect

Protect
Keyword Ability
Introduced	March of the Machine
Last used	March of the Machine
Reminder Text	Protect
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%
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keyword:"Protect"

Protect is a keyword related to Battles, specifically Sieges, introduced in March of the Machine. The person assigned to protect a Siege battle is its Protector.

Description

As a Siege battle enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. They can protect that battle, to avoid it being transformed into a spell or creature that is beneficial to their opponent.

Every player except a battle's protector may attack it. Only a battle's protector may block creatures attacking it. Any damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. When the last defense counter is removed from a Siege battle, the battle is defeated and a triggered ability triggers. As this ability resolves, the battle's controller exiles it and then casts the back face from exile without paying a mana cost. The back faces are a variety of things; most of them are permanents, but there are also some sorceries.

Rules

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

Protect, Protector

Each battle has a player designated as its protector, and that player protects that battle. See rule 310.8.

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

• 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.

Rulings

• As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector.
• A Siege's controller can't be its protector. If a Siege's protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action.
• If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle's protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner's graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below).
• A battle's "defense" is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters.
• Only creatures controlled by a battle's protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege's controller can never assign creatures to block for it.
• A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target "any target."
• Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it.
• A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege's controller can attack it.

Examples

Example

Invasion of Zendikar
Battle — Siege X
(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.)
When Invasion of Zendikar enters the battlefield, search your library for up to two basic land cards, put them on the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.