M10 PreRelease

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Happy Magic 2010 PreRelease Day to everyone. Most larger regional events are going down today (or already underway) with smaller events at select local gamery stores today and / or tomorrow. For an event near you, check out the Wizards link HERE.

If you have not yet familiarised yourself with the new cards in the M10 core edition set, check out this link to the the card database 'Gatherer'. Make sure you fully utilize the advanced search function to get the most out of your MTG deck building research.

Also - If you have not already, you may be well served to review the M10 Rules FAQs. Doing this may save you / the judge / tournament organiser some grief later on during your Release or PreRelease event.

At this time however, I will for the benefit of players heading out now, cover the new Magic rules changes for combat as I believe that this may have been one of the most significant changes in game.

First off, here is the ever-friendly and happy to help Sam from Wizards in this video dealing with game combat . . .



And now, here are the excerpt details from the rules FAQs. . . .

***New Rules: Combat***

The rules for the combat phase have changed. Here's what happens in the combat phase now:

Step 1: Beginning of Combat
1) Abilities that trigger at the beginning of combat go on the stack.
2) Players can cast spells and activate abilities.

Step 2: Declare Attackers
1) The attacking player declares which creatures are attacking, which player or planeswalker each one is attacking, taps the attacking creatures, and pays any necessary costs.
2) Abilities that trigger when those attackers are declared go on the stack.
3) Players can cast spells and activate abilities.

Step 3: Declare Blockers
1) The defending player declares which creatures are blocking, how they're blocking, and pays any necessary costs.
2) For each attacking creature that's become blocked by multiple creatures, the attacking player announces its damage assignment order among the blocking creatures. (See below.)
3) For each each creature that's blocking multiple creatures (because some effect allows it to do so), the defending player announces its damage assignment order among the attacking creatures. (See below.)
4) Abilities that trigger when those blockers are declared go on the stack.
5) Players can cast spells and activate abilities.

Step 4: Combat Damage
1) The attacking player assigns the attacking creatures' combat damage.
2) The defending player assigns the blocking creatures' combat damage.
3) All combat damage is dealt at the same time.
4) Abilities that trigger when combat damage is dealt go on the stack.
5) Players can cast spells and activate abilities.

Step 5: End of Combat
1) Abilities that trigger at the end of combat go on the stack.
2) Players can cast spells and activate abilities.

How a creature assigns combat damage to multiple other creatures has changed. The creature assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. It can't assign combat damage to one of those creatures unless each creature that precedes that creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage that's already been dealt to that creature, as well as damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step. However, ignore any other effects that would modify how damage is dealt (like protection abilities or prevention effects). A player may choose to assign more than lethal damage to a creature.

* Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Minotaur and 3 damage to the Piker, 4 damage to the Minotaur and 2 damage to the Piker, 5 damage to the Minotaur and 1 damage to the Piker, or 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm.

* Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Giant Growth targeting Canyon Minotaur, which gives it +3/+3 until end of turn. Craw Wurm must assign its 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm.

* Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Craw Wurm (a 6/4 creature) is Canyon Minotaur (a 3/3 creature) then Goblin Piker (a 2/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Mending Hands targeting Canyon Minotaur, which prevents the next 4 damage that would be dealt to it. Craw Wurm can assign 3 damage to the Minotaur and 3 damage to the Piker, 4 damage to the Minotaur and 2 damage to the Piker, 5 damage to the Minotaur and 1 damage to the Piker, or 6 damage to the Minotaur. Both blocking creatures assign their damage to the Wurm.

* Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Enormous Baloth (a 7/7 creature) is Zombie Goliath (a 4/3 creature) that's already been dealt 2 damage this turn, then Palace Guard (a 1/4 creature that can block any number of creatures), then Siege Mastodon (a 3/5 creature). The damage assignment order of an attacking Berserkers of Blood Ridge (a 4/4 creature) is the same Palace Guard, then Warpath Ghoul (a 3/2 creature). Among other possibilities, the attacking player may have the Baloth assign 1 damage to the Goliath, 1 damage to the Guard, and 5 damage to the Mastodon, and have the Berserkers assign 3 damage to the Guard and 1 damage to the Ghoul. (Note that in this example, the defending player would also have created a damage assignment order among the Enormous Baloth and the Berserkers of Blood Ridge that the Palace Guard is blocking.)

An important change is that combat damage no longer goes on the stack. It's assigned, then it's immediately dealt. If you want to activate a regeneration ability, cast a damage prevention spell, or the like, you must now do so during the declare blockers step. Due to the damage assignment orders that have been announced, you have a reasonable expectation at that time about how combat damage will be assigned and dealt.

* Only creatures that are on the battlefield (and still involved in combat) can deal combat damage. Say you have an Unsummon in your hand and a 2/2 creature on the battlefield that's blocking another 2/2 creature. You can cast Unsummon during the declare blockers step to return one of those creatures to its owner's hand, in which case neither one deals combat damage. Or you can let the creatures deal combat damage to one another, meaning they'll both be destroyed before Unsummon can return one of them. There's no way to both return your creature to your hand and have it deal combat damage.

* During the declare blockers step, if a blocking creature is removed from combat or a spell or ability causes it to stop blocking an attacking creature, the blocking creature is removed from the attacking creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. (The same is true if an attacking creature blocked by a creature that can block multiple attackers is removed.)

* Similarly, if a spell or ability causes a creature to block an attacking creature, or a creature enters the battlefield blocking an attacking creature, the attacking creature's controller announces the blocking creature's placement in the attacking creature's damage assignment order as part of the effect. The relative order among the other blocking creatures is unchanged.

* How first strike and double strike work hasn't changed. At the start of the combat damage step, if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike, creatures without first strike or double strike don't assign combat damage. Instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, a second combat damage step is created to handle the remaining creatures. In the second combat damage step, surviving attackers and blockers that didn't assign combat damage in the first step, plus any creatures with double strike, assign their combat damage. Note that players may still cast spells and activate abilities during the first combat damage step before the second one begins.


Best of Luck with your event !