If my opponent attacks with a 5 Power creature with Trample, and I defend with Outrider en-kor, would that creature's ability be able to affect how much damage Tramples through? If I activate Outrider 4 times before we move on to the damage phase, can my opponent choose to only assign 2 damage to Outrider (which would get redirected), and trample the remaining 3 on me?
Your opponent may assign 2 damage to Outrider and the rest to you. Regardless of "effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt,"(CR 702.19b) lethal damage for Outrider is just 2 damage, which is all that must be assigned before trampling over.
702.19b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any excess damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. The attacking creature’s controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can’t assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking. Example: A 2/2 creature that can block an additional creature blocks two attackers: a 1/1 with no abilities and a 3/3 with trample. The active player could assign 1 damage from the first attacker and 1 damage from the second to the blocking creature, and 2 damage to the defending player from the creature with trample. Example: A 6/6 green creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 creature with protection from green. The attacking creature’s controller must assign at least 2 damage to the blocker, even though that damage will be prevented by the blocker’s protection ability. The attacking creature’s controller can divide the rest of the damage as they choose between the blocking creature and the defending player.
The attacking player does not need to consider any abilites that would prevent or redirect damage when working out if he can damage the defending player/planeswalker, they only have to assign lethal damage which is defined as damage equal to the creatures toughness - any damage already marked on the creature or 1 point of damage from a source with deathtouch.
With an outrider en-kor blocking that means he only needs to assign 2 damage to the knight and can assign 2 more to you or the defending planeswalker depending on what he attacked.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag and start slitting throats.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
With an outrider en-kor blocking that means he only needs to assign 2 damage to the knight and can assign 2 more to you or the defending planeswalker depending on what he attacked.
- H.L Mencken
I Became insane with long Intervals of horrible Sanity
All Religion, my friend is simply evolved out of fraud, fear, greed, imagination and poetry.
- Edgar Allan Poe
The Crafters' Rules Guru