I had 4 deathtouch creature cards on the field my opponent had 6 goblin cards declared attack with all 6. I blocked 4 and he used an ability to destroy my blockers. Does his attackers still die? The game is up for extreme debate right now...
No. In order for deathtouch to apply, the source with deathtouch must deal damage. If they kill the blocker before combat damage is dealt, then the creature with deathtouch will not deal any damage and the attacking creature will not be destroyed.
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Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
I had 4 deathtouch creature cards on the field my opponent had 6 goblin cards declared attack with all 6. I blocked 4 and he used an ability to destroy my blockers. Does his attackers still die? The game is up for extreme debate right now...
Based on the information you provided, the sequence would go something like the following. I'll assume the Goblins are 2/2 (and I'll call them G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6), the creatures with deathtouch are 1/1 (and I'll call them D1, D2, D3, D4), and that the destruction of your blockers only takes out 3 of them (to make the timing clear).
Opponent's combat phase begins. Beginning of combat step begins.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
Beginning of combat step ends.
Declare attackers step begins. Opponent declares G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, and G6 as attackers, tapping them.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
Declare attackers step ends.
Declare blockers step begins. You declare D1 as a blocker for G1, D2 as a blocker for G2, D3 as a blocker for G3, and D4 as a blocker for G4.
Opponent gets priority and activates an unknown ability.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
The top object on the stack (the ability activated in step 10) resolves. D1, D2, and D3 are destroyed.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
Declare blockers step ends.
Combat damage step begins. G4 assigns 2 damage to D4, G5 assigns 2 damage to you, G6 assigns 2 damage to you, D4 assigns 1 damage to G4.
Combat damage is dealt as described.
Opponent would get priority, but there are state-based actions to resolve. G4 and D4 have lethal damage and are destroyed.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
Combat damage step ends.
End of combat step begins.
Opponent gets priority and passes.
You get priority and pass.
End of combat step ends. Combat phase ends.
702.2. Deathtouch
702.2a Deathtouch is a static ability.
702.2b A creature with toughness greater than 0 that’s been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action. See rule 704.
702.2c Any nonzero amount of combat damage assigned to a creature by a source with deathtouch is considered to be lethal damage for the purposes of determining if a proposed combat damage assignment is valid, regardless of that creature’s toughness. See rules 510.1c–d.
702.2d The deathtouch rules function no matter what zone an object with deathtouch deals damage from.
702.2e If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had deathtouch.
702.2f Multiple instances of deathtouch on the same object are redundant.
In the actual problem posed, D4 would also be gone when the time comes for combat damage, so there is no reason for G4 to be destroyed either.
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Why bother with mere rulings when so many answers can be found in the Rules?
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Scientists have calculated that the chance of anything so patently absurd actually existing are millions to one. But magicians have calculated that million-to-one chances crop up nine times out of ten.
Based on the information you provided, the sequence would go something like the following. I'll assume the Goblins are 2/2 (and I'll call them G1, G2, G3, G4, G5, G6), the creatures with deathtouch are 1/1 (and I'll call them D1, D2, D3, D4), and that the destruction of your blockers only takes out 3 of them (to make the timing clear).
In the actual problem posed, D4 would also be gone when the time comes for combat damage, so there is no reason for G4 to be destroyed either.