1st:
So let's say I attack with a creature, my opponent blocks. I play something instant speed to give my creature flying and a buff. Is my creature blocked still? Buff still goes through, I'm pretty sure of that.
2nd question:
Let's say I attack with Ajani's Pridemate. He's a 2/2 at the moment. My opponent blocks with a 2/2. I play something to give my pridemate lifelink. Does my pridemate die? The argument is is that damage is dealt simultaneously so if damage was done at the same time, that means I don't gain life until after damage, which means my pridemate would be dead.
1) Evasive abilities only matter when blockers are being declared. Gaining Flying after being blocked won't stop it from being blocked.
2) Well, you came to the right conclusion but you are slightly off on the reason. If Pridemate has lifelink, you will gain life *at the same time* as it dealing damage. The Pridemate will trigger from this right before it dies. However, as with almost every triggered ability, it doesn't do anything until it resolves. which is after it is put on the stack which is after the Pridemate is already dead due to State Based Actions being checked before the trigger even goes onto the stack.
1st:
So let's say I attack with a creature, my opponent blocks. I play something instant speed to give my creature flying and a buff. Is my creature blocked still? Buff still goes through, I'm pretty sure of that.
An attacking creature becomes blocked when a blocker is declared for it during the declare blockers turn based action (of if an effect makes it become blocked), and it stays blocked until it is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, which ever comes first. In order for an evasion ability to have any effect the creature has to have it during blocker declaration, because that's the only time the restriction matters. You cannot make a creature retroactively become unblocked by imposing a blocker restriction after the fact. The creature still gets the ability, but that doesn't change the blocked/unblocked status of it.
2nd question:
Let's say I attack with Ajani's Pridemate. He's a 2/2 at the moment. My opponent blocks with a 2/2. I play something to give my pridemate lifelink. Does my pridemate die? The argument is is that damage is dealt simultaneously so if damage was done at the same time, that means I don't gain life until after damage, which means my pridemate would be dead.
Yes, it dies. Combat damage is dealt simltaneously, yes, and you get the life immediately at that time. But the counters are not given until the triggered ability resolves, but it doesn't even make it to the stack before the Pridemate dies. Because dying from lethal damage is a state based action, that happens right after the combat damage turn based action is finished, before the active player would get priority, and thus before any waiting triggers go on the stack.
1st:
So let's say I attack with a creature, my opponent blocks. I play something instant speed to give my creature flying and a buff. Is my creature blocked still? Buff still goes through, I'm pretty sure of that.
Your creature needs Flying BEFORE they get blocked; since you waited, it's too late.
Both Flying and the buff are indeed granted to your creature, even though Flying is useless.
509.1b (...) If an attacking creature gains or loses an evasion ability after a legal block has been declared, it doesn’t affect that block. (...)
702.9a Flying is an evasion ability.
So let's say I attack with a creature, my opponent blocks. I play something instant speed to give my creature flying and a buff. Is my creature blocked still? Buff still goes through, I'm pretty sure of that.
2nd question:
Let's say I attack with Ajani's Pridemate. He's a 2/2 at the moment. My opponent blocks with a 2/2. I play something to give my pridemate lifelink. Does my pridemate die? The argument is is that damage is dealt simultaneously so if damage was done at the same time, that means I don't gain life until after damage, which means my pridemate would be dead.
2) Well, you came to the right conclusion but you are slightly off on the reason. If Pridemate has lifelink, you will gain life *at the same time* as it dealing damage. The Pridemate will trigger from this right before it dies. However, as with almost every triggered ability, it doesn't do anything until it resolves. which is after it is put on the stack which is after the Pridemate is already dead due to State Based Actions being checked before the trigger even goes onto the stack.
An attacking creature becomes blocked when a blocker is declared for it during the declare blockers turn based action (of if an effect makes it become blocked), and it stays blocked until it is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, which ever comes first. In order for an evasion ability to have any effect the creature has to have it during blocker declaration, because that's the only time the restriction matters. You cannot make a creature retroactively become unblocked by imposing a blocker restriction after the fact. The creature still gets the ability, but that doesn't change the blocked/unblocked status of it.
Yes, it dies. Combat damage is dealt simltaneously, yes, and you get the life immediately at that time. But the counters are not given until the triggered ability resolves, but it doesn't even make it to the stack before the Pridemate dies. Because dying from lethal damage is a state based action, that happens right after the combat damage turn based action is finished, before the active player would get priority, and thus before any waiting triggers go on the stack.
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Both Flying and the buff are indeed granted to your creature, even though Flying is useless.
702.9a Flying is an evasion ability.
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