I have an unusual situation that occurred, here is the basic board setup. I am the active player and have three artifacts in play, I have a Voltaic Key and two Etched Champions and with Metalcraft active they have Protection From All Colors. My opponent has two 2/2 Green Wolf Tokens on the field.
I initiate my combat phase and decide to attack with both Etched Champions. As I attack my opponent decides to cast Krosan Grip which targets my Voltaic Key for destruction. My question is what happens next?
Since combat has initiated do the Etched Champions still have full color protections and my opponent won't be able to block the attack or will their spell resolve and the Etched Champions lose their protections so my opponent can then block? If the spell was cast before combat I totally understand that the Voltaic Key would be destroyed and with it the Metalcraft bonus so combat would be ill advised.
My thought was everything is happening at once since combat began so the protections stay intact but the Voltaic Key still gets destroyed and then after combat the protections disappear. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks for taking a look!
Your opponent will get priority to cast Krosan Grip targeting Voltaic Key after you declare attackers and before blockers are declared (C.R. 508.2, 117.3d, 117.1a-b). And when Krosan Grip resolves with a legal target, Voltaic Key will be destroyed (and each Etched Champion will no longer have protection from all colors if you no longer control three or more artifacts) before blockers are declared. This is no different than if your opponent cast Krosan Grip during your first main phase or during your beginning of combat step. See also this thread.
Remember that each Etched Champion's ability checks continuously whether "you control three or more artifacts"; its effect is not "locked in" at any moment, whether during the combat phase or otherwise (C.R. 611.3a). Thus, for example, if "you" no longer control three or more artifacts during the combat phase, Etched Champion will no longer have protection from all colors from that moment on, until "you" start to control three or more artifacts again.
My thought was everything is happening at once since combat began so the protections stay intact but the Voltaic Key still gets destroyed and then after combat the protections disappear.
You seem to have un unusual perception of combat.
Combat is nothing more than one of the phases of a player's turn.
It does not happen all at once: it actually is subdivised into five steps.
Nothing makes protection 'freeze' for the duration of combat: destroying your Voltaic Key as your Champions attack will indeed 'de-activate' Metalcraft and remove protection, allowing the wolves to block and kill the Champions.
Metalcraft has no official meaning; it's just a convenient word to help players understand cards. (rule 207.2c)
The ability of your Champions does exactly as it says: 'AS LONG AS you control 3+ artifacts, Champion has Protection'.
Therefore, as soon as you fall below 3 artifacts, Protection is gone. (rule 113.3d)
I have an unusual situation that occurred, here is the basic board setup. I am the active player and have three artifacts in play, I have a Voltaic Key and two Etched Champions and with Metalcraft active they have Protection From All Colors. My opponent has two 2/2 Green Wolf Tokens on the field.
I initiate my combat phase and decide to attack with both Etched Champions. As I attack my opponent decides to cast Krosan Grip which targets my Voltaic Key for destruction. My question is what happens next?
Since combat has initiated do the Etched Champions still have full color protections and my opponent won't be able to block the attack or will their spell resolve and the Etched Champions lose their protections so my opponent can then block? If the spell was cast before combat I totally understand that the Voltaic Key would be destroyed and with it the Metalcraft bonus so combat would be ill advised.
My thought was everything is happening at once since combat began so the protections stay intact but the Voltaic Key still gets destroyed and then after combat the protections disappear. Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks for taking a look!
Remember that each Etched Champion's ability checks continuously whether "you control three or more artifacts"; its effect is not "locked in" at any moment, whether during the combat phase or otherwise (C.R. 611.3a). Thus, for example, if "you" no longer control three or more artifacts during the combat phase, Etched Champion will no longer have protection from all colors from that moment on, until "you" start to control three or more artifacts again.
Combat is nothing more than one of the phases of a player's turn.
It does not happen all at once: it actually is subdivised into five steps.
Nothing makes protection 'freeze' for the duration of combat: destroying your Voltaic Key as your Champions attack will indeed 'de-activate' Metalcraft and remove protection, allowing the wolves to block and kill the Champions.
Metalcraft has no official meaning; it's just a convenient word to help players understand cards. (rule 207.2c)
The ability of your Champions does exactly as it says: 'AS LONG AS you control 3+ artifacts, Champion has Protection'.
Therefore, as soon as you fall below 3 artifacts, Protection is gone. (rule 113.3d)
Consider having a close look at rule 506:
https://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules
RULES OF MAGIC :
http://magic.wizards.com/en/game-info/gameplay/rules-and-formats/rules