Greetings all, I have a 2 questions involving combat particularly what cause an exit of combat and what happens after. These are both questions I think I know the answer to, but a friend sees it differently.
First question is an easy one.
There are cards that let you untap your creatures. If you untap a creature during combat as the attacking player, does that creature immediately withdrawal from combat, or is combat still initiated even though the attacking creature is no longer tapped?
2nd question.
If a block is declared, are you able to bring the blocking creature back to hand before damage is dealt to him, while still maintaining the block? My friend believes that when the blocker goes back to hand the path is clear for the damage. But I'm sure I've seen it played when the block was still valid and the attack was like a swing and a miss.
The creature in question for this example was Aethertide Whale where I blocked his flyer then paid the 4 energy to bring it back to my hand before damage was exchanged.
1. An attacking creature isn't removed from combat merely because it becomes untapped (C.R. 506.4, especially C.R. 506.4b).
2. In general, a creature that's blocked remains blocked even if each of its blockers is removed from combat (whether by being returned to hand or otherwise) (C.R. 509.1h, 506.4). Thus, in general, the blocked creature won't assign combat damage as long as no creatures are blocking it (C.R. 509.1h, 510.1c, 506.4); one exception is if that creature has trample (C.R. 702.19c).
First question is an easy one.
There are cards that let you untap your creatures. If you untap a creature during combat as the attacking player, does that creature immediately withdrawal from combat, or is combat still initiated even though the attacking creature is no longer tapped?
2nd question.
If a block is declared, are you able to bring the blocking creature back to hand before damage is dealt to him, while still maintaining the block? My friend believes that when the blocker goes back to hand the path is clear for the damage. But I'm sure I've seen it played when the block was still valid and the attack was like a swing and a miss.
The creature in question for this example was Aethertide Whale where I blocked his flyer then paid the 4 energy to bring it back to my hand before damage was exchanged.
2. In general, a creature that's blocked remains blocked even if each of its blockers is removed from combat (whether by being returned to hand or otherwise) (C.R. 509.1h, 506.4). Thus, in general, the blocked creature won't assign combat damage as long as no creatures are blocking it (C.R. 509.1h, 510.1c, 506.4); one exception is if that creature has trample (C.R. 702.19c).