Heres the situation, my opponent entered his combat phase and targeted three creatures at teferi, hero of dominaria in response I cast rescue targeting teferi to return it to my hand, at that point yelled "you cant do that Teferi is dead already"
I stated that I played an instant which is on the stack before the damage hits teferi, he responded that it not how the spell works. "You can use rescue to remove a permanent before the combat phase or during your turn however it's not a counter spell or a healing spell healing grace it's a removal and therefore you can't cast it now" apparently combat damage will occur before the rescue resolves meaning that teferi is in my graveyard and thus hes no longer "in my control"
The Judge overheard our argument and walked over after hearing both sides he stated that teferi would be placed into my graveyard because combat damage hits teferi and he loses his loyalty thus removing him from the battlefield meaning that when I cast rescue hes no longer in my control.
With this being the case does that mean I have been playing the game wrong? In previous combat phases before the dominaria release I successfully used peel from reality to return creatures to my hand and my opponent's hand.
To me it doesn't make sense that the card is entitled "rescue" if it's only intended for use in non combat or non damage situations
You should have been able to cast Rescue after your opponent has declared attackers, since players get priority before damage. It's possible that your judge misinterpreted what you were trying to do, though your text is a little hard to parse.
Rescue can target any "permanent you control", including a planeswalker being attacked (C.R. 114.1a), and you can cast Rescue any time you have priority, not just before combat damage is dealt (C.R. 116.1a; review, e.g., C.R. 509.4). However, if Teferi runs out of loyalty counters (whether by combat damage or otherwise), Teferi will go to the graveyard as a state-based action before any player gets priority to cast spells, including Rescue (C.R. 116.5, 704.5i, 306.5c, 119.3c).
You can cast Rescue like any other instant any time you have priority. It will resolve during the same step and phase in which you cast it. To rescue Teferi from those attacking creatures, you can cast it in the declare attackers step after attackers have been declared, or in the declare blockers step after blockers have been declared. You cannot cast it in response to combat damage (not since M10), at least not at Teferi, since Teferi will have been dealt combat damage and been put into your graveyard before you even get priority in the combat damage step. So there's plenty of opportunity to negate the attack this way and save your planeswalker. If you do, the attackers will still be attacking, but there will be nothing/noone being attacked by them. Their combat damage will be "wasted", your opponent cannot redirect them to you or another planeswalker.
You have two opportunities to cast Rescue, during the declare attackers step after attacks have been declared, and during the declare blockers step after blockers have been declared. At either of those points, when you gain priority, you may cast any instants from your hand, including Rescue.
Rescue can target any "permanent you control", including a planeswalker being attacked, and you can cast Rescue any time you have priority, not just before combat damage is dealt. However, if Teferi runs out of loyalty counters (whether by combat damage or otherwise), Teferi will go to the graveyard before any player has priority to cast spells, including Rescue.
Perhaps it's the order of events. I have learned that with this particular store and judge the overly competitive players require quick and snap decisions. Although we have around 80% rookie players they have not tolerance for misunderstanding, incorrect phrasing or lack of immediate response with casting instants.
I recall that he stated "do you have any blockers" and I said no and then said "but in response I cast rescue"
I am assuming that I need to state casting rescue as an immediate response to an attack
But one question, do I need to cast rescue before he declares targets for his attackers?
Magic is not a game of reflexes. The game does not advance until all players agree by passing priority. Your opponent may want to go straight to combat damage, but you don't have to agree to that. If he jumps the gun, it is your right to back up and do what you want first. All you have to do is being clear about when you do your thing. Which you clearly did. In fact, even what you said was already a shortcut proposal (or a proposal to shorten his shortcut), since your opponent gets priority first after blockers have been declared (or no blockers as in this case), and thus is the first to do stuff after blocker declaration. You can cast Rescue right after attacker declaration, but you can also wait until after blocker declaration.
What/who is being attacked is decided when the attackers are declared as part of the attacker declaration in the declare attackers step. You know who they are going after, and that cannot be changed anymore.
You can cast Rescue like any other instant any time you have priority. It will resolve during the same step and phase in which you cast it. To rescue Teferi from those attacking creatures, you can cast it in the declare attackers step after attackers have been declared, or in the declare blockers step after blockers have been declared. You cannot cast it in response to combat damage (not since M10), at least not at Teferi, since Teferi will have been dealt combat damage and been put into your graveyard before you even get priority in the combat damage step. So there's plenty of opportunity to negate the attack this way and save your planeswalker. If you do, the attackers will still be attacking, but there will be nothing/noone being attacked by them. Their combat damage will be "wasted", your opponent cannot redirect them to you or another planeswalker.
Thanks. That's another interesting point as I have been declared dead in previous situations when I cast peel from reality or other removal type spells on my creature or an opponent did so to negate my blocker "the combat damage is redirected to me"
I assume that if they kill my blocker with an instant I take damage from attacking creatures, however if I or they play a removal spell on my blocker the damage is wasted?
A blocked creature does not become unblocked just because its blockers are gone. It remains a blocked creature until it is removed from combat or the combat phase ends, whichever happens first. An attacking blocked creature with no creature blocking it and without trample simply doesn't get to assign and deal combat damage.
Magic is not a game of reflexes. The game does not advance until all players agree by passing priority. Your opponent may want to go straight to combat damage, but you don't have to agree to that. If he jumps the gun, it is your right to back up and do what you want first. All you have to do is being clear about when you do your thing. Which you clearly did. In fact, even what you said was already a shortcut proposal (or a proposal to shorten his shortcut), since your opponent gets priority first after blockers have been declared (or no blockers as in this case), and thus is the first to do stuff after blocker declaration. You can cast Rescue right after attacker declaration, but you can also wait until after blocker declaration.
What/who is being attacked is decided when the attackers are declared as part of the attacker declaration in the declare attackers step. You know who they are going after, and that cannot be changed anymore.
That's what makes playing at my local store a nightmare. The elitist players expect quick reflex responses ie you need to counter permanents before the card touches the table or it's too late I haven't memorized enough to know triggers offhand thus I prefer seeing the card in play before casting responses but it's not acceptable.
Then simply say "stop" and demand the time to think before anything else happens. Once again, Magic is not about reflexes. You have the right to ponder your response, so long as you do it in a reasonable amount of time. What they are doing is not acceptable, and in any kind of tournament environment, you should call the judge on them. They do not get to make decisions for you and you are not on a clock to make them.
Then simply say "stop" and demand the time to think before anything else happens. Once again, Magic is not about reflexes. You have the right to ponder your response, so long as you do it in a reasonable amount of time. What they are doing is not acceptable, and in any kind of tournament environment, you should call the judge on them. They do not get to make decisions for you and you are not on a clock to make them.
We only have one judge, who is a co-owner and one of the problem players.
It may be something to report to wizards, but it's not exactly a completely legal store. It frequently runs out of stock and will rely upon some players acquiring booster packs from local sellers and getting store credit or discounts.
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I stated that I played an instant which is on the stack before the damage hits teferi, he responded that it not how the spell works. "You can use rescue to remove a permanent before the combat phase or during your turn however it's not a counter spell or a healing spell healing grace it's a removal and therefore you can't cast it now" apparently combat damage will occur before the rescue resolves meaning that teferi is in my graveyard and thus hes no longer "in my control"
The Judge overheard our argument and walked over after hearing both sides he stated that teferi would be placed into my graveyard because combat damage hits teferi and he loses his loyalty thus removing him from the battlefield meaning that when I cast rescue hes no longer in my control.
With this being the case does that mean I have been playing the game wrong? In previous combat phases before the dominaria release I successfully used peel from reality to return creatures to my hand and my opponent's hand.
To me it doesn't make sense that the card is entitled "rescue" if it's only intended for use in non combat or non damage situations
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Perhaps it's the order of events. I have learned that with this particular store and judge the overly competitive players require quick and snap decisions. Although we have around 80% rookie players they have not tolerance for misunderstanding, incorrect phrasing or lack of immediate response with casting instants.
I recall that he stated "do you have any blockers" and I said no and then said "but in response I cast rescue"
I am assuming that I need to state casting rescue as an immediate response to an attack
But one question, do I need to cast rescue before he declares targets for his attackers?
What/who is being attacked is decided when the attackers are declared as part of the attacker declaration in the declare attackers step. You know who they are going after, and that cannot be changed anymore.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Thanks. That's another interesting point as I have been declared dead in previous situations when I cast peel from reality or other removal type spells on my creature or an opponent did so to negate my blocker "the combat damage is redirected to me"
I assume that if they kill my blocker with an instant I take damage from attacking creatures, however if I or they play a removal spell on my blocker the damage is wasted?
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
That's what makes playing at my local store a nightmare. The elitist players expect quick reflex responses ie you need to counter permanents before the card touches the table or it's too late I haven't memorized enough to know triggers offhand thus I prefer seeing the card in play before casting responses but it's not acceptable.
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
We only have one judge, who is a co-owner and one of the problem players.
It may be something to report to wizards, but it's not exactly a completely legal store. It frequently runs out of stock and will rely upon some players acquiring booster packs from local sellers and getting store credit or discounts.