An activated ability will never be combat damage no matter when it is activated. Combat damage refers to damage dealt in the combat damage step by a creature.
An activated ability will never be combat damage no matter when it is activated. Combat damage refers to damage dealt in the combat damage step by a creature.
To be more precise, because this is still technically false, combat damage is only ever the damage dealt by an attacking or blocking creature as a result of the combat damage step's turn based action of dealing combat damage. Any other damage is noncombat damage.
An activated ability will never be combat damage no matter when it is activated. Combat damage refers to damage dealt in the combat damage step by a creature.
To be more precise, because this is still technically false, combat damage is only ever the damage dealt by an attacking or blocking creature as a result of the combat damage step's turn based action of dealing combat damage. Any other damage is noncombat damage.
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)