I have one question in regards to the legal choices I can make when I am deciding in what order creatures will receive damage and how it is distributed.
I attack with a 6/8 then my opponent blocks with a 2/2, a 3/3 and a 4/4. After blockers are declared I determine in which order I will have the creatures receive the damage. I determine the defending creatures will receive damage in this order: 4/4 is first, the 2/2 is second, and the 3/3 is last.
Can I assign three damage to the 4/4, one damage to the 2/2, and two damage to the 3/3 or must the first creature be assigned lethal damage before I can distribute damage to the second creature in turn?
If my question is confusing, I can try my best to clarify better, I'm not the best in asking clear questions.
You must assign at least lethal damage to the first creature in the order, before being able to assign any damage to the second, and so on.
510.1c. A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can't assign combat damage to a creature that's blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. An amount of damage that's greater than a creature's lethal damage may be assigned to it.
So, you can't assign any damage to the 2/2, unless you've assigned at least 4 damage to the 4/4.
Under C.R. 510.1c, in general, a blocked creature "can't assign combat damage to a creature that's blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage" (a similar rule applies to blocking creatures under C.R. 510.1d).
Thus, in this scenario in general—
assigning combat damage to the 2/2 or 3/3 creature is not allowed if the 4/4 creature is not assigned lethal damage, and
assigning combat damage to the 3/3 creature is not allowed if the 4/4 and 2/2 creatures are not both assigned lethal damage.
EDIT: Edited after comment 8 was posted, to add "in general".
I have one question in regards to the legal choices I can make when I am deciding in what order creatures will receive damage and how it is distributed.
It's not the order in which the creatures receive the damage. It is not even the order in which you assign the damage. It is just an "ordering", which the definition of your damage-assignment restrictions (in 510.1c), respects.
This damage assignment is proposed as one announcement, with all your combatants having their damage assigned by that announcement, and all stipulations of the rules staying silent until you make the whole announcement. And in the combat damage step, the first action is to deal damage as it was assigned, simultaneously.
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Thank you both! This kind of reminds me of trample. So trample basically includes the defending player in the damage assignment order in addition to the creatures blocking the trampler. However the defending player must always be last in the damage assignment order. That provides an easier understanding ability for me.
It's a shame I can't just spread the damage how I please. But at least with the last part of the ruling, "An amount of damage that's greater than a creature's lethal damage may be assigned to it," I can still make my banding deck function with protection, indestructible, or prevent combat damage. I will just choose to have a creature with any of the three aforementioned abilities be the one receive an amount of damage greater than lethal first and foremost thus protecting my band or protecting my blockers.
Does announcing the damage assignment order happen before any "block" or "becomes blocked" triggered abilities go on the stack?
I think blockers step is declare blockers (players can't respond), damage assignment order (players can't respond), check for any relevant triggered abilities (if there are, players can respond), then end blockers step (players can respond). Just want to make sure I am correct before going into my next game tomorrow.
The damage assignment order is declared as part of the declare blockers turn based action. Triggered abilities have to wait to go on the stack until that whole turn based action is finished (and SBAs have been checked).
Edit:
Also, since your question is related to banding, the answers given above in regards to damage assignment don't apply.
702.22j During the combat damage step, if an attacking creature is being blocked by a creature with
banding, or by both a [quality] creature with “bands with other [quality]” and another [quality]
creature, the defending player (rather than the active player) chooses how the attacking
creature’s damage is assigned. That player can divide that creature’s combat damage as they
choose among any creatures blocking it. This is an exception to the procedure described in rule
510.1c.
702.22k During the combat damage step, if a blocking creature is blocking a creature with banding,
or both a [quality] creature with “bands with other [quality]” and another [quality] creature, the
active player (rather than the defending player) chooses how the blocking creature’s damage is
assigned. That player can divide that creature’s combat damage as they choose among any
creatures it’s blocking. This is an exception to the procedure described in rule 510.1d.
There we go, I think I can clarify this with my play group with how banding changes the rules for the blockers step). So I can ignore damage assignment order and just allocate damage how I please when the player otherwise couldn't.
As long as I can still assign an amount of damage that's greater than lethal to a creature in my band (or blockers with one bander or 2 "bands with other _insert_keyword_" creatures) I am a happy man.
In the original rules, a multi-blocked attacker (or multi-blocking defender) would assign combat damage wherever, and then there would be special timing windows for damage prevention or regeneration by the other player. Other game situations could open other windows, even inside that one, leading to complicated situations.
In 1999, they simplified the timing. But someone who blocks a 1/2 attacker with two 1/1 creatures still needs to know where to point their Samite Healer or Death Ward (as an example). At first, they placed all combat damage assignments on the stack as a special object, but that tended to ignore subsequent adjustments to power/toughness (and allow for some cheese when Mogg Fanatic was in combat). Now, they have the damage assignment order, a heads-up to the opposing player they can use to direct damage prevention or regeneration.
Banding ignores your opponent's damage assignment order; you don't need advance notice about how you will be assigning combat damage to your creatures.
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I attack with a 6/8 then my opponent blocks with a 2/2, a 3/3 and a 4/4. After blockers are declared I determine in which order I will have the creatures receive the damage. I determine the defending creatures will receive damage in this order: 4/4 is first, the 2/2 is second, and the 3/3 is last.
Can I assign three damage to the 4/4, one damage to the 2/2, and two damage to the 3/3 or must the first creature be assigned lethal damage before I can distribute damage to the second creature in turn?
If my question is confusing, I can try my best to clarify better, I'm not the best in asking clear questions.
510.1c. A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can't assign combat damage to a creature that's blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. An amount of damage that's greater than a creature's lethal damage may be assigned to it.
So, you can't assign any damage to the 2/2, unless you've assigned at least 4 damage to the 4/4.
Thus, in this scenario in general—
EDIT: Edited after comment 8 was posted, to add "in general".
It's not the order in which the creatures receive the damage. It is not even the order in which you assign the damage. It is just an "ordering", which the definition of your damage-assignment restrictions (in 510.1c), respects.
This damage assignment is proposed as one announcement, with all your combatants having their damage assigned by that announcement, and all stipulations of the rules staying silent until you make the whole announcement. And in the combat damage step, the first action is to deal damage as it was assigned, simultaneously.
Awesome avatar provided by Krashbot @ [Epic Graphics].
It's a shame I can't just spread the damage how I please. But at least with the last part of the ruling, "An amount of damage that's greater than a creature's lethal damage may be assigned to it," I can still make my banding deck function with protection, indestructible, or prevent combat damage. I will just choose to have a creature with any of the three aforementioned abilities be the one receive an amount of damage greater than lethal first and foremost thus protecting my band or protecting my blockers.
Does announcing the damage assignment order happen before any "block" or "becomes blocked" triggered abilities go on the stack?
I think blockers step is declare blockers (players can't respond), damage assignment order (players can't respond), check for any relevant triggered abilities (if there are, players can respond), then end blockers step (players can respond). Just want to make sure I am correct before going into my next game tomorrow.
Edit:
Also, since your question is related to banding, the answers given above in regards to damage assignment don't apply.
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As long as I can still assign an amount of damage that's greater than lethal to a creature in my band (or blockers with one bander or 2 "bands with other _insert_keyword_" creatures) I am a happy man.
Thanks a lot, this helps me out immensely.
In the original rules, a multi-blocked attacker (or multi-blocking defender) would assign combat damage wherever, and then there would be special timing windows for damage prevention or regeneration by the other player. Other game situations could open other windows, even inside that one, leading to complicated situations.
In 1999, they simplified the timing. But someone who blocks a 1/2 attacker with two 1/1 creatures still needs to know where to point their Samite Healer or Death Ward (as an example). At first, they placed all combat damage assignments on the stack as a special object, but that tended to ignore subsequent adjustments to power/toughness (and allow for some cheese when Mogg Fanatic was in combat). Now, they have the damage assignment order, a heads-up to the opposing player they can use to direct damage prevention or regeneration.
Banding ignores your opponent's damage assignment order; you don't need advance notice about how you will be assigning combat damage to your creatures.