I have a question regarding the Return to Ravnica card: Azor's Elocutors. The card says that when you take damage, remove a filibuster counter from Azor's Elocutors. In a two-headed giant game, if a player attacks my partner and deals damage, does that mean I have to remove a counter. Yes, I lost life, but I was not the target of the damage, even though I lost life. Does that make sense? What is the ruling on that? I can't find it anywhere.
This is probably more of a question for the rules forum, but this rule should be the rule that you're looking for:
810.9. Damage, loss of life, and gaining life happen to each player individually. The result is applied to the team’s shared life total.
You don't "take damage" when your partner does, nor do you "lose life" for cards that care about that, even though your shared life total is reduced.
edit: the Luminarch Ascension Gatherer entry is one place to look for a similar effect.
In a Two-Headed Giant game, Luminarch Ascension's first ability will trigger twice at the beginning of the opposing team's end step if you didn't lose life that turn. If both abilities resolve, it will get two quest counters. (It doesn't matter whether your teammate lost life or not.)
Note, in Two-Headed Giant you attack a team collectively, not an individual player. Your opponent's don't "attack your teammate" in a way that commits them to a choice to deal combat damage to your teammate in particular.
That said, when it comes to assigning combat damage, you do choose to assign damage to one specific player on the team. So if your team does not block a creature, your opponents can choose to deal damage to you or to your teammate as they deem appropriate. If they choose your teammate specifically at this point, then the above answer holds true and you won't have to remove a counter from your Elocutors. If they deal damage to you, you'll have to remove a counter.
This is probably more of a question for the rules forum, but this rule should be the rule that you're looking for:
You don't "take damage" when your partner does, nor do you "lose life" for cards that care about that, even though your shared life total is reduced.
edit: the Luminarch Ascension Gatherer entry is one place to look for a similar effect.
My Decks:
Casual MP
:symg::symb:GB Glissa Pod:symg::symb:
:symu::symw::symb:Esper Artifacts:symu::symw::symb:
:symu::symb::xmana:Ninjas!:xmana::symb::symu:
Thanks to GR @ Yavin IV Studios for the signature!
That said, when it comes to assigning combat damage, you do choose to assign damage to one specific player on the team. So if your team does not block a creature, your opponents can choose to deal damage to you or to your teammate as they deem appropriate. If they choose your teammate specifically at this point, then the above answer holds true and you won't have to remove a counter from your Elocutors. If they deal damage to you, you'll have to remove a counter.