Skipping Declare Blockers Phase?

[Atikin]

I declare my delver as attacking, my opponent goes to swords it, I swan song his swords. Can the swan token he gets block my delver during this combat phase? If yes/no, how does this work?

[apple713]

I declare my delver as attacking, my opponent goes to swords it, I swan song his swords. Can the swan token he gets block my delver during this combat phase? If yes/no, how does this work?

Declare Attackers step

508.3. Third, the active player gets priority. Players may cast spells and activate abilities.

swords
swan song
token

then...

509. Declare Blockers Step

so yes

[Atikin]

Declare Attackers step

508.3. Third, the active player gets priority. Players may cast spells and activate abilities.

swords
swan song
token

then...

509. Declare Blockers Step

so yes

Is there a scenario/phase where he plays the swords and isnt able to block with the token in the end?

[ESG]

I believe if he played the Swords to Plowshares after the first part of the Declare Blockers step, then he would not be able to block with the token generated. He has to have the creature in play when he can legally declare blockers, unless it's a card that comes into the battlefield blocking, in which case he could play that card later in that step. (Such as the Flash Foliage example below.)

509.7. If a creature is put onto the battlefield blocking, its controller chooses which attacking creature it's blocking as it enters the battlefield (unless the effect that put it onto the battlefield specifies what it's blocking), then the active player announces the new creature's placement in the blocked creature's damage assignment order. The relative order among the remaining blocking creatures is unchanged. A creature put onto the battlefield this way is "blocking" but, for the purposes of trigger events and effects, it never "blocked."

Example: Lumengrid Warden is blocked by Grizzly Bears. The defending player casts Flash Foliage, which puts a Saproling token onto the battlefield blocking the Lumengrid Warden. Lumengrid Warden's controller announces the Lumengrid Warden's damage assignment order as the Saproling token, then Grizzly Bears.

I don't know why your opponent would ever choose to do that, though. I also don't understand why you would board in Swan Song against a deck with Swords to Plowshares if you're a Delver deck. Giving your opponent flying creatures kinda negates the advantage of playing Delver.

[Esper3k]

Is there a scenario/phase where he plays the swords and isnt able to block with the token in the end?

Only if you can get him to wait until the Declare Blockers step or later before StPing your Delver.

[FTW]

Only if you can get him to wait until the Declare Blockers step or later before StPing your Delver.

This. But any smart opponent would cast it in Declare Attackers. Because there is virtually no drawback to doing so and there is a potential drawback to waiting until after Declare Blockers (even if it is something silly like giving up the ability to bluff flash-blocking with Spellstutter Sprite or Scryb Ranger)

[Esper3k]

This. But any smart opponent would cast it in Declare Attackers. Because there is virtually no drawback to doing so and there is a potential drawback to waiting until after Declare Blockers (even if it is something silly like giving up the ability to bluff flash-blocking with Spellstutter Sprite or Scryb Ranger)

Agreed. I think your only real chance of it is just declaring attackers and say "I pass priority." and hope they screw up and pass it back.

[Technics]

You can also ask the opponent when they are using swords. Most will only reply "before damage", you can ask for a specification, and hope they screw up from there.

[Julian23]

There are situations where you want to wait until blockers. For example trying to blow him out after Ninjitsu or expecting a pump-spell. These are mostly Pauper metagame scenarios - but they exist.

[TsumiBand]

You can also ask the opponent when they are using swords. Most will only reply "before damage", you can ask for a specification, and hope they screw up from there.

So, this caught my attention. Maybe I've been lucky? But no one has ever used the phrase 'before damage' in a game of Magic with me, or any game I've ever viewed, to indicate anything but the step after blockers could be chosen yet still before damage is going to be assigned.

What I mean by this is, arguably if someone used the phrase 'before damage' in a game of Magic with me, and I can only assume anyone who's ever played Magic "round these parts" for what that's worth, it would be held to mean the same thing and if someone were to try and later say "and by that I meant before blockers as well". If one means "before blockers", one should say "before blockers" and not "before damage".

I may as well constantly say "before your end step" and try and catch people making timing errors they didn't know they were making.

YOU - "Attack with Basking Rootwalla."
ME - "I'll take it, but before your end step I'll cast Giant Growth on it"
Y "Oh cool, well then I'll pump it with its ability, and cast Bounty of the Hunt and Berserk!!"
M "Sounds good, ohshi I should write down my life total. I'm at....19."
Y "...why how"
M "...we did all that after combat but before your end step. You know, your postcombat main phase."

If we were trying to play the 'gotcha' game here (which is ill-advised, always), it would probably be better to do so by letting the Swords/Swan play out and then letting the opponent see if they had any more effects. "Any other effects?" "Nope." "Okay, so... I have you at 17?"