Planeswalkers and damage issues.

[The Legacy Weapon]

I have a questions about how some damage spells affect planeswalkers. Will something that refers to all players like Flame Rift or Pestilence hit a planeswalker as well as the players?

[ansset]

Dependent on whether you control the source of the damage. Source of damage may decide to redirect to a planeswalker, and ONLY the source of said damage may decide.

[cdr]

To be less confusing:


212.9g. If noncombat damage would be dealt to a player by a source controlled by an opponent, that opponent may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker the first player controls instead.

Planeswalkers are not players.

If a spell or ability you control would deal damage to your opponent, you may have that damage dealt to a planeswalker that opponent controls instead.

If it's your Flame Rift, you can have the 4 damage that would be dealt to your opponent dealt to one of his planeswalkers instead.

[Nihil Credo]

Interestingly, that rules says that if you play a Flame Rift, you cannot redirect the 4 points of self-damage to a planeswalker you control.

A rather strange choice - I don't think it could have been abused too bad (Volcano Hellion?).

[citanul]

a source controlled by an opponent


I think that's the part stopping Flame Rift targetting your own planeswalker

[Pinder]

I think that's the part stopping Flame Rift targeting your own planeswalker

Right, Nihil was just commenting on how odd it is that you can't redirect self-inflicted damage to a Planeswalker you control, when it seems intuitive that you would be able to.