Lifelink rule changes

[The Legacy Weapon]

The new rule changes have caused some confusion in my group on lifelink. To make it short I'll just ask the question. If I gain control of a creature with lifelink and attack its owner with it, who gains the life?

[Taurelin]

You.


And regarding this question, there is no difference between old rules and new rules.

[Valtrix]

Indeed. Who gains life is determined by who the controller of for the effect that gives life. For example, if a creature has lifelink, the person who gains life is the controller of that creature, no matter who they are. However, if you have something like spirit link (which reads "Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life), then the person who gains life is the person who controls spirit link, since spirit link is the source giving life, and not the creature. (If spirit link read, "Enchanted creature has, "Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life," then the controller of the creature would be the person to gain life, since that gain would be coming from the creature.)

The big difference here with the new rules is that things that originally had lifelink are changing to happen right with damage, but things like spirit link are going to stay as they were originally worded. However, that change still doesn't affect who gains life.

[blueneverfails]

Indeed. Who gains life is determined by who the controller of for the effect that gives life. For example, if a creature has lifelink, the person who gains life is the controller of that creature, no matter who they are. However, if you have something like spirit link (which reads "Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life), then the person who gains life is the person who controls spirit link, since spirit link is the source giving life, and not the creature. (If spirit link read, "Enchanted creature has, "Whenever this creature deals damage, you gain that much life," then the controller of the creature would be the person to gain life, since that gain would be coming from the creature.)

The big difference here with the new rules is that things that originally had lifelink are changing to happen right with damage, but things like spirit link are going to stay as they were originally worded. However, that change still doesn't affect who gains life.


Actually the only really big difference with lifelink is that it doesnt stack anymore, if you have say 2 lifelinks on the creatures, it will only gain life once like trample, its not worth it to have more than 1 anymore. its a static ability now.

[KrzyMoose]

Actually the only really big difference with lifelink is that it doesnt stack anymore, if you have say 2 lifelinks on the creatures, it will only gain life once like trample, its not worth it to have more than 1 anymore. its a static ability now.

Uhm...actually, the biggest difference is that now damage can resolve and you won't die if you have a creature with Lifelink (assuming you were in a situation like that, etc). But, that ties into Lifelink being a static ability.

Do note, however, that the wording "Whenever *this* deals damage, you gain that much life" is actually different from Lifelink. The former is a triggered ability, and also stacks. Some cards, though, have had the Oracle wording changed to replace the triggered ability with Lifelink, as in the case of Loxodon Warhammer.

[Anusien]

Loxodon Warhammer now uses Lifelink. Anything else printed with the triggered ability still has the triggered ability. (Many of those things had been errata'ed to have Lifelink and have since been errata'ed back.)