Porphyry Nodes & Progenitus

[Tacosnape]

Porphyry Nodes reads "At the beginning of your upkeep, destroy the creature with the least power. It can't be regenerated. If two or more creatures are tied for least power, you choose one of them."

If the only creature in play is Progenitus, am I correct in assuming this triggered ability can kill Progenitus, as he's not being targeted and not immune to destruction?

[parallax]

That's correct.

[johanessen]

A judge told me last week that if a tabernacle at pendrell vale is in play you have to pay {1} or progenitus die. Is that similar to your case?

[parallax]

Similar but different. Tabernacle does not target and Progenitus can still be sacrificed.

[quicksilver]

702.14. Protection

702.14a Protection is a static ability, written “Protection from [quality].” This quality is usually a color (as in “protection from black”) but can be any characteristic value. If the quality happens to be a card name, it is treated as such only if the protection ability specifies that the quality is a name. If the quality is a card type, subtype, or supertype, the ability applies to sources that are permanents with that card type, subtype, or supertype and to any sources not on the battlefield that are of that card type, subtype, or supertype. This is an exception to rule 109.2.

702.14b A permanent or player with protection can’t be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can’t be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.

702.14c A permanent or player with protection can’t be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality. Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners’ graveyards as a state-based action. (See rule 704, “State-Based Actions.”)

702.14d A permanent with protection can’t be equipped by Equipment that have the stated quality or fortified by Fortifications that have the stated quality. Such Equipment or Fortifications become unattached from that permanent as a state-based action, but remain on the battlefield. (See rule 704, “State-Based Actions.”)

702.14e Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented.

702.14f Attacking creatures with protection can’t be blocked by creatures that have the stated quality.

702.14g “Protection from [quality A] and from [quality B]” is shorthand for “protection from [quality A]” and “protection from [quality B]”; it behaves as two separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B].

702.14h “Protection from all [characteristic]” is shorthand for “protection from [quality A],” “protection from [quality B],” and so on for each possible quality the listed characteristic could have; it behaves as multiple separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B], [quality C], and so on.

702.14i “Protection from everything” is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object’s characteristic values. Such a permanent can’t be targeted by spells or abilities, enchanted by Auras, equipped by Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it is prevented.

702.14j Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent or player are redundant.

So according to the rules, protection only stops: targeting, damage, enchanting, equiping/fortifying, and blocking.

Both Porphyry Nodes and The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale do none of those things, so protection will not save progenitus from either of them.

[johanessen]

Similar but different. Tabernacle does not target and Progenitus can still be sacrificed.

Porphyry Nodes (and Drop of Honey) does not target as The Tabernacle nor does. New Tabernacle effect (land card one) destroys the creature instead of sac effect.