Lifelink

[xTrainx]

So I was playing with my brother about an hour ago...

If I block a creature with one toughness(Hellspark, 3/1) with Vampire Nighthawk(2/3 lifelink), how much life do I gain, and how is damage assigned?

Do I deal full damage to the creature, and gain 2 or...?

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I am at 2 life. He attacks with a 2/2 creature and a 1/2 creature. I block with Vampire Nighthawk, blocking the 1/2.

Due to lifelink and damage being done simultaneously, who wins?
Do I survive and stay at 2 life, or does he deal two damage before I can add life?

[cdr]

1) I'm not sure what you mean. The Nighthawk has 2 power and is blocking one creature, so it assigns two damage to that creature and then deals two damage to that creature. Since it deals 2 damage, you gain 2 life.


702.13a. Lifelink is a static ability. Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source's controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life.

2) No one wins. You simultaneously lose 2 life and gain 2 life. Losing the game is a state-based action, and state based actions are only checked when someone would get priority.

[xTrainx]

So I would remain at two total life.

Thanks for clearing that up.

[Forbiddian]

So I would remain at two total life.

Thanks for clearing that up.

For more background: Lifelink used to be a triggered ability (prior to M10), so players would die with lifelink triggers on the stack. In M10, they changed Lifelink to gaining the life immediately, but as with any somewhat recent rules changes, there will be people who don't know and try to play the old rules.