ninjutsu

[FoxBlade]

Can players play ninjutsu abilities after the blocking phase?

[sclabman]

Ninjutsu is necessarily played after blockers are declared, as it needs to return an unblocked creature. Perhaps you're asking if it can be used after the combat damage step, but prior to the second main phase. The answer is yes.

[dorsch]

Ninjutsu can be activated any time you could cast an instant, after blockers are declared and before the second mainphase starts.

[FoxBlade]

I mean for example, blockers has been declared then damage has been dealt and before the second main phase, can players use ninjutsu then?

As I understand there is the announce attack, attacking phase, announce blockers, damage dealing phase, resolve damage -> second main phase

The bold is the phases where I'm wondering if Ninjutsu can be played.

A friend of mine believes that after damage has been dealt you can ninjutsu again before the combat phase has ended. For example blockers has been announced, he uses ninjutsu for mistblade shinobi who deals damage to bounce a creature of mine and then uses ninjutsu to play ninja of the deep hours (though deep hours deals no damage and he doesn't draw a card).

[cdr]

As I understand there is the announce attack, attacking phase, announce blockers, damage dealing phase, resolve damage -> second main phase

The bold is the phases where I'm wondering if Ninjutsu can be played.

There are no such "phases". It's really easy to look up the steps of the combat phase in the rules: http://yawgatog.com/resources/magic-rules/#R506

You're probably thinking of steps, and old steps at that - there's no separate damage assignment phase post-M10. Damage does not go "on the stack".

There is a single Combat Damage step in which damage is both assigned and dealt, at the end of which players get priority.

Then there is an End of Combat step where both players again get priority.

[FoxBlade]

506.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat.

Those two "steps" then.

[cdr]

As the first two posters alluded to (it would've been nice if they were more specific and quoted rules), creatures are "unblocked (http://yawgatog.com/resources/magic-rules/#unblocked_creature)" until the combat phase ends.

[DarthVicious]

A friend of mine believes that after damage has been dealt you can ninjutsu again before the combat phase has ended. For example blockers has been announced, he uses ninjutsu for mistblade shinobi who deals damage to bounce a creature of mine and then uses ninjutsu to play ninja of the deep hours (though deep hours deals no damage and he doesn't draw a card).

It works like this. He attacks with a creature and you don't block it. During your declare blockers step he uses the ninjitsu of Mistblade, returning his unblocked attacker. The Shinobi is now attacking instead. (It was a NINJA! Who knew?) Combat damage ensues. Mistblades triggered ability bounces a creature of yours. During the end of combat step, the Shinobi is still an attacking creature, and is still considered unblocked. He then uses the ninjitsu ability of Deep Hour to put that into play, returning the Mistblade. Then the true identity of the creature is finally revealed as a Ninja of the Deep Hour. This ninja missed the combat damage step, so obviously he doesn't draw a card.