[Interaction] Attacking Planeswalkers

[Wallace]

This came up in another thread, I have have an "active" Island Sanctuary (http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=256), Chronomantic Escape (http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=126204) or other effect that says, Creatures can't attack you, can the attacking player still attack the Planeswalker?

Oracle Text:

Chronomantic Escape:
Until your next turn, creatures can't attack you. Remove Chronomantic Escape from the game with three time counters on it.
Suspend 3-http://resources.wizards.com/magic/images/symbols/Symbol_2_mana.gifhttp://resources.wizards.com/magic/images/symbols/white_mana.gif (Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay http://resources.wizards.com/magic/images/symbols/Symbol_2_mana.gifhttp://resources.wizards.com/magic/images/symbols/white_mana.gif and remove it from the game with three time counters on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost.)

Island Sanctuary:
If you would draw a card during your draw step, instead you may skip that draw. If you do, until your next turn, you can't be attacked except by creatures with flying and/or islandwalk.

Original Thread: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?p=210599#post210599

[Dilettante]

This is a repost from that thread:

"308.1. As the declare attackers step begins, the active player declares attackers. This game action doesn’t use the stack. If the defending player controls any planeswalkers, or the game allows the active player to attack multiple other players, he or she declares which player or planeswalker each creature is attacking. Effects from a creature that refer to a defending player refer only to the defending player it’s attacking (if it’s attacking a player) or the controller of the planeswalker it’s attacking (if it’s attacking a planeswalker). Then any abilities that triggered on attackers being declared go on the stack. (See rule 410, “Handling Triggered Abilities.”) Then the active player gets priority and players may play spells and abilities.

308.2. To declare attackers, the active player follows the steps below, in order. If at any point during the declaration of attackers, the active player is unable to comply with any of the steps listed below, the declaration was illegal; the game returns to the moment before the declaration (see rule 422, “Handling Illegal Actions,” and rule 500, “Legal Attacks and Blocks”).

308.2a The active player chooses which creatures that he or she controls, if any, will attack. The chosen creatures must be untapped, and each one must either have haste or have been controlled by the active player continuously since the beginning of the turn. For each of the chosen creatures, the active player chooses an opponent or a planeswalker controlled by an opponent for that creature to attack. Then he or she determines whether this set of attackers is legal. (See rule 500, “Legal Attacks and Blocks.”)"

308.2a clearly states that for each creature, "the active player chooses an opponent or a planeswalker controlled by an opponent for that creature to attack". It's like playing a game of multiplayer skirmish and the Planeswalker is just another optional player. Also, 308.1 separates 'church and state' how Planeswalkers and Players are kept separate. Therefore, Planeswalkers are not afforded protections by Island Sanctuary.

[mujadaddy]

So that's different than targetted damage, right? Damage must target the player, then the caster can redirect it to the 'walker, right?

[Wallace]

308.2a clearly states that for each creature, "the active player chooses an opponent or a planeswalker controlled by an opponent for that creature to attack". It's like playing a game of multiplayer skirmish and the Planeswalker is just another optional player. Also, 308.1 separates 'church and state' how Planeswalkers and Players are kept separate. Therefore, Planeswalkers are not afforded protections by Island Sanctuary.

Thanks again for posting this, looks like no hi five for Deeper on this one...:tongue:

[Dilettante]

So that's different than targetted damage, right? Damage must target the player, then the caster can redirect it to the 'walker, right?

"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. This is a redirection effect (see rule 419.6c) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see rule 419.9). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied."

Must be able to target the player in the first-place... Therefore... Ivory Mask/True Believer = No Lava Spike to Jace's face.

[mujadaddy]

"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. This is a redirection effect (see rule 419.6c) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see rule 419.9). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied."

Must be able to target the player in the first-place... Therefore... Ivory Mask/True Believer = No Lava Spike to Jace's face.

So, "yeah" then :tongue: