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Rules Q&A » Post: Totem armor and "exiling" damage spells

Totem armor and "exiling" damage spells

March 18, 2015 11:05:33 AM

Mario Haßler
Judge (Uncertified)

German-speaking countries

Totem armor and "exiling" damage spells

A creature, enchanted with a totem armor aura (e. g. Hyena Umbra), is dealt lethal damage by a spell like Anger of the Gods.

According to CR 702.88a, totem armor creates a replacement effect for the “destroy” event: “If enchanted permanent would be destroyed, instead remove all damage marked on it and destroy this Aura.”

The damage spell creates a replacement effect for the “die” event: “If a creature dealt damage this way would die this turn, exile it instead.”

During state-based actions, a creature with lethal damage on it will be destroyed, see CR 704.5g. CR 701.6a tells us “To destroy a permanent, move it from the battlefield to its owner's graveyard.” And finally, CR 700.4 explains “The term dies means ‘is put into a graveyard from the battlefield.’”

My question is: Are the two replacement effects trying to replace the same event, so that the creature's controller chooses which to apply first (the other will do nothing)? Or is the “destroy” replacement by totem armor always first in line, so that the creature never tries to go to the graveyard and hence the “die” replacement never has a chance to jump in?

March 24, 2015 06:31:26 PM

Callum Milne
Forum Moderator
Judge (Uncertified)

Canada - Western Provinces

Totem armor and "exiling" damage spells

Your second option is the correct one. Totem Armor is looking for the creature to be destroyed, while Anger of the Gods is looking for the creature to die, which is what would happen if it gets destroyed.

We apply Totem Armor's replacement first, and it replaces the destruction event entirely. This means the game never gets around to the creature dying, so Anger of the Gods never has a chance to apply.