Need some clarification about prevent the next X effects.

Active player attacks with Grizzly Bears and its blocked by Toxic Iguanar and Apothecary Initiate. Non-active player then plays Acolyte's Reward targeting Grizzly Bears for prevention and Active players Griselbrand for redirection.

Who decides what damage to prevent when we get to the combat damage?


CR:
615.7. Some prevention effects generated by the resolution of a spell or ability refer to a specific amount of damage – for example, “Prevent the next 3 damage that would be dealt to target creature or player this turn.” These work like shields. Each 1 damage that would be dealt to the “shielded” creature or player is prevented. Preventing 1 damage reduces the remaining shield by 1. If damage would be dealt to the shielded creature or player by two or more applicable sources at the same time, the player or the controller of the creature chooses which damage the shield prevents.

Telling that the creatures controller decides.

Card specifik rules:
2/1/2014: If the first target would be dealt combat damage by multiple creatures, you choose which of that damage to prevent. (For example, if one of those creatures has deathtouch, you could choose to prevent the damage from that creature specifically.) You don’t decide until the point at which the creatures would deal their damage.

Telling that the controller of the preventing effect decides.


Cheers
Jakob Lernhage

Edited Jakob Lernhage (May 24, 2014 04:36:45 AM)

As the rule you quoted says, the controller of the object that would be damaged gets to choose which damage is prevented. The Gatherer ruling you quoted assumes you would be targeting your own creature, not a creature an opponent controls. In your case, the controller of the Grizzly Bears gets to choose if they want to prevent the 1 damage from the Iguanar or the 1 damage from the Initiate.

Also, note that the Reward does not involve any redirection of damage. The damage is prevented, then the Reward deals damage equal to the damage that was prevented. If the Iguanar had deathtouch in this case, they could choose to prevent the damage from the Iguanar, then the Reward would deal 1 damage to Griselbrand, so both the Bears and Griselbrand would survive.

Nathan Long
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