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Nightwind Glider & Protection from Black -
Rich at Document All Stars, Thursday, June 15, 2000 12:56 PM

If a Nightwind Glider (2/1 protection from black) is already in play and an Ascendant Evincar (3/3 flying, all black creatures get +1/+1 and all nonblack creatures get -1/-1) is played, does the glider die? I realize that protection prevents all targeted effect from the protection from color as well as targeted spells, enchantments and damage, but in this case I wasn't sure. Also, would the glider take non-targeted damage from the protection from color. For instance, if a Thrashing Wumpas (3/3, B deal 1 damage to all creatures and all players) used its ability (to deal 1 damage to everything) would the glider die?

My answer:
Issues: Protection from a color · targeting versus area effects
Principles: Protection from a color does four things:
  • The creature cannot be "targeted" by spells or abilities that are that color (now in this case the Thrashing Wumpas's ability as well as the Ascendant's coming into play effect are non-targeted, the tip off is the "to all creatures..." or " all non-black creatures", ie no use of the word "target" anywhere).
  • The creature can't be enchanted by enchantments that have that color.
  • Any damage that would be dealt to it from sources of that color is *prevented* (in your example the Wumpas damage would be assigned to the ProBlack glider, but then the protection from black would kick in and reduce the damage to zero)
  • The creature cannot be blocked by creatures of that color.
Note that protection from a color does NOT protect the creature from non-targeted effects that would reduce its power/toughness (ex. by placing -1/-1 counters or giving all creatures -1/-1). Protection only reduces DAMAGE to zero.
The Answer: The Ascendant's effect would give the Glider a -1/-1 until end of turn. This is not damage, and is not targeted. The Glider would die. The Wumpas would create global damage that would impact the Glider, but the Glider's protection from black would reduce all such damage to zero. Note, the damage would be prevented. This is not a replacement effect. Any thing that would trigger on damage be dealt would not trigger.