Clarification of Damage Prevention

The comment attached to the ruling on playing damage prevention cards seems to have caused some confusion: > Damage Prevention cards: are not restricted to strike resolution. > # > # Combat cards can be played whenever appropriate during combat - and > # any time preventable damage is inflicted is an appropriate time for > # damage prevention. Allow me to elaborate: combat cards can be played only during combat combat cards can be played during combat whenever appropriate receiving preventable damage is an appropriate time for damage prevention So, if preventable damage is received during combat, you can play a combat card to prevent that damage (even if it is not during strike resolution, since damage prevention is not tied to strike resolution). If preventable damage is done *outside* of combat, damage prevention is still may be used, as allowed by card text. This doesn't mean that combat-only damage prevention (like Skin of Rock, Flak Jacket, and Resplendent Protector) can be used, since they aren't usable outside of combat. The only damage prevention currently available outside of combat is Blood Tears (and explicit card text errata on superior Rutor's Hand). Sorry for the confusion. -- L. Scott Johnson (vte...@wizards.com) VTES Net.Rep for Wizards of the Coast. Searchable database of official card text, errata, and rulings: http://deckserver.net/cgi-deckserver/rulemonger.cgi/powersearch

Allow me to elaborate: combat cards can be played only during combat combat cards can be played during combat whenever appropriate receiving preventable damage is an appropriate time for damage prevention So, if preventable damage is received during combat, you can play a combat card to prevent that damage (even if it is not during strike resolution, since damage prevention is not tied to strike resolution). If preventable damage is done *outside* of combat, damage prevention is still may be used, as allowed by card text. This doesn't mean that combat-only damage prevention (like Skin of Rock, Flak Jacket, and Resplendent Protector) can be used, since they aren't usable outside of combat. The only damage prevention currently available outside of combat is Blood Tears (and explicit card text errata on superior Rutor's Hand). Thanks for the clarification, now is there any reason why we cannot allow all damage prevention to be used to prevent any preventable damage in or outside of a combat??? It has always seemed ridiculous to me that damage (such as Catatonic Fear) is unpreventable simply because of its timing. It might as well be unpreventable. Blood Tears of Kephron was probably just poorly worded (like Living Manse) I can't see why it should be the exception. If Living Manse can be errated to read "end combat before maneuvers" then surely BTK should be errated to read "burn to prevent 2 damage during combat." It seems inconsistent to me to alter one because it fiddles with the rules (ie ending combat whatever phase it may be.) and not alter the other for the same reaseon (ie. preventing damage whatever the phase may be.) Karl

Karl and Sam wrote: > > > Allow me to elaborate: > > > > combat cards can be played only during combat > > combat cards can be played during combat whenever appropriate > > receiving preventable damage is an appropriate time for damage prevention > > > > So, if preventable damage is received during combat, you can play > > a combat card to prevent that damage (even if it is not during > > strike resolution, since damage prevention is not tied to strike > > resolution). > > > > If preventable damage is done *outside* of combat, damage prevention > > is still may be used, as allowed by card text. This doesn't mean > > that combat-only damage prevention (like Skin of Rock, Flak Jacket, > > and Resplendent Protector) can be used, since they aren't usable > > outside of combat. The only damage prevention currently available > > outside of combat is Blood Tears (and explicit card text errata on > > superior Rutor's Hand). > > > > Thanks for the clarification, now is there any reason why we > cannot allow all damage prevention to be used to prevent any > preventable damage in or outside of a combat??? It has always seemed > ridiculous to me that damage (such as Catatonic Fear) is unpreventable > simply because of its timing. It might as well be unpreventable. > Combat cards should only be playable in combat. It used to bug the hell out of me that combat effects could stop the damage from Rutor's Hand. The damage isn't done in combat! Combat cards are playable in combat. Action modifiers are played while you are acting (except in the very rare and understandable cases of Mask of 1000 Faces and Cloak the Gathering), and reactions are played when someone else is acting. > Blood Tears of Kephron was probably just poorly worded (like > Living Manse) I can't see why it should be the exception. If Living > Manse can be errated to read "end combat before maneuvers" then surely > BTK should be errated to read "burn to prevent 2 damage during > combat." It seems inconsistent to me to alter one because it fiddles > with the rules (ie ending combat whatever phase it may be.) and not > alter the other for the same reaseon (ie. preventing damage whatever > the phase may be.) > Blood Tears is useful *only* because it can prevent non-combat damage and can gain you blood at any time. It's hurt because it takes an action and can only be used once. There seems to be ample reason for the card to produce a unique effect. -Chris