You’re at 5 life. Your opponent is attacking you with an Indulgent Tormentor and a Sliver Hivelord. You have a lone Wall of Essence on your side ready to die for your protection. You block the Hivelord. Damage from the Tormentor goes through and the Wall’s ability triggers- Are you dead?
If you guessed “Yes” you would be correct. Wall of Essence has a triggered ability that triggers when it receives damage. Since damage has gone through, you are at 0 life when state based actions are checked. This means you lose the game. The Wall’s ability will never even make it to the stack. Next time you’re facing imminent death with a Wall of Essence on board, do your best to stay above 1 life when combat damage goes through.
Today’s Rules Tip written by Daniel Clarke