4/2s for four have been powerful in the past (hello Flametongue Kavu), and the Shaman is no exception. A 4/2 with haste, the ability to draw cards, and the ability to make your creatures bigger if they deal combat damage to a player can be a powerful combination of abilities. But what happens if you attack with the Shaman and a bunch of other creatures, but your Shaman gets blocked and killed?
Unless first or double strike is involved, all combat damage is dealt at the same time. For instance, let’s say I attack with the Shaman and a 2/2 creature. You block my Shaman with your 3/3 creature. When it comes time to assign and deal combat damage, the Shaman and the 3/3 deal damage to each other, and the 2/2 deals its damage to you. The Shaman sees that the 2/2 dealt combat damage to a player, so its ability triggers. Then we check state-based actions, and the game sees the Shaman (and the opposing 3/3) both have lethal damage marked on them, and both creatures die. Then we put the Shaman’s trigger on the stack. Even though the Shaman is no longer on the battlefield, the trigger will still resolve like normal, and my 2/2 will still get the +1/+1 counter.
That’s all I got for today. See you all tomorrow!
Today’s Rules Tip written by Nathan Long