Let’s say that your opponent is attacking you with the Archangel and a rather large green creature. You’re kind of at a low life total, so you kinda need to block. But all you have left on defense is a Elvish Mystic, and you’re tapped out to boot. How can you survive the turn?
Declaring blockers is actually made up of a series of steps. First, you choose which creature that could block will block, and what they’re blocking. Then you check to make sure you’re fulfilling requirements and not violating any restrictions (which there are none here). Then we check to see if any creatures need to pay a cost in order to block, we get to activate mana abilities, then we pay those costs to block. But once we get past that first check of the legality of the block, we don’t check again. So it’s possible to block with the Mystic, then tap the Mystic for mana to pay the cost to allow it to block. The Mystic will still be blocking that attacking creature, and it will still deal and receive damage like normal.
While this may not come up in every match, or even many tournaments, it’s a little trick to keep in your toolbox. Who knows when it may come up? But we’ll see you tomorrow!
Today’s Rules Tip written by Nathan Long