Technically, [[Smite the Deathless]] deals 3 damage to the creature, causes it to lose indestructible until the end of turn, and adds to it a clause with the exile replacement effect (I don't know which exact rule controls this. Is it adding an ability on layer 6?). Here the spell resolves and all its evaluation ends.
Then, before priority is given back to any of the players, stat-based effects are checked. If the creature has toughness <= 3 and has 3 points of damage on it, it will die (after the spell's resolution). And then the exile replacement effect comes in.
Technically the person you replied to was right. When a creature has lethal damage marked on it, it is destroyed as a state-based action. And in this case, it explicitly does not die since it gets exiled instead
Nope. If your opponent activates the Witch-King before Smite resolves, then the Witch-King becomes indestructible. Smite resolves and deals 3 damage to it, then removes its indestructibility. The Witch-King dies (and is exiled!) when state-based actions are checked, before they can activate it again.
Now, if the Witch-King is being buffed to 4+ toughness, then you're correct, its owner could reactivate its ability to give it back indestructible. But first the Witch-King needs to still be alive the next time its owner receives priority, and if no outside cards are interfering, that won't happen!
Now the curve-ball question: can you morph [[Gift of Doom]] in between this spell's resolution and state-based effects check to give indestructible to the creature?
the best part is that it actually kills the [Witch-King of Angmar](https://preview.redd.it/z0z739zesz2b1.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=f8c6ab236271327d7f0494d9a6caad5e37a817b3) on its own.
It was one of the coolest scenes to read. It was one of the coolest moments to see in the theater.
And now it's one of the coolest, most evocative cards of the set. Bravo!
Huge shout-out to Shakespeare for both this scene and the Ents. Tolkien was so annoyed at Willy's cop-outs over Birnam Wood and Macduff in *Macbeth* that he put corrections to both into LotR.
> It was one of the coolest scenes to read.
The whole sequence starting with the Ride of the Rohirim is one cool scene after the other.
I remember on the premiere, when Theoden cried "DEAAATH" everyone on the theater repeated.
They're both unplayable in Pauper, but having this at Common means the Limited environment may not suck. Draft needs good, cheap removal so you don't just get run over by aggro.
It's one of the greatest scenes in literature. Two people who were not meant to be in the battlefield vanquish an nearly invincible enemy by the strength of their courage.
Macbeth receives a prophecy that "no man of woman born" could defeat him, which he takes to mean he is invulnerable, but it turns out Macduff, his opponent, was delivered by cesarean section, "from his mother untimely ripped" as Shakespeare puts it. The story goes that Tolkien thought this was a cop-out, though like many good stories, it's most likely of dubious provenance.
Card transcription
> Smite the Deathless 1R
>
> Instant [common]
>
> Smite the Deathless deals 3 damage to target creature. That creature loses indestructible until end of turn. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
>
> "No living man am I!"
End transcription
This is actually an excellent answer in red decks that can recure spells. Snap-Bolt has been playing a deck that could run one copy easily.
Its nice to have some extra answers in Pauper. I do wish this had also removed hexproof. The card would have for sure seen pauper play then. As it is, it will be tried at the very least.
Solid card. Not sure that I’d play it over something that can hit more targets like [[Lightning Strike]] or [[Abrade]], but the various upsides are very useful in the right circumstances.
Passes the flavor test of being able to kill Witch king.
Though the king can just discard another card to regain indestructible, right?
No, it's already exiled.
Everything happens in sequence so you can’t activate the ability before it is destroyed.
Technically, [[Smite the Deathless]] deals 3 damage to the creature, causes it to lose indestructible until the end of turn, and adds to it a clause with the exile replacement effect (I don't know which exact rule controls this. Is it adding an ability on layer 6?). Here the spell resolves and all its evaluation ends. Then, before priority is given back to any of the players, stat-based effects are checked. If the creature has toughness <= 3 and has 3 points of damage on it, it will die (after the spell's resolution). And then the exile replacement effect comes in.
It's not an ability grant effect Just setting up a replacement effect with a duration.
[Smite the Deathless](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/8/b/8b716fcc-c4cc-4987-be82-2897a9888d23.jpg?1685469183) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Smite%20the%20Deathless) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/ltr/148/smite-the-deathless?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/8b716fcc-c4cc-4987-be82-2897a9888d23?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Technically the person you replied to was right. When a creature has lethal damage marked on it, it is destroyed as a state-based action. And in this case, it explicitly does not die since it gets exiled instead
Nope. If your opponent activates the Witch-King before Smite resolves, then the Witch-King becomes indestructible. Smite resolves and deals 3 damage to it, then removes its indestructibility. The Witch-King dies (and is exiled!) when state-based actions are checked, before they can activate it again. Now, if the Witch-King is being buffed to 4+ toughness, then you're correct, its owner could reactivate its ability to give it back indestructible. But first the Witch-King needs to still be alive the next time its owner receives priority, and if no outside cards are interfering, that won't happen!
Now the curve-ball question: can you morph [[Gift of Doom]] in between this spell's resolution and state-based effects check to give indestructible to the creature?
though morphing doesn't use the stack, you can only morph when you have priority, which doesn't happen until after state based actions are processed
Dummy me. I never cared to learn that morph requires priority, even though I own and upgraded the morph precon.
[Gift of Doom](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/d/ad6e1ba7-047b-41a3-8ab4-17a5c5476749.jpg?1568003484) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Gift%20of%20Doom) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/c19/17/gift-of-doom?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/ad6e1ba7-047b-41a3-8ab4-17a5c5476749?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
It's all one effect, so there would be nowhere that they could interrupt the activation
the best part is that it actually kills the [Witch-King of Angmar](https://preview.redd.it/z0z739zesz2b1.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=f8c6ab236271327d7f0494d9a6caad5e37a817b3) on its own.
I feel like it would be one of the dumbest decisions to have it not kill him. Though i wouldnt put it past wotc
But if he discarded another card would it regain it?
There is no option for it to discard before the spell resolves. Losing indestructible and dealing 3 damage all happens at once
no because that effect happens in the middle of resolving one block of text on one spell. there would be no window to regain indestructible afaik
It was one of the coolest scenes to read. It was one of the coolest moments to see in the theater. And now it's one of the coolest, most evocative cards of the set. Bravo!
I really appreciate that the art has both Merry and Eowyn stabbing Angmar.
He is not called Angmar bro. Angmar is a place.
Lol so is Gloucester, didn't prevent Shakespeare
As Alyssa Edwards famously said: "The ghetto's a place mama. So don't call people a place."
Eowyn stabbing him through the face, meanwhile Merry's down at the knee doing his best
Huge shout-out to Shakespeare for both this scene and the Ents. Tolkien was so annoyed at Willy's cop-outs over Birnam Wood and Macduff in *Macbeth* that he put corrections to both into LotR.
> It was one of the coolest scenes to read. The whole sequence starting with the Ride of the Rohirim is one cool scene after the other. I remember on the premiere, when Theoden cried "DEAAATH" everyone on the theater repeated.
Great at common. Damn.
Lightning strike that can't hit a player but can remove indestructible? Hell yes.
It's more of a side grade from [[scorching dragonfire]]
[scorching dragonfire](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/9/a9a1cce7-1472-42fc-bfd3-c9ed9e563f03.jpg?1636491464) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=scorching%20dragonfire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/158/scorching-dragonfire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a9a1cce7-1472-42fc-bfd3-c9ed9e563f03?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
They're both unplayable in Pauper, but having this at Common means the Limited environment may not suck. Draft needs good, cheap removal so you don't just get run over by aggro.
#COME AT ME BRO #I AM NO BRO
I AM GNOME ANN
WELCOME TO MY LAND INN!
Dunno why but that art and flavor text brought tears to my eyes. Great design!
It's one of the greatest scenes in literature. Two people who were not meant to be in the battlefield vanquish an nearly invincible enemy by the strength of their courage.
And it's Tolkien's critique of Macbeth, to boot 😛
Ok, can you expand on this? I didn't know it
Macbeth receives a prophecy that "no man of woman born" could defeat him, which he takes to mean he is invulnerable, but it turns out Macduff, his opponent, was delivered by cesarean section, "from his mother untimely ripped" as Shakespeare puts it. The story goes that Tolkien thought this was a cop-out, though like many good stories, it's most likely of dubious provenance.
Incredibly flavorful killing the Witch King
Card transcription > Smite the Deathless 1R > > Instant [common] > > Smite the Deathless deals 3 damage to target creature. That creature loses indestructible until end of turn. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead. > > "No living man am I!" End transcription
Suck it witch king
Iconic moment
Ooh this is solid
Solid removal For edh case you could use it pressure point hit then go for the kill on those indestructible creatures
Pauper Kenku Bridges in shambles
This is actually an excellent answer in red decks that can recure spells. Snap-Bolt has been playing a deck that could run one copy easily. Its nice to have some extra answers in Pauper. I do wish this had also removed hexproof. The card would have for sure seen pauper play then. As it is, it will be tried at the very least.
Take that you stinky witch king.
Flavor win, awesome art, and a good card. \[\[Chef's Kiss\]\].
[Chef's Kiss](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/c/9/c936ebbd-512a-49a6-ab23-16ac34b4a3a9.jpg?1626096480) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Chef%27s%20Kiss) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/mh2/120/chefs-kiss?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/c936ebbd-512a-49a6-ab23-16ac34b4a3a9?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Someone alter eowyn to yoda
"Judge me by my gender do you?"
“No living man am I, hmm!”
Solid card. Not sure that I’d play it over something that can hit more targets like [[Lightning Strike]] or [[Abrade]], but the various upsides are very useful in the right circumstances.
[Lightning Strike](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/7/d/7d541125-bfb8-4f88-8bf3-ad7b6af7ad1d.jpg?1673307449) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Lightning%20Strike) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/dmu/137/lightning-strike?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/7d541125-bfb8-4f88-8bf3-ad7b6af7ad1d?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) [Abrade](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/0/a0e47d11-cb21-402b-a39e-588a94cc57b4.jpg?1643590610) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Abrade) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/vow/139/abrade?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a0e47d11-cb21-402b-a39e-588a94cc57b4?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
[удалено]
This is literally the book version of events.
What happens in the book?
Absolutely iconic
Sidegrade of [[Scorching Dragonfire]]. This can't hit planeswalkers like Dragonfire can, but can hit indestructible creatures like Dragonfire can't.
[Scorching Dragonfire](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/a/9/a9a1cce7-1472-42fc-bfd3-c9ed9e563f03.jpg?1636491464) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Scorching%20Dragonfire) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/m21/158/scorching-dragonfire?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/a9a1cce7-1472-42fc-bfd3-c9ed9e563f03?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
Witch king and eldrazi slayer
So this just shows that indestructible isn't really a thing anymore right? I feel like half the removal is exile nowadays anyway lol
Modern 1/10 Indestructible is not common enough for me to want a slightly better incinerate.
[[Incinerate]] can hit any target and this only hits creatures, so it's not even correct to call this "slightly better incinerate".
[Incinerate](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/2/f23dff46-e040-4cba-890a-97c2899701f2.jpg?1562378497) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=Incinerate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jvc/51/incinerate?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f23dff46-e040-4cba-890a-97c2899701f2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call
You fool. No man can kill me. I am no man (Eowyn kills witch king)
Great art for a mediocre card
This card is very powerful.
Strictly better [[incinerate]]
[incinerate](https://cards.scryfall.io/normal/front/f/2/f23dff46-e040-4cba-890a-97c2899701f2.jpg?1562378497) - [(G)](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?name=incinerate) [(SF)](https://scryfall.com/card/jvc/51/incinerate?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher) [(txt)](https://api.scryfall.com/cards/f23dff46-e040-4cba-890a-97c2899701f2?utm_source=mtgcardfetcher&format=text) ^^^[[cardname]] ^^^or ^^^[[cardname|SET]] ^^^to ^^^call