news | June 05, 2026

What damage can be redirected to planeswalker?

You can redirect non-combat damage that a source you control would deal from an opponent to a planeswalker that player controls. You can’t redirect combat damage, you can’t redirect other players damage, and you can’t redirect damage to your own planeswalker, but the spell or ability doesn’t need to target a player.

Does Guttersnipe deal damage to planeswalkers?

Yes, you can redirect Guttersnipe’s damage to a planeswalker, due to the rule you cited. (That’s an actual rule, not a ruling or someone’s interpretation.) Guttersnipe is dealing noncombat damage to a player, you are that player’s opponent, you control the Guttersnipe, and you may therefore redirect the damage.

Can you take damage for your planeswalker?

Planeswalkers take damage just like creatures and players do, and they lose loyalty equal to the amount of damage they take. Damage can be dealt to Planeswalkers in two ways: Attacking with creatures: A player can choose to attack a Planeswalker with their creatures instead of attacking another player.

Can lightning bolt deal damage planeswalkers?

You CAN target planeswalkers with lightning bolt. The Oracle text for lightning bolt, which can be found on Gatherer, states “any target”, which includes creatures, players and planeswalkers. Dealing damage to planeswalkers used to be handled by the “Planeswalker Redirection rule”, but this has since been removed.

Can you redirect Purphoros damage to planeswalkers?

Assuming damage isn’t prevented, you can redirect the damage to the planeswalker when the ability resolves. The fact that it doesn’t target doesn’t matter.

Can Guttersnipe redirect to planeswalker?

Do planeswalker count as opponents?

Planeswalkers are neither players nor anyone’s opponent.

Can fireball hit Planeswalkers?

You can’t target the planeswalker itself, since Fireball targets a creature or player and a planeswalker is neither. However, what you can do is target the planeswalker’s controller, then redirect the damage to the planeswalker when Fireball resolves, which often amounts to much the same thing.

Is a Planeswalker a creature?

Note that planeswalkers are neither creatures nor players, so most spells and abilities cannot target them directly. There are, however, two ways to deal damage to a planeswalker. Those creatures may be blocked normally, but if not blocked deal damage to the planeswalker instead of the player.

Can a noncombat damage card be redirected to a planeswalker?

However, noncombat damage can be redirected to a planeswalker (damage only, not lifeloss), but it doesn’t affect the player anymore when you do that. So cards like Hypnotic Specter won’t cause the opponent to discard a card if damage is redirected, since the damage is redirected to the planeswalker, and the player takes no damage.

What happens when you block a planeswalker in magic?

They can then block with their creatures as they normally would. The Planeswalker loses a number of loyalty counters equal to the damage done by each unblocked creature attacking it. You can also target Planeswalkers with instants and sorceries if “any target” or “Planeswalker” is the potential target of the spell. 8.

Can you make a planeswalker feel like a player?

They’re, well, planeswalkers. There are a few things you can do that make them feel like players: you can redirect damage like this, and you can choose to attack them or your opponents with your creatures. But they aren’t players. If a card actually says “player”, it means a player, not a planeswalker.

Can a spell you control also target a planeswalker?

Any spell that can target a player, can also target a planeswalker. If a spell or ability you control would deal damage to an opponent, you may have it deal that damage to a Planeswalker that opponent controls instead.