Protection



Protection is a static ability which means that the affected permanent has limited protection from effects of a stated quality. Protection is normally written "Protection from {quality}" (e.g. a creature with protection from black cares about effects that are black).

The abilities of protection are best summed up with the acronym "D.E.B.T.".

D - All Damage that would be dealt from sources of that quality is prevented. For example, if a creature has protection from black, it cannot be dealt damage by black creatures or spells.

E - The card cannot be Enchanted, Equipped, or Fortified by cards of that quality. For example, if a creature has protection from black, it cannot be enchanted by black enchantments; or by black equipment. If a creature gains protection from the quality after it has already been enchanted/equipped, the attached cards will detach and go where the rules would normally force them to go in that circumstance.

B - Creatures of the stated quality cannot Block the protected creature. For example, a creature with protection from black cannot be blocked by black creatures.

T - The creature can't be Targeted by sources of the named quality. For example, a creature with protection from black cannot be targeted by a Doom Blade.

Comprehensive Rules
702.16. Protection


 * 702.16a. Protection is a static ability, written "Protection from [quality]." This quality is usually a color (as in "protection from black") but can be any characteristic value. If the quality happens to be a card name, it is treated as such only if the protection ability specifies that the quality is a name. If the quality is a card type, subtype, or supertype, the ability applies to sources that are permanents with that card type, subtype, or supertype and to any sources not on the battlefield that are of that card type, subtype, or supertype. This is an exception to rule 109.2.


 * 702.16b. A permanent or player with protection can't be targeted by spells with the stated quality and can't be targeted by abilities from a source with the stated quality.


 * 702.16c. A permanent or player with protection can't be enchanted by Auras that have the stated quality. Such Auras attached to the permanent or player with protection will be put into their owners' graveyards as a state-based action. (See rule 704, "State-Based Actions.")


 * 702.16d. A permanent with protection can't be equipped by Equipment that have the stated quality or fortified by Fortifications that have the stated quality. Such Equipment or Fortifications become unattached from that permanent as a state-based action, but remain on the battlefield. (See rule 704, "State-Based Actions.")


 * 702.16e. Any damage that would be dealt by sources that have the stated quality to a permanent or player with protection is prevented.


 * 702.16f. Attacking creatures with protection can't be blocked by creatures that have the stated quality.


 * 702.16g. "Protection from [quality A] and from [quality B]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A]" and "protection from [quality B]"; it behaves as two separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B].


 * 702.16h. "Protection from all [characteristic]" is shorthand for "protection from [quality A]," "protection from [quality B]," and so on for each possible quality the listed characteristic could have; it behaves as multiple separate protection abilities. If an effect causes an object with such an ability to lose protection from [quality A], for example, that object would still have protection from [quality B], [quality C], and so on.


 * 702.16i. "Protection from everything" is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from everything has protection from each object regardless of that object's characteristic values. Such a permanent can't be targeted by spells or abilities, enchanted by Auras, equipped by Equipment, fortified by Fortifications, or blocked by creatures, and all damage that would be dealt to it is prevented.


 * 702.16j. "Protection from [a player]" is a variant of the protection ability. A permanent with protection from a specific player has protection from each object the player controls and protection from each object the player owns not controlled by another player, regardless of that object's characteristic values. Such a permanent can't be targeted by spells or abilities the player controls, enchanted by Auras the player controls, equipped by Equipment the player controls, fortified by Fortifications the player controls, or blocked by creatures the player controls, and all damage that would be dealt to it by sources controlled by the player or owned by the player but not controlled by another player is prevented.


 * 702.16k. Multiple instances of protection from the same quality on the same permanent or player are redundant.