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The first rule that most players learn inMagic: The Gatheringis that you start with 20 life, and if that number drops to zero or lower, you lose. Gaining life might not win you the game outright, but it can keep you standing long enough to effect a comeback. Lifelilnk is one of the most efficient ways to make that happen.
Like most things in Magic, lifelink is fairly simple on paper, but can lead to some strange corner case scenarios that leave players scratching their heads. Here, we’ll break down how lifelink works and answer some common questions about this classic ability.
What Does Lifelink Do?
Lifelink is a creature ability; whenever a creature with lifelink deals damage, its controller gains that much life. So, if you attack or block with a 3/3 creature with lifelink, and it deals combat damage, you gain 3 life.
There are some important things to note about lifelink:
Noncreature Spells With Lifelink
It’s possible, though rare, for noncreature spells to gain lifelink. For example,Heartflame Duelistgives lifelink to all instants and sorceries that you control. In those cases, if the spell deals damage, you gain that much life. If it doesn’t deal damage, lifelink has no real effect.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lifelink
Lifelink can lead to some confusion for new players, so here are the answers to some frequently-asked questions around the Internet.
Do Blockers With Lifelink Still Let You Gain Life?
Yes, since blocking creatures deal damage, if they have lifelink then their controller will gain life equal to the damage dealt.
If An Opponent Takes Control Of My Lifelink Creature, Who Gains Life?
The rules for lifelink state that the card’scontroller gains life equal to the damage dealt, not the owner. If an opponent gains control of your lifelink creature and deals damage to you with it,they will gain the life instead of you.
What Happens If Lifelink Damage Is Prevented?
If a card with lifelink is prevented from dealing its damage - perhaps its target is removed from play before the damage resolves, for example - then its controller will not gain life. Since the card dealing damage is the prerequisite for gaining life from lifelink, if the damage doesn’t happen, neither does the life gain.
What If A Creature Has Both Lifelink And Deathtouch?
A creature with deathtouchstill deals damage equal to its powerin combat, so its controller would gain life equal to that amount. Alldeathtouchmeans is that the creature it damages will die, regardless of how high its toughness may have been.
