Redirecting damage to planeswalkers Asked by nsecord 8 years ago. So at fnm today I was told something that struck me as rather odd, this was that if i swung at my opponent with a creature with something like Sword of War and Peace equiped I could redirect the damage from its ability at his planeswalker (Garruk Relentless Flip Flip in this case).

toportime:

Neither Epochalyptik nor I are saying Saskia's ability has a built in redirection effect. We are referring to rule 306.7:

306.7. If noncombat damage would be dealt to a player by a source controlled by an opponent, that opponent may have that source deal that damage to a planeswalker the first player controls instead. This is a redirection effect (see rule 614.9) and is subject to the normal rules for ordering replacement effects (see rule 616). The opponent chooses whether to redirect the damage as the redirection effect is applied.

Because the ability triggered from Saskia is non-combat damage, this rule applies and you may choose to redirect the non-combat damage to a planeswalker that the chosen player controls.

Magic Arena Redirect Dmg To Planeswalker Login

This does not target the planeswalker, nor does it even target the player.

Magic Arena Redirect Dmg To Planeswalker List

Replacement effects are applied during the resolution process. So the opponent will not know if you are choosing to redirect the damage or not until the ability is already resolving, which at that point no player has priority and can therefore not respond or do anything. Hence 'the surpise'.