creatures that take damage and have counters on them

[John Salerno]

if a creature has multiple +1/+1 counters on it and it takes damage, say
from a Shock, do you remove just one counter, or does Shock deal 2 damage to
it normally? i wasn't sure if the former possibility was just a mechanic
from the phantom creatures, or if that's how it works with all creatures
that have counters rather than a set power/toughness....

[Daniel W. Johnson]

Post by John Salerno
if a creature has multiple +1/+1 counters on it and it takes damage, say
from a Shock, do you remove just one counter, or does Shock deal 2 damage to
it normally?

That depends on the exact text of the ability that removes the counters.

If it says, "If damage would be dealt to ~this~, prevent that damage.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from ~this~," you remove one (1) counter in that
case, just after all the damage is prevented. (And if there was no
counter, the damage would be prevented anyway.)

If it says "For each 1 damage that would be dealt to ~this~, if it has a
+1/+1 counter on it, remove a +1/+1 counter from it and prevent that 1
damage," you would remove 2 counters as a result of the Shock while the
damage itself is prevented. (And if there were less than 2 counters,
the remaining damage would be dealt normally.)

[Andy Jakcsy]

John Salerno sez:

<<

Post by John Salerno
if a creature has multiple +1/+1 counters on it and it takes damage, say
from a Shock, do you remove just one counter, or does Shock deal 2 damage to
it normally? i wasn't sure if the former possibility was just a mechanic
from the phantom creatures, or if that's how it works with all creatures
that have counters rather than a set power/toughness....

No. The only thing inherent in +1/+1 counters is that they give a creature
+1/+1. Anything else is a function of the CARD, not the COUNTER.


----
Gravedigger, when you dig my grave, could you make it shallow so that I can
feel the rain?
-- Dave Matthews Band, "Gravedigger"

[David DeLaney]

Post by John Salerno
if a creature has multiple +1/+1 counters on it and it takes damage, say
from a Shock, do you remove just one counter, or does Shock deal 2 damage to
it normally? i wasn't sure if the former possibility was just a mechanic
from the phantom creatures, or if that's how it works with all creatures
that have counters rather than a set power/toughness....

The former possibility is only for creatures that say this specifically:
the Phantoms, and a couple of Hydras from way earlier. Nothing in the rules
says anything about removing counters as a creature takes damage, so this
usually Can't Happen; the Shock just deals 2 damage to the creature in the
normal way, which is then obsessively compared against its toughness until
end of turn.

Dave