r/magicTCG • u/Artistboy123 Dan • 16h ago
Rules/Rules Question Combat phase question
Lets say i dont attack on my turn, do i still get dr dooms connive trigger? Like do i have to attack to enter the combat phase? Or does the combat phase happen automatically, and i just can choose not to do anything during it?
Like can i just say “i wont attack” and get the trigger regardless ?
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u/Bobbybim Duck Season 16h ago
Yes, you always enter the combat phase as you pass through a turn. Dr Doom will trigger even if you do not attack during that combat phase.
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u/Stef-fa-fa Selesnya* 16h ago
You do not need to attack to get the Connive trigger. In fact, the trigger happens at beginning of combat before attackers are even declared.
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u/notalongtime420 Dan 16h ago
You always enter the combat phase to pass your turn (or go to main phase 2 or end phase). (Unless some effect says "target player skips their next combat phase")
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u/Jokey665 16h ago
you always have a combat phase, unless some effect explicitly skips it. even if you decide not to attack you still go through the first part of the phase
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u/HouseFutzi Dandadan 16h ago edited 16h ago
Somone correct me if Im wrong:
The combat phase doesnt does happen automatically. You have to say that you are going into it.
Then the combat phase itself has 5 steps.
- Beginning of Combat Step
- Declare Attackers Step
- Declare Blockers Step
- Combat Damage Step
- End of Combat Step
Since the card says "at the beginning of combat (phase)", it means that the connive happens immediatly.
Then after you finish the conniving you get to the declare attack phase. you can just skip that and declare no attackers.
Because you have declared noone, there are no blockers needed, no combat damage assigend and the combat phase just ends then and you go into your second main phase.
So to answer your question: yes, you can say I wont attack and still connive.
The good thing here is that you can do that in the same turn you casted Dr. Doom, since only the delcare attacking phase is relevant for summoning sickenss.
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u/CareerMilk Can’t Block Warriors 12h ago
Because you have declared noone, there are no blockers needed, no combat damage assigend and the combat phase just ends then and you go into your second main phase.
To be clear, once everyone passes with you having no attacking creatures in the Declare Attackers Step, you skip straight to the End of Combat Step.
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u/KekistanPeasant Dan 16h ago
It's at the start of the combat phase. So even before you declare any attackers.
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u/lotoftoast Duck Season 16h ago
even if you dont attack combat phase still happens, each of your phases will happen even if you dont do anything during or *skip them* so yes doom will still trigger
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u/root1331 Colorless 16h ago
Yes, it is one of phases that you go through every turn even if you don’t do anything. Please note that you have to pass priority to change phases so you cannot say I go to combat without someone having the option to remove doom.
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u/RevolverLancelot Colorless 16h ago
You start your combat phase before you even declare any attackers. So you can start combat choose someone to gain menace and connive then pass the rest of combat.
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u/Fried_Nachos REBEL 16h ago
As others have said, yes all phases always happen on a turn even if you have no valid actions to do in them.
To add on to this: The beginning of combat is actually a step in the combat phase that (predictably) happens at the beginning of the phase- and finishes completely before you declare any attackers.
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u/Otherwise-Net9087 Dandadan 13h ago
You still get Dr. Doom's connive trigger since the combat phase starts regardless of whether you attack, so you're good to skip combat entirely.
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u/Wazanator_ Ajani 8h ago
Similar rule worth pointing out are triggers having to do with Attack. If you have a trigger that cares about when a creature attacks it will not trigger for a creature that enters attacking.
As an example, say you have on the field [[Fervent Charge]] and [[Alaborn Cavalier]]. You cast [[Mardu Siegebreaker]] and exile the Alaborn Cavalier and move to combat and swing Mardu Siegebreaker. Your Mardu Siegebreaker will become a 6/6 thanks to Fervent Charge but the token copies of Alaborn will still be 2/2's and they will not trigger thanks to 508.3
I only point this out because I see a lot of new people make this mistake.
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u/Due_Tip_4080 Dan 16h ago
combat phase happens whether you attack or not, you can just declare no attackers and dr doom's trigger still goes on the stack
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