<p>The key is that deathtouch only works if your spider damages the hydra. Protean Hydra has the following line:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Since the hydra never technically takes damage from your spider, deathtouch doesn't apply, and so the hydra survives.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-30T23:51:46.020Z
2016-07-30T23:51:46.020Z
Michael Snook
<p>Protean Hydra has two abilities that say</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, <strong>prevent that damage</strong> and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.</p>
<p>Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And the rule for how Deathtouch damage works is <a href="http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Deathtouch" rel="noreferrer">702.2b</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>A creature with toughness greater than 0 <strong>that’s been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch</strong> since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action</p>
</blockquote>
<p>So, here's the sequence of events in your scenario:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>We get to the combat damage step, and the Spider is assigned to deal 2 damage to the Hydra.</p>
</li>
<li><p>The Hydra's ability prevents that damage, and instead 2 +1/+1 counters are removed, making it a 10/10. Since the damage was prevented, the Hydra <strong>wasn't dealt damage</strong> by a source with Deathtouch, so it doesn't die.</p>
</li>
<li><p>At the beginning of the end step, because of the Hydra's other ability, 2 +1/+1 counters are put on it for each one removed earlier, making it a 14/14.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>You said that the Hydra ended up as a 13/13 instead. That could happen if the Protean Hydra was actually a 11/11 originally, or if the Spider actually only had 1 power, or it could simply be a bug in the game.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-30T23:52:40.000Z
2016-07-30T23:52:40.000Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
murgatroid99
<p>I'm trying to learn the new MTG; I haven't played since the original Beta set. I'm playing on PS3 so I can learn how to at least last a few rounds against my son. :)</p>

<p>So here's the scenario: My opponent had a 12/12 <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bProtean%20Hydra%5d">Protean Hydra</a> out. I had a 2/7 Spider with Deathtouch. The Spider blocked the Hydra. The Spider died and the Hydra became a 13/13. Why didn't the Hydra die? Am I misunderstanding Deathtouch?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-07-31T10:54:59.873Z
You're remembering the 'basilisk' ability, which is not the same thing.
Mazura
<magic-the-gathering>
Why didn't my Deathtouch creature kill my opponent's Protean Hydra?
Sabresong
# Why didn't my Deathtouch creature kill my opponent's Protean Hydra?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-07-30)

I'm trying to learn the new MTG; I haven't played since the original Beta set. I'm playing on PS3 so I can learn how to at least last a few rounds against my son. :)

So here's the scenario: My opponent had a 12/12 [Protean Hydra](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bProtean%20Hydra%5d) out. I had a 2/7 Spider with Deathtouch. The Spider blocked the Hydra. The Spider died and the Hydra became a 13/13. Why didn't the Hydra die? Am I misunderstanding Deathtouch?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: You're remembering the 'basilisk' ability, which is not the same thing.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2016-07-30. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

Protean Hydra has two abilities that say

> If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, **prevent that damage** and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
>
> Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step.

And the rule for how Deathtouch damage works is [702.2b](http://mtgsalvation.gamepedia.com/Deathtouch):

> A creature with toughness greater than 0 **that’s been dealt damage by a source with deathtouch** since the last time state-based actions were checked is destroyed as a state-based action

So, here's the sequence of events in your scenario:

1. We get to the combat damage step, and the Spider is assigned to deal 2 damage to the Hydra.
2. The Hydra's ability prevents that damage, and instead 2 +1/+1 counters are removed, making it a 10/10. Since the damage was prevented, the Hydra **wasn't dealt damage** by a source with Deathtouch, so it doesn't die.
3. At the beginning of the end step, because of the Hydra's other ability, 2 +1/+1 counters are put on it for each one removed earlier, making it a 14/14.

You said that the Hydra ended up as a 13/13 instead. That could happen if the Protean Hydra was actually a 11/11 originally, or if the Spider actually only had 1 power, or it could simply be a bug in the game.


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### Answer by username_2 on 2016-07-30. Score: 3

The key is that deathtouch only works if your spider damages the hydra. Protean Hydra has the following line:

> If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.

Since the hydra never technically takes damage from your spider, deathtouch doesn't apply, and so the hydra survives.


---

