<p>Excellent point by @David Z, but also just to point out the cards ruling for absolute clarity </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>13/07/2016    </p>
  
  <p>When the ability resolves, Tree of Perdition’s toughness becomes the
  targeted opponent’s former life total and that player gains or loses
  an amount of life necessary so that his or her life total equals Tree
  of Perdition’s former toughness. Other effects that interact with life
  gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Paying special attention to </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Other effects that interact with life loss will interact with this affect accordingly</p>
</blockquote>

<p>So your opponent has lost 27 life and Rakdos's abilities will trigger on that basis.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T11:18:24.903Z
2018-03-04T11:23:59.307Z
2018-03-04T11:23:59.307Z
Joshua Duxbury
<p>The relevant rules governing exchanges of life totals are these:</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>701.9c.</strong> When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player's previous life total. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them. A player who can't gain life can't be given a higher life total this way, and a player who can't lose life can't be given a lower life total this way (see rules 118.7-8).</p>
<p><strong>701.9g.</strong> A spell or ability may instruct a player to exchange two numerical values. In such an exchange, each value becomes equal to the previous value of the other. If either of those values is a life total, the affected player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other value. Replacement effects may modify this gain or loss, and triggered abilities may trigger on it. A player who can't gain life can't be given a higher life total this way, and a player who can't lose life can't be given a lower life total this way (see rules 118.7-8). If either of those values is a power or toughness, a continuous effect is created setting that power or toughness to the other value (see rule 613.3b). This rule does not apply to spells and abilities that switch a creature's power and toughness.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In both cases, an exchange <em>does</em> cause a gain or loss of life. So yes, in the situation you describe, your opponent has lost 27 life and Rakdos's abilities will recognize that.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-04T10:43:58.250Z
2018-03-04T10:43:58.250Z
2020-06-17T09:01:24.697Z
David Z
<p>So say I'm playing a <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRakdos%2c%20Lord%20of%20Riots%5d">Rakdos, Lord of Riots</a> deck and I tap <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bTree%20of%20Perdition%5d">Tree of Perdition</a> exchanging a life total of 40 from one of my opponents with Tree of Perdition's toughness of 13. Do the opponents count as having lost 27 life, or was it different because it was just exchanged? Could I cast a 27/27 <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bEndless%20One%5d">Endless One</a>, just to name one example, or was there no actual loss of life?</p>

<magic-the-gathering><mtg-commander>
Is exchanging life the same as losing life?
Arowaaron
# Is exchanging life the same as losing life?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-04)

So say I'm playing a [Rakdos, Lord of Riots](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bRakdos%2c%20Lord%20of%20Riots%5d) deck and I tap [Tree of Perdition](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bTree%20of%20Perdition%5d) exchanging a life total of 40 from one of my opponents with Tree of Perdition's toughness of 13. Do the opponents count as having lost 27 life, or was it different because it was just exchanged? Could I cast a 27/27 [Endless One](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bEndless%20One%5d), just to name one example, or was there no actual loss of life?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering, mtg-commander


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2018-03-04. Score: 11 | Accepted answer

The relevant rules governing exchanges of life totals are these:

> **701.9c.** When life totals are exchanged, each player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other player's previous life total. Replacement effects may modify these gains and losses, and triggered abilities may trigger on them. A player who can't gain life can't be given a higher life total this way, and a player who can't lose life can't be given a lower life total this way (see rules 118.7-8).
>
> **701.9g.** A spell or ability may instruct a player to exchange two numerical values. In such an exchange, each value becomes equal to the previous value of the other. If either of those values is a life total, the affected player gains or loses the amount of life necessary to equal the other value. Replacement effects may modify this gain or loss, and triggered abilities may trigger on it. A player who can't gain life can't be given a higher life total this way, and a player who can't lose life can't be given a lower life total this way (see rules 118.7-8). If either of those values is a power or toughness, a continuous effect is created setting that power or toughness to the other value (see rule 613.3b). This rule does not apply to spells and abilities that switch a creature's power and toughness.

In both cases, an exchange *does* cause a gain or loss of life. So yes, in the situation you describe, your opponent has lost 27 life and Rakdos's abilities will recognize that.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-04. Score: 5

Excellent point by @username_2, but also just to point out the cards ruling for absolute clarity

> 13/07/2016
>
> When the ability resolves, Tree of Perdition’s toughness becomes the
> targeted opponent’s former life total and that player gains or loses
> an amount of life necessary so that his or her life total equals Tree
> of Perdition’s former toughness. Other effects that interact with life
> gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.

Paying special attention to

> Other effects that interact with life loss will interact with this affect accordingly

So your opponent has lost 27 life and Rakdos's abilities will trigger on that basis.


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