<blockquote>
  <p>104.3b If a player’s life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would    receive priority. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)</p>
</blockquote>

<p>When the Force of Nature damages you, Spirit Link's trigger goes on the stack. If, between sustaining the damage and getting 8 life back from Link, your life total hits 0, you'll die.</p>

<p>This is confirmed by <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129744">the Oracle text for Spirit Link</a>:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>You only gain the life when the triggered ability resolves. If you are
  reduced to zero life before the ability resolves, you will lose before
  gaining the life.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Luckily, you can avoid this problem by replacing Spirit Link with <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220182">Lifelink</a>.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-28T07:29:49.587Z
Note that in earlier versions of the rules, life totals weren't checked until the end of a phase or combat, so you had plenty of time for the trigger to resolve and bring you above 0 life. I'm not sure when this changed to the modern ruling, but it was well after Force of Nature and Spirit Link were printed.
Stuart Cook
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-28T15:04:48.113Z
@StuartCook Actually, the change was made for Sixth Edition, so Spirit Link was reprinted five times after this change, even though it was made significantly weaker. The *Lifelink* keyword was introduced in **Future Sight** on two [spells from the future](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text=+[Lifelink]&set=[%22Future%20Sight%22]) when evidently new magic spell technology "fixed" Spirit Link. :) Thus, Spirit Link was replaced by Lifelink in the next M10 base set.
ghoppe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-28T15:26:51.737Z
@ghoppe The funny thing is that Future Sight lifelink it didn't even "fix" Spirit Link right away! The first iteration of lifelink was also a triggered ability (see the reminder text on Daybreak Coronet), and all the old lifelink-like spells were changed to use it in Oracle. Then, even later, the rules team decided to make it a damage-changing static ability, and all the old cards had their Oracle text reverted -- except Loxodon Warhammer, which had already been reprinted with "lifelink" in the text box (oops!).
Alex P
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-29T02:58:50.770Z
Perfect example of how some cards make old cards completely obsolete. :D
Gordon Gustafson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-06T14:14:03.580Z
@CrazyJugglerDrummer - I wouldn't call it obsolete.  Multiple Spirit Links stack whereas multiple Lifelinks do not.
Origami Robot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-12-22T19:26:33.730Z
and you can't lifelink your opponents creature to gain back the damage it does
chiliNUT
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-11-28T02:42:11.793Z
2011-11-28T02:42:11.793Z
Alex P
<p>Way back when, the first combo I built a deck around was
<a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233304" title="At the beginning of your upkeep, Force of Nature deals 8 damage to you unless you pay GGGG">
Force of Nature</a>
with a
<a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129744" title="Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life">Spirit Link</a>
on it. If, at the beginning of my upkeep, I have less than 8 life and I don't pay the upkeep, will I lose the game before the life gain kicks in?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
Do you die instantaneously if your life total hits 0?
Gregor Thomas
# Do you die instantaneously if your life total hits 0?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-11-28)

Way back when, the first combo I built a deck around was
[Force of Nature](http://gatherer.wizards.com/pages/card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=233304 "At the beginning of your upkeep, Force of Nature deals 8 damage to you unless you pay GGGG")
with a
[Spirit Link](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129744 "Whenever enchanted creature deals damage, you gain that much life")
on it. If, at the beginning of my upkeep, I have less than 8 life and I don't pay the upkeep, will I lose the game before the life gain kicks in?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-11-28. Score: 10 | Accepted answer

> 104.3b If a player’s life total is 0 or less, he or she loses the game the next time a player would receive priority. (This is a state-based action. See rule 704.)

When the Force of Nature damages you, Spirit Link's trigger goes on the stack. If, between sustaining the damage and getting 8 life back from Link, your life total hits 0, you'll die.

This is confirmed by [the Oracle text for Spirit Link](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129744):

> You only gain the life when the triggered ability resolves. If you are
> reduced to zero life before the ability resolves, you will lose before
> gaining the life.

Luckily, you can avoid this problem by replacing Spirit Link with [Lifelink](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=220182).

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Note that in earlier versions of the rules, life totals weren't checked until the end of a phase or combat, so you had plenty of time for the trigger to resolve and bring you above 0 life. I'm not sure when this changed to the modern ruling, but it was well after Force of Nature and Spirit Link were printed.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 Actually, the change was made for Sixth Edition, so Spirit Link was reprinted five times after this change, even though it was made significantly weaker. The *Lifelink* keyword was introduced in **Future Sight** on two [spells from the future](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?text=+[Lifelink]&set=[%22Future%20Sight%22]) when evidently new magic spell technology "fixed" Spirit Link. :) Thus, Spirit Link was replaced by Lifelink in the next M10 base set.  
> **username_1**: @username_3 The funny thing is that Future Sight lifelink it didn't even "fix" Spirit Link right away! The first iteration of lifelink was also a triggered ability (see the reminder text on Daybreak Coronet), and all the old lifelink-like spells were changed to use it in Oracle. Then, even later, the rules team decided to make it a damage-changing static ability, and all the old cards had their Oracle text reverted -- except Loxodon Warhammer, which had already been reprinted with "lifelink" in the text box (oops!).  
> **username_4**: Perfect example of how some cards make old cards completely obsolete. :D  
> **username_5**: @CrazyJugglerDrummer - I wouldn't call it obsolete.  Multiple Spirit Links stack whereas multiple Lifelinks do not.  
> **username_6**: and you can't lifelink your opponents creature to gain back the damage it does  

---

