<p><strong>Herald of Dromoka winds up with a power of 0</strong> because it is affected by -3 and +1 power simultaneously, which is a -2 modifier no matter which way it occurs.</p>

<p>The first thing to help clarify this is that <em>power can be in negative numbers.</em> See <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bChar-Rumbler%5d">Char-Rumbler</a> for one of the only examples of cards with negative power. (It's got a ruling saying: "Yes, Char-Rumbler’s printed power is -1. While its power is -1 or 0, it simply deals no combat damage.")</p>

<p>Since power doesn't bottom out at 0 and can just keep going down into negative numbers, there's no actual difference either way you order it:</p>

<ul>
<li>If Dovin Baan applies first, the Herald's power is reduced to -1 then increased to 0.</li>
<li>If Chief of the Edge applies first, the power is increased to 3 then reduced to 0.</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-08T15:34:55.883Z
107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can’t choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it’s possible for a game value, such as a creature’s power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a player’s life total to a specific value, doubles a player’s life total, or sets a creature’s power or toughness to a specific value.
ikegami
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-08T22:53:47.113Z
Magic the gathering effects are like onions. They have layers.
corsiKa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-08-08T08:46:23.987Z
2017-08-08T15:37:42.003Z
2017-08-08T15:37:42.003Z
doppelgreener
<p>So, I have on my board <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bChief%20of%20the%20Edge%5d">Chief of the Edge</a> and <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bHerald%20of%20Dromoka%5d">Herald of Dromoka</a>. My opponent plays <a class="mtg-autocard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bDovin%20Baan%5d">Dovin Baan</a> and uses his first ability on Herald of Dromoka.</p>

<p>What is the attack of the Herald now? Does it first go to 0 and then have +1 from the Chief or does it first gain the buff and then go to 0 from Dovin Baan?</p>

<magic-the-gathering>
How do multiple power increases and reductions affect this creature?
Astrale
# How do multiple power increases and reductions affect this creature?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-08-08)

So, I have on my board [Chief of the Edge](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bChief%20of%20the%20Edge%5d) and [Herald of Dromoka](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bHerald%20of%20Dromoka%5d). My opponent plays [Dovin Baan](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bDovin%20Baan%5d) and uses his first ability on Herald of Dromoka.

What is the attack of the Herald now? Does it first go to 0 and then have +1 from the Chief or does it first gain the buff and then go to 0 from Dovin Baan?

**Tags:** magic-the-gathering


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-08-08. Score: 7

**Herald of Dromoka winds up with a power of 0** because it is affected by -3 and +1 power simultaneously, which is a -2 modifier no matter which way it occurs.

The first thing to help clarify this is that *power can be in negative numbers.* See [Char-Rumbler](http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?name=%2b%5bChar-Rumbler%5d) for one of the only examples of cards with negative power. (It's got a ruling saying: "Yes, Char-Rumbler’s printed power is -1. While its power is -1 or 0, it simply deals no combat damage.")

Since power doesn't bottom out at 0 and can just keep going down into negative numbers, there's no actual difference either way you order it:

* If Dovin Baan applies first, the Herald's power is reduced to -1 then increased to 0.
* If Chief of the Edge applies first, the power is increased to 3 then reduced to 0.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: 107.1b Most of the time, the Magic game uses only positive numbers and zero. You can’t choose a negative number, deal negative damage, gain negative life, and so on. However, it’s possible for a game value, such as a creature’s power, to be less than zero. If a calculation or comparison needs to use a negative value, it does so. If a calculation that would determine the result of an effect yields a negative number, zero is used instead, unless that effect sets a player’s life total to a specific value, doubles a player’s life total, or sets a creature’s power or toughness to a specific value.  
> **username_3**: Magic the gathering effects are like onions. They have layers.  

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