Indestructible vs Sacrifice (and Exile)
Interactions · intermediate
"Removal" is not one thing. Different removal types fail against different protections. Knowing which is which is fundamental Magic literacy.
What works against what
| Protection | Destroy | Lethal damage | Sacrifice | Exile | Bounce | -X/-X to 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indestructible | NO | NO | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Hexproof / Shroud | YES (if non-targeting) | YES (if non-targeting) | YES | YES (if non-targeting) | YES (if non-targeting) | YES (if non-targeting) |
| Regeneration shield | NO (one save) | NO (one save) | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| Ward | YES (with cost) | YES (with cost) | YES | YES | YES | YES |
Why the Commander banlist matters here
- Path to Exile and Swords to Plowshares exile -- they bypass indestructible, hexproof (when not targeting), and regen.
- Edict effects (Liliana of the Veil, Diabolic Edict, Innocent Blood) force sacrifice and bypass everything in the protection column.
- -X/-X to 0 (an old trick with Last Gasp, Dismember) kills indestructibles via the "0 or less toughness" SBA, not the "destroy" SBA.
Combat damage and indestructible
- An indestructible 1/1 vs a 5/5: in combat damage, the 1/1 takes 5 damage (way more than lethal), but it's indestructible -- the "destroy creature with lethal damage" SBA doesn't apply. The 1/1 lives, with 5 damage marked. Damage wears off at cleanup.
- A 5/5 vs an indestructible 1/1: the 5/5 took 1 damage, marked. Survives. Indestructibility didn't help the 5/5 because nothing was trying to kill it.
Reading "removal" correctly
If a card says "destroy target creature": indestructible blanks it. If it says "exile target creature": only protection from the source's color/type, hexproof, or shroud help. If it says "target opponent sacrifices a creature": basically nothing helps except not having a creature to sacrifice.
Rule reference
[702.12] (indestructible) [701.21] (sacrifice) [701.13] (exile)