Regeneration

Interactions · intermediate

Regeneration is a replacement effect: "the next time this creature would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage from it, tap it, and remove it from combat."

How it works

• You activate a regeneration ability (often "{cost}: Regenerate this creature") to set up the regeneration "shield."
• The shield triggers the next time the creature would be destroyed by lethal damage or a "destroy" effect.
• When triggered: the destruction is replaced with (1) removing all damage from the creature, (2) tapping it, and (3) removing it from combat.

Why it's mostly gone

• Regeneration was confusing for new players. It's a replacement effect dressed up as a triggered ability.
• Wizards mostly stopped printing regeneration on new cards around 2017. New cards use indestructible until end of turn instead.
• You'll still see regeneration on older cards (Sengir Vampire, Drudge Skeletons, Spectral Lynx).

What regeneration doesn't save you from

• Exile -- regeneration only stops "destroy."
• Sacrifice -- not a destroy event.
• Bounce -- the creature isn't destroyed, just returned to hand.
• -X/-X to 0 toughness -- state-based action for "0 or less toughness" is not a "destroy" event.
• Multiple destroy events same turn -- regeneration is one shield. Two consecutive destroys: the first triggers regen, the second kills it.

Rule reference

Older cards reference "regenerate" as an action; the rules text expands to the replacement-effect form. See [701.19] for the modern wording.