Wither

Keywords · intermediate

Wither makes damage permanent against creatures. A creature with wither deals damage to other creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters.

How it works

• When a wither creature deals damage to a creature, that creature gets that many -1/-1 counters instead of being marked with damage.
• The -1/-1 counters do not wear off at end of turn the way normal damage does.

Rules notes

• Wither only changes damage dealt to creatures. Damage to players is normal life loss.
• A creature shrunk to 0 toughness by -1/-1 counters dies as a state-based action.
• Wither pairs naturally with deathtouch and with effects that move or multiply counters, but on its own it is simply persistent combat damage.

Rule reference

[702.80]