...legal to sacrifice a tapped creature? For instance,...

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Answer by MillMaster
Submitted on 12/16/2003
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Technically you ant sacrifice a creature that is going to the graveyard, Joseph. Once a creature has been dealt lethal damage, you cant play any spells or abilities before it goes to the graveyard. But what I think you are talking about is this: During the "combat damage" step of the attack phase, all creatures assign their combat damage, and then that damage goes on the stack as if it were a spell or ability. Then players get a chance to respond with spells and abilities. Once everyone is done, then the damage resolves, and is dealt accordingly, even if the creatures that assigned that damage are no longer in play. This would mean, your 2/3 elf, could block a 3/2, assign its 2 damage, then you could sac it for 2 mana, and your 2 damage would still be dealt to the 3/2 and kill it, and you would get your GG. (you would need to use that GG before the end of the combat phase or loose 2 life due to mana burn) This is much different that if an opponent bolted your 2/3 for 3 damage, and instead of sacrificing it in response to the bolt, you let the bolt resolve and then tried to sac it while it was "on its way to the graveyard". This is impossible to do since the game will put any lethally damage creature into the graveyard before any player can do anything.

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Question by Little Poon
Submitted on 9/23/2003
Related FAQ: Magic: The Gathering Rules FAQ, v4.02 (part 1)
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Is it legal to sacrifice a tapped creature? For instance, an opponent attacked with her Lord of the Pit, counted the damage (7), and then Sacrificed it with a black card (cant remember the name) which gives her black mana equal to the casting cost of the lord of the pit. She then cast drain life using the extra mana gained from the sacrifice. Is this legal?

Answer by Joseph
Submitted on 9/26/2003
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If a creature.. lets jus say some elf.. was a 2/3 and had an ability "sacrifice this creature for 2 green mana" and it died in battle.. u could sacrifice it for 2 mana even though it died..(before it goes to graveyard)

Answer by FarWanderer
Submitted on 11/15/2003
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Yes, absolutely legal, and very clever. Kudos to your friend.

Answer by Halfelf
Submitted on 2/26/2004
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There's also another problem here, which MillMaster touched on. If the LotP died in combat, and you sacrificed him in response to the damage for mana (assuming the Sacrifice card), the mana pool would drain at the end of the combat phase, and therefore you could not cast Drain Life, as it is a sorcery. The mana would either have to be used on an instant, or it would deal damage to the player as mana burn.

Answer by Songodin
Submitted on 9/10/2005
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if a person attacks with three spirits and uses a card that allows his to sacrifice x spirits and deal 2x life to opponent and gain 2x life. is this legal to sacrifice these creatures?

Answer by Noa
Submitted on 7/24/2006
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Ah, I've seen this too many times. tisk tisk tisk. erchem, let me make this clear to the thousands of people who dont know how the game works. my 2/2 attacks. you block with your 2/2 that has the ability; Sacrafice [monster's name] to deal 1 damage to target player." You CAN NOT sac AND block! once you recieve the damage, it goes to the grave and you cant sack it any more!

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