Bug Skullcrack interactions
When I deal damage with Skullcrack, it prevents the opponent from gaining life this turn. However, even though Soul Warden's ability triggers when a creature enters the battlefield, the life gain is nullified due to Skullcrack's effect. Similarly, creatures with lifelink still deal damage, but the life gain from lifelink is also nullified by Skullcrack. The rule is that they cannot gain any life at all during the turn Skullcrack is active, yet they are still gaining life.
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mungs#29401 commented
In conclusion, I’m not discussing trigger abilities or damage prevention; I’m focusing solely on the effect of Skullcrack regarding life gain. The rule is that the other player cannot gain life, regardless of what they do, even with lifelink. Therefore, there seems to be a bug in Arena, and Wizards needs to correct it.
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DAC169#34537 commented
It only matters how life is gained if combat damage would kill a player. In that case, lifelink could save them but life gain from abilities that would go on the stack can't because the player is dead & out of the game before they could gain the life. Otherwise, life gain is life gain and the source/reason doesn't matter.
Skullcrack stops all life gain and damage prevention for the rest of the turn. However, if Skullcrack is counter-spelled or the target player is no longer a legal target when Skullcrack resolves, like from a Surge of Salvation, then those effects don't happen.
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mungs#29401 commented
Thanks for responding. Sorry if I was confusing; what I was trying to say is that they still gain life.
Magic is always so confusing. How is it possible that gaining life because of a trigger is not the same as gaining life? Haha, okay.
My only question is, why do they still gain life with lifelink? Is it because it is an ability?
Final question: what can Skullcrack prevent? Thanks for helping me out.
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Rezzahan#77802 commented
You just said that they did not gain life through various events, yet then you also said that those very events caused them to gain life? Which one is it?
A trigger to gain life is not the same as gaining life. Peventing life gain does not stop abilities, that would gain life when resolving, from triggering.
The life gain from lifelink is an additional result of damage. So preventing life gain does not prevent damage.