Regeneration replaces a Destruction event. Destruction is caused by lethal damage, damage from a source with Deathtouch and effects that say Destroy (E.G. Murder ). Anything outside of those three things is not destruction and Regeneration will not save the creature.
Regeneration saves a permanent from being destroyed, and nothing more. Here's something from the Comprehensive Rules to help:
614.8. Regeneration is a destruction-replacement effect. The word “instead” doesn’t appear on the card but is implicit in the definition of regeneration. “Regenerate [permanent]” means “The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it’s an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat.” Abilities that trigger from damage being dealt still trigger even if the permanent regenerates. See rule 701.12.
As for what counts as destruction:
701.6b The only ways a permanent can be destroyed are as a result of an effect that uses the word “destroy” or as a result of the state-based actions that check for lethal damage (see rule 704.5g) or damage from a source with deathtouch (see rule 704.5h). If a permanent is put into its owner’s graveyard for any other reason, it hasn’t been “destroyed.”
So, for example -- if a creature's toughness becomes 0 (Dismember , etc.), it is put into the graveyard, not destroyed, so regeneration doesn't do anything to prevent this. If a creature is sacrificed, that also isn't destruction, and regeneration doesn't help. Being exiled also isn't destruction, so as you'd imagine, regeneration again doesn't prevent it.
If you want to safe your creature from lethal combat damage by regeneration , you have to regenerate before the damage would be dealt. To regenerate usually have a cost,like {1}{G}:regenerate this creature.When you pay cost to regenerate ,there is a 'shield' on that creature,and next time the creature would be died ,the shield will do its job. You can make much shield as long as you can pay cost.
So when I was playing this last weekend, and I would block (don't remember the creatures involved now), but there was not first strike, double strike or anything and mine was bigger and enough to destroy hers, after all that she would want to regen. that's not possible then? I thought that was the case but she insisted that's how it's played. That you don't regen until after the attack. I guess I'm confused to.
I'll just throw a couple out to help myself make sense of this. She attacks with Blight Mamba and I block with Vampire Outcasts which would destroy the mamba. Then she would say wait, I want to regenerate it.
Can she do that, or does she need to declare the regen prior to combat?
I'll just throw a couple out to help myself make sense of this. She attacks with Blight Mamba and I block with Vampire Outcasts which would destroy the mamba. Then she would say wait, I want to regenerate it.
Can she do that, or does she need to declare the regen prior to combat?
She can totally do that. She needs to regenerate before combat damage is dealt. In your scenario, she wants to regenerate during the declare blockers step, which is before combat damage. After you declare your blocker, both players will get priority, at which point she can regenerate.
Phases and steps do not, and in fact cannot end, until all players pass priority in succession while the stack is empty.
In other words, your opponent will be able to activate Blight Mamba 's regeneration ability during the Declare Attackers Step, or the Declare Blockers Step (or earlier, obviously). As long as the regeneration ability has resolved prior to combat damage, then Blight Mamba will be able to successfully regenerate.
