Defender

Defender
Keyword Ability
Type	Static
Introduced	Alpha (mechanic) Champions of Kamigawa (keyword)
Last used	Evergreen
Reminder Text	Defender (This creature can't attack.)
Statistics	281 cards 19.9% 23.8% 9.6% 12.1% 13.2% 1.1% 0.7% 0.4% 1.1% 0.4% 1.1% 0.4% 16.4%
Other Symbols
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keyword:"Defender"

This article is about the ability Defender. For the player, see Defending player.

Defender is a static ability that renders a creature unable to attack.

Description

The keyword was introduced as a replacement for the baggage that the creature type Wall carried. Walls could not attack. Much later, the decision was made to keyword the "cannot attack" ability and make sure that all Walls had defender so that functionality wouldn't change. Defender was introduced with Champions of Kamigawa and was retroactively added to all Walls. Ninth Edition was the first core set after that change was made. Once the keyword existed, it allowed the ability to be put on non-Wall creatures.

This also prevents issues with the Changeling mechanic, as a creature that counts as every creature type is also considered a Wall (and be unable to attack as a result under the old rule). This was to benefit typal strategies as Mistform abilities (which did grant defender at the time) was activated-ability only, meaning cast triggers wouldn't trigger and tutor effects couldn't find them. Mistform Ultimus, the first "changeling", originally had text excluding the wall baggage, which was removed when Defender was officalised.

All colors can have defender. It used to be primary only in white as it is the most defensive color. Lately, blue has also become primary.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

Defender

A keyword ability that prohibits a creature from attacking. See rule 702.3, “Defender.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (September 20, 2024—Duskmourn: House of Horror)

• 702.3. Defender
  • 702.3a Defender is a static ability.
  • 702.3b A creature with defender can’t attack.
  • 702.3c Multiple instances of defender on the same creature are redundant.

Walls and Defender

Before defender was introduced all Walls were unable to attack as a definition of their creature type. Now creatures with Defender can potentially lose the ability and attack - this would have been a rules hassle before. However, Defender has introduced some confusion as well because not all cards that refer to Walls or non-Walls have been changed.

Example 1

Erhnam Djinn has the text: "At the beginning of your upkeep, target non-Wall creature an opponent controls gains forestwalk until your next upkeep."

• It is perfectly legal to choose a non-Wall creature with Defender, such as Carven Caryatid, even though that was not the original intent.

Example 2

Norritt has the text: ": Target non-Wall creature attacks this turn if able. If that creature doesn't attack, destroy it at end of turn unless it came under its controller's control this turn. Play this ability only during that creature's controller's turn before the declare attackers step."

• This ability is designed to work on non-Defenders, but that is not the case. It is legal for Norritt to target any non-Wall creatures with Defender, such as Carven Caryatid.

Whenever confusion arises, always see the Oracle Card Reference or Gatherer for clarification.

Rulings

• Changing a creature's type no longer affects whether it can attack. A Wall that becomes a non-Wall will still have the defender ability. Likewise, a non-Wall that becomes a Wall won't have the defender ability.

Examples

Example

Wall of Stone
Creature — Wall
0/8
Defender (This creature can't attack.)

Cards that grant defender

Enchantments

• Deep Freeze (Aura, also becomes a 0/4 blue Wall and loses other abilities)
• Gelid Shackles ( to grant defender until end of turn)
• Guard Duty (Aura)
• Guardian Zendikon (Land becomes a 2/6 wall with defender)
• Sky Tether (Aura, also removes flying)
• Stasis Field (Aura, also becomes a 0/2 removes other abilities)

Creatures

• Dormant Sliver (all Sliver creatures)

Equipment

• Dragon Throne of Tarkir (equip , also gains ability to pump your creatures)
• Peregrine Mask (equip , also grants flying and first strike)

Cards that circumvent defender

• Animate Wall (Aura)
• Arcades, the Strategist (Creature)
• Assault Formation (Enchantment, per defender)
• Guardians of Oboro (Creature; if defenders are modified)
• High Alert (Enchantment)
• Rolling Stones (Enchantment)
• Teyo, Aegis Adept (+1: one target creature, perpetually)
• The Pride of Hull Clade ( per defender)
• Walking Bulwark ( per defender)
• Wakestone Gargoyle (Creature, per turn)
• Warmonger's Chariot (Equipped creature; equip , also gets +2/+2)

Creatures with defender that may be able to attack

Defenders tend to be toughness-oriented, but in recent years common blue defenders with higher stats that can attack in certain contexts have been a recurring design. Other designs in this space have also been printed in other colors and rarities, such as green creatures that desire ferocious. As defenders with no power can only ward off one creature, defenders with lower toughness but significant power can deter multiple attackers and contribute meaningfully to double blocks. Letting them attack also gives players a build-around for matchups where it is favorable to get early hits in.

There are also a series of creatures that have the text "Can't attack unless..." which is functionally the same but have occasional rules quirks. Landhome creatures often have this text.

Blue commons

• Backstreet Bruiser (if you have two or more counters amongst your creatures)
• Dark Maze (: exiled at end of turn)
• Expedition Lookout (if an opponent has eight or more cards in graveyard)
• Guardians of Oboro (if modified)
• Hightide Hermit (: until end of turn)
• Jaded Analyst (when you draw a second card, until end of turn)
• Mirror Wall (: this turn)
• Mistform Wall (: until end of turn, also becomes some non-Wall creature type)
• Shipwreck Sentry (when an artifact enters under your control until end of turn)
• Shoal Serpent (until end of turn when a land enters the battlefield under your control)
• Skyclave Squid (landfall, until end of turn)
• Spire Serpent (if you control 3 or more artifacts, also gets +2/+2)
• Stalked Researcher (when an enchantment enters under your control or when a room unlocks, until end of turn)
• Steelclad Spirit (when an enchantment enters under your control until end of turn)
• Tidewater Minion (: until end of turn)
• Wishful Merfolk (: until end of turn, also becomes Human)

Green commons

• Bristlepack Sentry (if you control a creature with 4 power or greater)
• Drowsing Tyrannodon (if you control a creature with 4 power or greater)
• Glade Watcher (: until end of turn if creatures you control total 8 power or greater)
• Territorial Witchstalker (until end of turn if you control a creature with 4 power or greater)

Others

• Ageless Sentinels (after it blocks)
• Colossus of Akros (if it's monstrous)
• Elder Land Wurm (after it blocks)
• Faithbound Judge (three judgement counters, gains one per upkeep)
• Gargoyle Sentinel (: until end of turn, also gains flying)
• Geist of the Lonely Vigil (with delirium)
• Grozoth (: until end of turn)
• Guardian of the Ages (after you're attacked; also gains trample)
• Karsus Depth Guard (if its power is 5 or greater)
• Loyal Gyrfalcon (until end of turn, when you cast a white spell)
• Manor Gargoyle (: until end of turn, also gains flying)
• Mobile Fort (: until end of turn, also gets +3/-1)
• Nivix Cyclops (until end of turn when you cast an instant or sorcery, also gets +3/+0)
• Novice Knight (if it's equipped or enchanted)
• Ogre Jailbreaker (if you control a Gate)
• Pillar of War (if it's enchanted)
• Piston-Fist Cyclops (if you cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn)
• Prismari Pledgemage (Magecraft)
• Prison Barricade (if it was kicked for , also gets a +1/+1 counter)
• Returned Phalanx (: until end of turn)
• Roving Keep , (: until end of turn, also gets +2/+0 and trample)
• Scuttlegator (if it has a +1/+1 counter on it)
• Sentry Oak (until end of turn if you win a clash with an opponent, also gets +2/+0)
• Skyclave Sentinel (with a +1/+1 counter)
• Slithering Shade (if your hand is empty)
• Surge Engine (Single payment of )
• Thoughtbound Phantasm (if it has 3 or more +1/+1 counters on it)
• Torpid Moloch (sacrifice 3 lands: until end of turn)
• Vodalian War Machine (tap a Merfolk creature you control: until end of turn)
• Wakestone Gargoyle (: all your defenders until end of turn)
• Walking Wall (: until end of turn, also gets +3/-1)
• Wall of One Thousand Cuts (: until end of turn)
• Wall of Wonder (: until end of turn, also gets +4/-4)
• Weathered Sentinels (can attack players who had previously attacked you)
• Woolly Razorback (if it has ice counters on it, can lose one each time it blocks)

Creatures with defender and haste

For Future Sight, R&D explored the idea of putting haste on blue creatures with defender and 0 power, where the haste was about using the activated ability right away rather than attacking (Bonded Fetch). After 16 years of floating this idea, the second blue haster with defender was printed in Streets of New Capenna with Errant, Street Artist.

External links

• A Planeswalker's Primer for Magic 2010: Defender (Video). Magic: The Gathering. YouTube.