MTG: How Regenerate Works (Magic the Gathering)

How Regenerate Works in Magic the Gathering (MTG)

Regenerate used to be an evergreen mechanic (until Oath of the Gatewatch) that protected a permanent in MTG. While regenerate is mostly associated with black and green cards, it has appeared in White as well. Regeneration is a replacement effect that reads as follows:

“The next time this permanent would be destroyed this turn, it isn’t. Instead tap it, remove all damage from it, and remove it from combat.”

Despite the effect seeming straightforward, it has had a confusing history with MTG. Originally, regeneration could only be activated or triggered during the damage Prevention Step which followed combat damage step. After the Sixth Edition rules change, the Prevention Step became obsolete and damage would no longer be assigned to creatures, it could be played as an instant and triggered at any point. Regeneration stopped causing something to regenerate after dying, and instead became something like a protective bubble that would pop if it were to die.

As MTG has evolved, R&D has admitted that regenerate is a problem and is too complicated for today’s Magic and would never get greenlit today. As of Kaladesh, Regeneration has finally died and been replaced with Indestructible Until End of Turn which ends up meaning the same thing that was intended and is a much more elegant design for newer players.

So, it’s pretty much an obsolete mechanic is the answer to why Regenerate seems weird now! That’s all there is to it! If you need any more help with MTG, be sure to leave a comment down below!

This post was originally authored by Alex Cruz.