Cliffside RescuerHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Cliffside Rescuer features Vigilance, allowing it to attack and still remain untapped to activate its ability. By tapping and sacrificing it, you grant a target permanent you control protection from each of your opponents until the end of the turn. This means the protected permanent cannot be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, enchanted, or equipped by anything controlled by any of your opponents.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you activate the ability by tapping Cliffside Rescuer and paying the cost of sacrificing it. You choose a target permanent you control at this time. Upon resolution, the game checks who your current opponents are. The target permanent then gains protection from those specific players. According to official rulings, if an opponent takes control of that permanent later in the turn, the protection remains active against your opponents, which now includes that permanent's new controller.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is forgetting that 'protection from a player' covers all objects they control, including spells on the stack and non-permanent sources. However, protection does not stop 'board wipes' that do not target, deal damage, or enchant, such as effects that say 'destroy all creatures.' Additionally, note that objects without a controller, like cards in a graveyard, are treated as being controlled by their owner for the purposes of this protection.

When to Play It

Cliffside Rescuer is best used reactively to counter a removal spell or an unwanted combat trick from an opponent. Because it can target any permanent, you can use it to save a key land, an enchantment, or even a planeswalker. It is also an excellent tool for ensuring a creature can land a finishing blow, as the protection prevents opponents from blocking that creature.

Interaction examples

Shielding the Sentinel

Esper Sentinel

Your opponent casts a removal spell targeting your Esper Sentinel. In response, you tap and sacrifice Cliffside Rescuer. The Esper Sentinel gains protection from that opponent. Since it can no longer be targeted by that player's spells, the removal spell is removed from the stack for having an illegal target.

Safe Mana Generation

Ornithopter of Paradise

If an opponent attempts to use a disruptive ability to destroy your Ornithopter of Paradise, you can sacrifice Cliffside Rescuer to grant the Thopter protection. This ensures your mana source stays on the battlefield and remains protected from further targeting or damage from that player for the rest of the turn.

Unblockable Strike

During your turn, you can sacrifice Cliffside Rescuer targeting another creature you control before the declare blockers step. Because that creature now has protection from your opponents, it cannot be blocked by any creatures they control, allowing it to deal damage directly to a player or planeswalker.