Since when can you block, then sacrifice the blocking creature with no penalty?

[Landale]

I don't ever remember this being a rule. You can select to block with a creature, then sacrifice it. You negate the entire attack and still get the benefit of whatever sacrifice effect it has? Has this always been a thing? If the creature isn't there to take any damage the player should take the damage you would think...

[Blade]

Since at least 3rd Edition MTG.
After you declare blockers, the damage is considered blocked. It was a bit weird to wrap my head around the first time I saw it too, but that was back in like 1993 or so. :-)

[Garick]

Always been a thing. Block phase is completed, then theres a phase for instant, then damage assignment. If the blocker (or attacker) is sarificed or otherwise detroyed between those phases that slice of combat still acts as creature to creature. Effects that go off on 'if this creature is blocked' or 'if this creature blocks' should still trigger (I dont know if such cards exist in this game).

It is a very similar logic to spell fizzles, where a spell on the stack fails because its target dissapears between spell cast and spell resolution.

[sithlordofsnark]

What Blade said. Its been like that since before I even started playing.

[Syntax Error]

Just +1'ing but, yeah, since always. Once a legal blocker is declared, that creature is blocked even if the blocker finds somewhere else to be before the damage phase. Been that was since the early-mid 90's.

[Landale]

I'm guessing I stopped playing right around the time that rule came into effect then? Maybe? Trying to remember the last set I collected. I know I had Ice Age.../looks up set names/ Yea, I think Ice Age is right around the time I stopped. I remember 4th and 5th editions but none of the names past that ring a bell other than things I heard in passing. I guess we just never changed the rule in my house, we were always playing using the original rules.

[StyxFlame]

In fact, combat damage used the stack (like 10 years ago already but still). You could deal damage with a creature about to die and still sacrifice it.

[unnamed]

This rule makes sense with the rest of how combat works. Once a creature is blocked, it doesn't matter how much damage is being done - it's blocked. A 11/1 can block a 5/5 and it is blocked, end of story. Saccing the creature just means it's a 0/0 blocking instead.

This is one reason Trample is a good ability - it punishes shennagians like sac-blocking. If your guy has trample, you will send through all the damage since the blocker doesn't have any health to absorb. Tricks like this is what being good at Magic means - the game isn't a simple one a computer can play perfectly.

PS If you don't like this, it was a lot worse before 2010 when you could do ALL SORTS of unfair things after blocking.