Smite vs creature with trample

Question

Scenario is a 10/10 with trample attacks. Defender blocks with a 1/1 and plays smite

My understand was that in order for smite to work, the attacker must be blocked. If the attacker is blocked, then isn't damage already assigned?

Would the defending player take 9 damage and the 1/1 is destroyed? Or would the destroyed creature not deal any damage?

Answer 1

The attacking creature will die, the blocking creature will survive, and the defending player will not take damage. If you destroy a creature before the combat damage step, or otherwise remove it from combat, it will not deal combat damage. There is an opportunity after declaring blockers to play spells like Smite to accomplish that.

Combat has the following steps:

• Beginning of Combat
• Declare Attackers
• Declare Blockers
• Combat Damage
• End of Combat

In each step, after taking the relevant turn based actions, such as declaring attackers or blockers, or dealing combat damage, each player gains priority, which is the opportunity to take actions such as casting spells and abilities. This means that the defending player can cast Smite during the declare blockers step, before the combat damage step begins.

The important thing, in this particular situation, is that combat damage is both assigned and dealt in the combat damage step, and no players gain priority in between those two actions. This is described in the following rules regarding that step:

510.1. First, the active player announces how each attacking creature assigns its combat damage, then the defending player announces how each blocking creature assigns its combat damage. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack. [...]

510.2. Second, all combat damage that’s been assigned is dealt simultaneously. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack. No player has the chance to cast spells or activate abilities between the time combat damage is assigned and the time it’s dealt.

510.3. Third, the active player gets priority. (See rule 116, “Timing and Priority.”)

Answer 2

The 10/10 would be destroyed and not deal any damage. The combat phase has multiple steps, and damage isn't assigned as soon as blockers are declared.

You work through the combat phase like this:

1. Beginning of Combat step.
2. Declare attackers step.
3. Declare blockers step.
4. Combat damage step.
5. End of combat step.

At the end of each step, each player has the opportunity to cast spells and activate abilities before the game reaches the next step.

Smite would be used in this sort of sequence:

2. Declare attackers: the 10/10 trampler is declared as an attacker.
3. Declare blockers: the 1/1 is declared as a blocker.
   • Once the defending player receives priority, they cast Smite on the 10/10 trampler. It's destroyed.
4. Combat damage: None is exchanged, since the 1/1 has nothing to deal damage to anymore, and the 10/10 trampler is gone.

Note that merely blocking doesn't cause an immediate exchange of damage. Any number of spells can be cast before we move on to the combat damage step, after all attackers and blockers are declared. It's during that stage we'd sometimes use pump abilities like those found on Rhonas the Indomitable or on Creeperhulk so as to maximize what we can do with them.

Answer 3

In the scenario you describe, the defending player would take no damage.

A creature becomes blocked when a blocker is declared for it or an effect makes it blocked. Once blockers are declared, both players have the opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities before combat damage is dealt. If a blocked creature is destroyed at this point, it will not be present during the combat damage step and will not deal damage.