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Player A has 3 life left. Player B attacks with a Dauthi Marauder that has been enchanted by Player A's Soul Link. Does player B win, or does nothing happen?

On the one hand, "whenever" makes it sound like the trigger (dealing damage) and the effect (healing damage) happen simultaneously.

On the other hand, combat damage doesn't go on the stack, while most other things do. So, possibly the combat damage is dealt, state-based actions are checked, and now it's too late for the Soul Link effect to heal player A.

If anyone knows which way is correct, my thanks!

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    Do you mean that Player A has cast Soul Link on Player B's Dauth Marauder?
    – ruds
    Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 6:19
  • Yep, sorry! Edited.
    – Gumbz
    Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 6:21
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    By the way, what you describe in your second paragraph is not generally how triggered abilities work. Triggered abilities always go on the stack and resolve after the event that triggered the ability.
    – murgatroid99 ♦
    Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 6:35
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    "As ..." modifies the event, but "At ...", "When ..." and "Whenever ..." indicates a triggered ability, and those use the stack.
    – ikegami
    Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 6:40
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    @murgatroid99, Triggered mana abilities don't use the stack ;)
    – Brian S
    Commented Mar 29, 2014 at 18:17

1 Answer 1

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Soul Link's ability is a triggered ability. From the comprehensive rules:

510.2. Second, all combat damage that’s been assigned is dealt simultaneously.

...

510.3. Third, any abilities that triggered on damage being assigned or dealt go on the stack.

State-based checks occur before the triggered ability is resolved, so Player A loses before gaining life from the Soul Link.

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