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I declare my attack with a 3/3 creature & then my opponent assigns a 1/1 creature to block.

Am I allowed to use the ability of an Elvish Herder (1 Green Mana - Target creature gains trample until end of turn) on my original 3/3 creature to make sure that, in addition to his creature dying, he receives 2 damage to himself as well?

Or would that give my opponent the chance to go back and assign a secondary blocker?

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    I get that you are probably a new player, but what makes you think using an ability allows your opponent to reassign blockers?
    – Hackworth
    Jun 19, 2019 at 23:36
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    @Hackworth If declaring blockers was something like an activated ability you had access to for as long as the game is in the declare blockers step, for instance? "I declare this blocker" "Then I pay this spell" "Then I declare this blocker as well" Doesn't seem like an implausible misconception, and if there are no combat tricks played between blocker assignment and damage dealing, you won't notice the difference.
    – Arthur
    Jun 20, 2019 at 20:19
  • @Hackworth They aren't saying that they think that blockers can be reassigned. Once someone finishes assigning blockers, they pass priority. If the other player uses an ability, then priority passes back to the defending player. It is a reasonable question to ask whether, having priority again, the defending player can assign an additional (not reassign) blocker.
    – Acccumulation
    Jun 20, 2019 at 20:23

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Yes, you can. If you look through the comprehensive rules on the details of the combat phase, you'll find that after blocks are declared, the active player (in this case the attacker) gets priority:

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

You can activate your trample ability now. If you activate it doesn't mean you rewind to the phase where you redeclare blockers (509.1, "First, the defending player declares blockers ..."). You simply move on to the next phase of combat damage.

If opponent died because he didn't declare enough blockers, then he's been outplayed.

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  • "because he didn't declare enough blockers" taking into account the activated abilities of permanents they've been outplayed. If it's a card in attackers hand (or other hidden source) that's more like "requiring you have it"
    – Caleth
    Jun 20, 2019 at 14:35

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