Breaking Down DEBT | Understanding Protection in Magic: The Gathering

When I first encountered a card that said “protection from red,” I thought, “Sweet, it can’t be hit by Lightning Bolt.” But the more I played, the more I realized protection is sneakily complex. That’s where the DEBT system became my best friend. It turns out protection in Magic: The Gathering doesn’t just stop a creature from taking damage—it can prevent all kinds of interactions.

What Does Protection Magic: The Gathering Really Do?

Protection in Magic is a keyword ability that shields a permanent or player from a specific thing, usually a color or a card type. If a creature has protection from red, that means it interacts differently with any red source in the game.

To figure out what protection does, we rely on the acronym DEBT. It outlines the four effects that protection covers.

Let's Break Down DEBT

D — Damage  

The creature with protection can’t be dealt damage by sources that they have protection from. So if you have a creature with protection from red, and an opponent throws a Lightning Bolt at it, the damage is prevented.

E — Enchant/Equip

This one often trips up new players or is commonly forgotten until you try and do it. A creature with protection from black can’t be enchanted or equipped by black Auras or Equipment. If a black Aura is already attached and the creature gains protection from black, the Aura will fall off. This is really important to remember for those playing multi-colored decks.

B — Blocked

Creatures with protection can’t be blocked by creatures they have protection from. My white creature with protection from green can swing in safely if my opponent only has green creatures to block with.

T — Targeted

Spells and abilities of the specified quality can’t target it. So if a spell says “destroy target creature,” and my creature has protection from that spell’s color or type, the spell fizzles.

What Protection Does Not Do

Being protected is cool, but it’s also good to know what protection doesn’t cover. A creature with protection from white can still be destroyed by a global wrath effect like Wrath of God, because that spell doesn’t target.

Protection also doesn’t make a creature invincible. It can still be sacrificed, exiled by colorless abilities, or affected by other non-targeting effects.

Why DEBT Matters

The DEBT system helps me keep it all straight, especially when things get chaotic on the board. Knowing what protection covers gives me better insight into how to attack, block, and respond to threats. It’s one of those mechanics that makes Magic more strategic the deeper you dive.