From MTG Salvation Wiki
The combat phase is the third phase in a turn, and has five steps in this order:
If no creatures are declared as attackers, the declare blockers step and combat damage step are skipped. If any attacking or blocking creatures has first strike or double strike, there are two combat damage steps.
A creature is removed from combat if:
- it leaves play
- it regenerates [CR 419.6b]
- its controller changes
- it stops being a creature
- an effect removes it from combat
When a creature is removed from combat it stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature.
If a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking do not remove the creature from combat.
Example
If a player wants to cast an Off Balance it must be done before a creature has been declared an attacker or blocker. Otherwise it will have no effect.
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Tapping or untapping a creature that’s already been declared as an attacker or blocker doesn’t remove it from combat and doesn’t prevent its combat damage. (This is contrary to pre-sixth edition rules.)
From the Comprehensive Rules (February 1, 2009)
- 306. Combat Phase
- 306.1. The combat phase has five steps, which proceed in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. The declare blockers and combat damage steps are skipped if no creatures are declared as attackers or put into play attacking (see rule 308.5). There are two combat damage steps if any attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 502.2) or double strike (see rule 502.28).
- 306.2. During the combat phase, the active player is the attacking player; creatures that player controls may attack. As the combat phase starts, the active player chooses one of his or her opponents. The chosen opponent is the defending player; that player and planeswalkers he or she controls may be attacked. Some multiplayer games allow the active player to attack multiple other players. See rule 602, “Attack Multiple Players Option,” and rule 606, “Two-Headed Giant Variant.”
- 306.3. Only a creature can attack or block. Only a player or a planeswalker can be attacked.
- 306.3a If an effect would put a noncreature permanent into play attacking or blocking, the permanent does come into play but it’s never considered to be an attacking or blocking permanent.
- 306.4. A permanent is removed from combat if it leaves play, if its controller changes, if an effect specifically removes it from combat, if it’s a planeswalker that’s being attacked and stops being a planeswalker, or if it’s an attacking or blocking creature that regenerates (see rule 419.6b) or stops being a creature. A creature that’s removed from combat stops being an attacking, blocking, blocked, and/or unblocked creature. A planeswalker that’s removed from combat stops being attacked.
- 306.4a Once a creature has been declared as an attacking or blocking creature, spells or abilities that would have kept that creature from attacking or blocking don’t remove the creature from combat.
- 306.4b Tapping or untapping a creature that’s already been declared as an attacker or blocker doesn’t remove it from combat and doesn’t prevent its combat damage.
- 306.4c If a creature is attacking a planeswalker, removing that planeswalker from combat doesn’t remove that creature from combat. It continues to be an attacking creature, although it is attacking neither a player nor a planeswalker. It may be blocked. If it is unblocked, it will deal no combat damage.
- 306.4d A permanent that’s both a blocking creature and a planeswalker that’s being attacked is partially removed from combat if it stops being either a creature or a planeswalker (but not both). It’s not removed from the portion of combat that’s relevant to the card type it still is.
- 306.5. A creature attacks alone if it’s the only creature declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step. A creature is attacking alone if it’s attacking but no other creatures are. A creature blocks alone if it’s the only creature declared as a blocker during the declare blockers step. A creature is blocking alone if it’s blocking but no other creatures are.
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