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702.13a Lifelink is a static ability. Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes).

As far as I can tell Lifelink would happen before the damage or even at the same time. I would think that even if it happened after the damage wouldn't the lifelink still have to resolve even if the players life count is at 0 because the stack is not empty?

this actually came up at the SSG Open here where I live. i believe that if his total hit 0 by means of trample and the blocking creature has lifelink, his life total will hit zero, then bounce back to whatever he was awarded through lifelink.

A little more research has led me to a conclusion.

www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtg/daily/feature/42a

[QUOTE] Now the life gain is part of the damage event. Let's say you're at 1 life, and you're attacked by a pair of 2/2 creatures. You block one of them with a 3/3 creature with lifelink, but you don't block the other one. As a result of the damage, you'll lose 2 life and you'll gain 3 life at the exact same time (assuming none of the creatures have first strike). You'll wind up at 2 life.[/QUOTE]

Though this is a little different because it uses 2 creatures instead of 1 with trample, the idea is the same.

Combat damage being resolved and lifelink's effect happen at the same instant of time. There is no period of time where he would have had 0 hp.

Now I realize I need to get some first strike/double strike into this deck...

It's kind of an odd rule that Lifelink saves you. In my opinion your opponent should die, but that's not how it is. Weird.

[QUOTE=pete_h]It's kind of an odd rule that Lifelink saves you. In my opinion your opponent should die, but that's not how it is. Weird.[/QUOTE]

its odd yes, but a wonderful thing if you play a lifelink heavy deck. i personally don't use it, but i do tend to splash a couple of wurmcoils in to pretty much all of the builds i make and i would be lying if i said it hasn't saved me a time or 2:)

fun fact: lifelink (and deathtouch) used to be triggered abilities. So, about 2-3 years ago, you wouldn't have been saved by your lifelinker in that situation. Now? You're saved because the damage and lifegain happen at the same time.

did that come with the M10 rule changes? I played before the rule changes, but don't remember rulings about it back then.

yep, that they did. Something different happened with M11, I forget what.