Friend is confused about Regeneration rules text

[Vorthas]

Well my friend and I have been having a heated debate on whether regenerated creatures still deal combat damage because of one part of the reminder text in the regenerate ability. We now know that they indeed do, but he's still confused about one part of the rule text.

"701.11a If the effect of a resolving spell or ability regenerates a permanent, it creates a replacement effect that protects the permanent the next time it would be destroyed this turn. In this case, "Regenerate [permanent]" means "The next time [permanent] would be destroyed this turn, instead remove all damage marked on it and tap it. If it's an attacking or blocking creature, remove it from combat."

Basically he doesn't understand why it has the "remove it from combat" clause in the rules. I was thinking about it earlier, but I'd like a clarification as to why it's there. Is it to prevent cards like Divine Verdict from affecting the regenerated creature?

[KPDaly16]

There are a couple things this affects. For one, if someone attacks you with, say, a River Boa, and you Lightning Bolt it before damage is assigned and they regenerate it, it will no longer be in combat so you won't take 2 damage. Also, if you block with a Boa and your opponent Bolts it before damage, you would regenerate it once and you wouldn't have to do it again for the combat damage because the Boa is removed from combat (and it also wouldn't deal its damage to the creature it was blocking).

[kombatkiwi]

506.4. A permanent is removed from combat if it leaves the battlefield, 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 701.11) 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.

I attack with my Albino Troll

You lightning bolt it

I regenerate it

It's not an attacking creature anymore so it won't damage you

That's just one thing that can happen, your point about divine verdict is true as well
edit: sarnathed a bit

[Vorthas]

Ok now that's sounding like that if it were hit by lightning bolt and regenerated from that during say the declare blockers step, then the creature would NOT do combat damage. But if it had the regeneration shield on and would be destroyed during combat, then it still does combat damage? Am I correct?

[CarstenHaese]

Originally Posted by Vorthas

Ok now that's sounding like that if it were hit by lightning bolt and regenerated from that during say the declare blockers step, then the creature would NOT do combat damage. But if it had the regeneration shield on and would be destroyed during combat, then it still does combat damage? Am I correct?

In the absence of things like first strike that would make your opponent's creature deal damage before your creature would deal damage, yes. All combat damage is dealt simultaneously, so by the time your creature has its destruction replaced by the regeneration shield, it has already dealt its combat damage.

[Vorthas]

Originally Posted by CarstenHaese

In the absence of things like first strike that would make your opponent's creature deal damage before your creature would deal damage, yes. All combat damage is dealt simultaneously, so by the time your creature has its destruction replaced by the regeneration shield, it has already dealt its combat damage.

Ok thank you so much guys. That answered my question.