Protect

Protect is a keyword related to Battles, specifically Sieges, introduced in March of the Machine. The person assigned to protect a Siege battle is its Protector.
==Description==
As a Siege battle enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector. They can protect that battle, to avoid it being transformed into a spell or creature that is beneficial to their opponent.
Every player except a battle's protector may attack it. Only a battle's protector may block creatures attacking it. Any damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it. When the last defense counter is removed from a Siege battle, the battle is defeated and a triggered ability triggers. As this ability resolves, the battle's controller exiles it and then casts the back face from exile without paying a mana cost. The back faces are a variety of things; most of them are permanents, but there are also some sorceries.
==Rules==
==Rulings==
*As a Siege enters the battlefield, its controller chooses an opponent to be its protector.
*A Siege's controller can't be its protector. If a Siege's protector ever gains control of it, they choose a new player to be its protector. This is a state-based action.
*If a non-battle permanent that is already on the battlefield become a copy of a Siege, its controller chooses one of their opponents to be that battle's protector. However, it will most likely be put into its owner's graveyard because it has no defense counters (see below).
*A battle's "defense" is displayed in the bottom right corner of the card. A battle enters the battlefield with that number of defense counters. If another permanent enters the battlefield as a copy of a battle, it also enters with that number of defense counters.
*Only creatures controlled by a battle's protector can block creatures that are attacking that battle. This means a Siege's controller can never assign creatures to block for it.
*A battle can be dealt damage and be target of spells and/or abilities that target "any target."
*Damage dealt to a battle causes that many defense counters to be removed from it.
*A battle can be attacked by all players other than its protector. Notably, this means a Siege's controller can attack it.
==Examples==
==References==