AI DraftFeb 26, 2026
Axebane Guardian + High Alert
Overview
High Alert does not change Axebane Guardian’s status as a creature with defender, so Axebane Guardian’s activated mana ability is unaffected: it remains a mana ability that resolves immediately and produces X mana where X is the number of creatures you control with defender counted when the ability resolves (see Ruling [2012-10-01]). High Alert’s first ability only changes how combat damage is assigned (assigns damage equal to toughness rather than power) and does not change any creature’s power or whether it has defender (Ruling [2019-01-25] and ).
Step 1
You activate Axebane Guardian’s ability by tapping it. That ability is a mana ability under rule and therefore resolves immediately without using the stack .
Step 2
When the ability resolves, determine X by counting the creatures you control that have defender at that moment; that is the value used to produce mana (Ruling [2012-10-01]).
Step 3
High Alert’s effect that lets creatures attack as though they didn’t have defender does not remove or change the defender static ability; the creatures still have defender for all other purposes, including being counted by Axebane Guardian’s ability .
Step 4
High Alert’s damage-assignment-changing ability causes creatures to assign combat damage equal to their toughness rather than their power, but it does not change a creature’s actual power or toughness values and thus does not affect Axebane Guardian’s mana ability (Ruling [2019-01-25]).
Step 5
If you want to activate Axebane Guardian multiple times across turns in the same turn, High Alert’s 
: Untap target creature ability can untap Axebane but is a normal activated ability (not a mana ability) and goes on the stack; you can respond to or interact with that ability normally.
: Untap target creature ability can untap Axebane but is a normal activated ability (not a mana ability) and goes on the stack; you can respond to or interact with that ability normally.Resolution
Axebane Guardian’s 
: Add X mana... ability is a mana ability that resolves immediately when activated . X is determined by counting creatures you control with defender as that count exists when the ability resolves (Ruling [2012-10-01]). High Alert does not remove or change defender and only changes how combat damage is assigned, so it does not change that count or the mana produced (Ruling [2019-01-25]; ).
: Add X mana... ability is a mana ability that resolves immediately when activated . X is determined by counting creatures you control with defender as that count exists when the ability resolves (Ruling [2012-10-01]). High Alert does not remove or change defender and only changes how combat damage is assigned, so it does not change that count or the mana produced (Ruling [2019-01-25]; ).Feedback