The Battlefield

Phyrexian Unlife

$0.81

Solemnity

$9.25

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Phyrexian Unlife + Solemnity

Overview

With Phyrexian Unlife and Solemnity both on the battlefield, Phyrexian Unlife prevents you from losing the game for having 0 or less life (so you won’t lose due to rule /) and, once you are already at 0 or less life, Unlife makes damage to you be dealt as though it had infect which would normally cause you to get poison counters under rule . Solemnity’s “Players can’t get counters” prevents poison counters from being put on you, so while both permanents remain in play you can sit at 0 or less life without losing from life total or from poison counters (poison loss is under rule ).

Step 1

You begin above 0 life. If you take damage that reduces you from above 0 to 0 or less, Phyrexian Unlife’s infect clause does not apply to that damage because it only applies "as long as you have 0 or less life" (the check for that condition is based on the game state while damage is being dealt).

Step 2

After that damage is dealt and your life total is 0 or less, state-based actions would normally make you lose for having 0 or less life under rule /, but Phyrexian Unlife’s first sentence says you don’t lose the game for having 0 or less life, so you remain in the game.

Step 3

Now that you are at 0 or less life, Phyrexian Unlife’s second sentence makes any subsequent damage to you be treated as though it had infect, which would cause poison counters to be put on you under rule .

Step 4

Solemnity’s static effect 'Players can’t get counters' prevents poison counters from being put on you, so the infect damage’s normal result (putting poison counters on you) can’t happen while Solemnity is in effect.

Step 5

Because you are not receiving poison counters, you cannot reach ten poison counters and therefore will not lose under rule .

Step 6

If Phyrexian Unlife leaves the battlefield while your life total is 0 or less, the protection it provided against losing for 0 or less life disappears and you will lose to having 0 or less life unless another effect prevents that (Ruling [2011-06-01]).

Resolution

If you are at 0 or less life with Phyrexian Unlife in play, incoming damage is treated as infect damage by Unlife and would cause you to get poison counters under rule . However, Solemnity’s static effect “Players can’t get counters” prevents poison counters from being put on you, so you will not receive those counters and therefore will not lose due to having ten or more poison counters under rule . Phyrexian Unlife’s clause “You don’t lose the game for having 0 or less life” prevents the state-based loss for 0 or less life under rule /. Note: Phyrexian Unlife’s infect effect only applies while you are already at 0 or less life; the first damage that reduces you from above 0 to 0 or less will not be made infect by that clause, but you still don’t lose because of Unlife’s first sentence (see Ruling [2011-06-01]). If Phyrexian Unlife leaves while you are at 0 or less life you will lose the game unless another effect prevents that (see Ruling [2011-06-01]). Also, Solemnity does not remove counters already on you or permanents (Ruling [2017-07-14]), so existing poison counters still count.

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