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Rules AnswersTargeting & Protection

Does protection from everything prevent a creature from being equipped?

Short answer
Yes. Protection from everything prevents a creature from being equipped, because equip is an attachment and protection stops all attachment.

Protection from everything means a permanent has protection from all objects and players. Per CR 702.16b, protection prevents four things summarized as DEBT: the protected permanent cannot be Damaged, Enchanted/Equipped/Fortified, Blocked, or Targeted by anything it has protection from. Since 'everything' covers all objects, no Equipment can be attached to the creature.

CR 702.16e specifically covers protection from everything, confirming it applies to all instances of the DEBT restrictions simultaneously. This means the equip activated ability cannot be used to attach an Equipment to a creature with protection from everything, and any Equipment already attached to that creature falls off as a state-based action (CR 704.5r), because it is not a legal attachment.

It is worth noting this also applies to Auras and Fortifications — they cannot be attached to a creature with protection from everything either. The protection is total and leaves no loopholes for attachment-based effects.

Concrete example: You control a Darksteel Colossus with protection from everything granted by a spell. Your opponent tries to use the equip ability of a Sword of Fire and Ice to attach it to your Colossus. The equip ability cannot legally target the Colossus (it is also protected from targeting), and even if attached via a non-targeting method, the Equipment would immediately fall off as a state-based action.

HIGH confidence CR 702.16b CR 702.16e CR 704.5r
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