Gideon of the Trials

[rexyplaysmtg]

Ok y, all. I need some explanation. What the actual heck is up with with this rule on the planeswalker, Gideon of the Trials

I get that the 0 loyalty counter gives the player who controls it "You get an emblem with: 'You can't lose the game, but your opponents can't win. But is it really possible to just not lose with this planeswalker, not on the battlefield?

This is from the official Magic ruling; is this even fair?

[void_nothing]

Yes, you can't lose if you have that emblem and a Gideon on the battlefield - not by an effect, drawing from an empty library, 0 life, or ten poison counters.

However, "and a Gideon on the battlefield" is exactly the rub: Once Gideon is not there, whether he's been put into a graveyard for having 0 loyalty due to combat damage, destroyed outright, returned to hand, whatever - if you have 0 life or ten poison, you'll lose right away when state-based actions are checked, and if you have an empty library, you'll lose when you try to draw your next card when state-based actions are checked.

The ruling in question refers to instances when one Gideon leaves the battlefield and another enters later.

[rexyplaysmtg]

Ah, I see. You'll still have the emblem (as stated in the ruling), but it will be inactive because the card states, "As long as..."

[void_nothing]

Correct. The effect is conditional.