First Strike
In Magic: The Gathering, how do first strike and double strike work?
Please explain using a particular situation.
I’d be happy to, as this is a confusing issue.
The way First Strike works requires some knowledge of how combat damage is dealt. Your friend declares that he is attacking with a 2/2 creature and you declare that you are blocking it with two 1/1 creatures. Your friend divvies the damage up, dealing one to each of your creatures so that he might destroy both. You don’t really have a choice like he does. Combat damage is put onto the stack, the place where spells, triggers, abilities, and combat damage go to wait for resolution. Then your opponent plays a Giant Growth on his creature, giving it +3/+3 until the end of the turn. This spell goes on the stack, resolves, makes his guy a 5/5, and then the damage resolves. Your two creatures are destroyed and 2 damage stays on his creature until the cleanup step, when damage is removed.
First Strike and Double Strike alter this pattern a little bit. When you are done declaring your blockers, you enter the combat damage step, where choices for damage are made and damage is placed on the stack and later resolves. First/Double Strike causes there to be an extra combat damage step. In this first Combat Damage Step, creatures with First Strike and Double Strike assign their combat damage, players get a chance to use effects, such as Giant Growth, then the damage resolves. Then the second Combat Damage Step occurs and creatures without First Strike deal their damage. Creatures with Double Strike also deal damage during this step (hence the name!) and it works just as before. Remember, the Double Striking creature merely assigns its combat damage in both steps and is not attacking twice as some may believe.
To put this info into action:
You control Viashino Slaughtermaster, a 1/1 creature with Double Strike and the ability, “BG: Viashino Slaughtermaster gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Play this ability only once per turn.”
You also control Tundra Wolves, a 1/1 creature with First Strike.
Your opponent controls Windborn Muse, a 2/3 creature with Flying and the ability, “Creatures can’t attack you unless their controller pays 2 for each creature attacking you.”
You enter the Combat Phase of your turn. You declare Viashino Slaughtermaster and Tundra Wolves as your attackers and tap them to show they’re attacking. Windborn Muse’s ability triggers and you pay the cost of 2 for each creature, totaling 4 mana.
It becomes the Declare Blockers Step and your opponent blocks your Viashino Slaughtermaster with Windborn Muse. You are allowed to play effects, so you choose to pump up your Slaughtermaster with his ability. He becomes a 2/2.
You then enter the first of two Combat Damage steps. Recall that there are two because one or more creatures in combat has First or Double Strike. You assign 2 damage to Windborn Muse and 1 damage to your opponent. The damage goes on the stack, then resolves. Then the second Combat Damage Step begins. Your opponent assigns 2 damage to Viashino Slaughtermaster with Windborn Muse and you assign 2 damage right back at the Windborn Muse with your Slaughtermaster. Damage goes on the stack, then resolves. Your Slaughtermaster takes 2 damage and dies. Your opponent’s Windborn Muse, which had 2 damage from the first combat step, takes another 2 damage and dies. Note that you didn’t have to pay 2 mana for Viashino Slaughtermaster again because he didn’t attack twice, he merely fought in two combat damage steps.
That’s as particular and clear as it gets I should think. Good luck.
First Strike (Part 1)
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