First Strike in Magic: The Gathering: Outpacing Your Opponents Before They Even Swing
In Magic: The Gathering, combat holds significant sway. Knowing how to deal the initial blow is critical for victory. Enter First Strike, which empowers your creatures to hit before your opponent can react. It’s like they have lightning-fast reflexes. Let’s explore this ability that shapes combat.
Decoding First Strike: More Than Just a Speedy Punch
What is First Strike? Simply put, a creature with First Strike deals combat damage before others without it. As the rulebook states, “A creature with first strike deals its combat damage before creatures without first strike.” In battle, this is crucial.
Flavor-wise, First Strike embodies more than speed. It shows superior dexterity or skill, simulating combat prowess. Weapons like spears or lances help strike opponents before they can respond. Picture a knight with a lance against someone unarmed. Trouble awaits without First Strike.
Combat Damage: A Two-Step Beatdown (Sometimes Just One)
Combat entails steps. For First Strike, focus sharply on damage dealing. Generally, in a standard combat damage step, creatures deal damage at once. Chaos ensues, but First Strike changes this game. It introduces a special “first combat damage step.” Here, only First Strike creatures cause damage. Afterward, all others can attack.
First Strike in Action: Outmaneuvering Your Foes
Let’s look at First Strike in real battles. Imagine swinging with a 2/2 creature with First Strike. Your opponent blocks with a hefty 4/2 brute. Normally, this results in mutual destruction. With First Strike, everything changes.
Your 2/2 hits first, dealing 2 damage to the 4/2 blocker. If 2 damage is enough to eliminate the 4/2 (and it is), it dies before counterattacking. Your 2/2 remains unharmed, defeating a larger foe. This illustrates First Strike’s power – converting trades into victories.
What about defense? Does First Strike only aid in attacking? No! When blocking, a First Striker responds swiftly. It inflicts damage in the first combat step, preventing retaliation. This is vital for stopping aggression and shielding life totals. Picture blocking a 3/3 with your 2/2 First Striker. Your opponent expects a trade, but nope! Your creature may eliminate the 3/3 first.
Consider a scenario: a 2/2 First Striker versus a regular 2/2. A mirror match forms, but the First Striker has an advantage. It deals its 2 damage first, defeating the opposing creature before it can act. The First Striker remains unscathed, while the other one falls. You hold the edge.
First Strike Tangoing with Other Abilities: Synergy and Shut Downs
Magic thrives on interactions. First Strike pairs well (or not) with various abilities. Here’s how it collaborates:
Deathtouch: The Ultimate Shut Down
Deathtouch spells trouble. It says “any damage from this creature is lethal.” Combine Deathtouch with First Strike for lethal efficiency. Picture a 1/1 with both abilities. It attacks and blocks a 5/5. Does it perish? Not when it strikes first! In the first combat damage step, it inflicts 1 damage. Thanks to Deathtouch, that’s enough to kill the 5/5. The 5/5 falls before it strikes back. Your tiny assassin triumphs.
Double Strike: Twice the First Strike? Not Quite.
Next, consider Double Strike. It seems like First Strike’s stronger cousin, but it’s distinct. Double Strike engages in both damage steps. Thus, it strikes in the first and again in the regular damage step. It’s like having First Strike and hitting again. Think of it as a creature that not only hits fast but follows through with more damage.
Specific Scenarios: Navigating the Nuances
Let’s clarify more combat situations involving First Strike:
First Strike vs. First Strike: Speed vs. Speed
What occurs when one First Striker faces another? Do they corner one another? Nope. Both deal damage simultaneously in the first combat step. It’s a tie. If a 2/2 First Striker attacks a 2/2 First Striker blocker, they both inflict 2 damage simultaneously. It’s an exchange occurring earlier in the combat sequence.
First Strike and Blocking: Defense is Key
This topic deserves emphasis: First Strike excels in defense. A First Striker, when blocking, still inflicts damage first. It can take down attackers before they can hit back, safeguarding your life points and creatures.
Losing First Strike Mid-Combat: Too Late to Strike Back
Imagine a strange case where a creature loses First Strike *after* the first combat step but before the regular one. Maybe a spell caused this oddity. The creature still had its First Strike moment. Losing it afterward doesn’t grant it a chance to strike in the next phase. It’s a missed opportunity – once the bell chimes, you’re out of luck.
Additional Clarifications: Tidying Up Loose Ends
A few more points about First Strike:
- Redundancy is Redundant: If a creature gets multiple instances of First Strike (through card tricks), extra strikes don’t apply. One lists enough. It’s like being “super-fast” – you remain simply fast. Extra instances become redundant.
- Damage is Damage: First Strike encompasses all damage types. Whether regular damage, infect, or lifelink, First Strike applies similarly regardless of the source of damage.
So there you have it – First Strike lets you strike first and ask later. It serves as a strong asset for offense and defense, allowing you to outsmart opponents,
eliminate more significant threats, and dominate combat. Next time you build a deck, think about integrating First Strikers. After all, in Magic and life, sometimes the first strike is key.
