Does Annihilator Trigger Twice with Double Strike? The Definitive Answer

The short answer is a resounding no. Annihilator, a devastating keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), triggers only once when the creature with annihilator is declared as an attacker. Double strike, while making your creature deal damage twice, doesn’t affect the number of times annihilator triggers. Annihilator’s trigger happens during the Declare Attackers Step, and that only occurs once per combat phase. Think of it this way: annihilator is a “tax” you pay for facing a scary attacker, levied only upon entry to the battlefield’s conflict. Double strike just means that attacker hits really hard, twice!

Annihilator: Understanding the Trigger

Annihilator N means “Whenever this creature attacks, defending player sacrifices N permanents.” This ability is a triggered ability. The trigger event is “Whenever this creature attacks.” Crucially, declaring a creature as an attacker is a single, discrete event that happens once per combat phase. Double strike influences how combat damage is dealt, not when a creature is declared as an attacker.

Double strike is an evergreen keyword ability that allows a creature to deal combat damage twice per combat phase — once during the first combat damage step (along with creatures that have first strike) and again during the regular combat damage step (along with creatures that have neither keyword). It effectively provides two opportunities to deal damage, but it doesn’t clone the declaration of attack itself.

Why Annihilator Doesn’t Trigger Multiple Times

Imagine a gigantic Eldrazi, like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth, lumbering towards you. When you see it declared as an attacker, your mind (and your mana) races, knowing you’ll lose precious permanents. But double strike doesn’t replay that initial moment of horror. It simply means that Kozilek will slam you twice, once in the first strike phase and again in the regular combat phase, potentially leaving you even more devastated, but not making you sacrifice permanents again.

Example Scenario

Let’s say you attack with a 5/5 creature with both annihilator 2 and double strike. During the Declare Attackers Step, annihilator triggers, and the defending player sacrifices two permanents. Then, in the first combat damage step, the 5/5 deals 5 damage. In the second combat damage step, it deals another 5 damage. Annihilator only triggered once despite the double damage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Annihilator and Double Strike

Here are some frequently asked questions that dive deeper into the interactions of annihilator with other mechanics and related abilities:

1. Does annihilator work with trample? Yes. If your creature with annihilator and trample deals damage to a blocker, and there’s damage left over, that excess damage is dealt to the defending player. This can be a powerful combination, forcing sacrifice and inflicting heavy damage.
2. Does extra combat phases trigger annihilator again? Yes! If you have a card like “Aggravated Assault” that gives you an additional combat phase, and you attack with your annihilator creature during that extra combat phase, annihilator will trigger again. This is because you are declaring an attack in a completely new combat phase.
3. If my annihilator creature is blocked, do I still have to sacrifice permanents? Yes. Annihilator triggers “whenever this creature attacks,” not “whenever this creature deals combat damage.” Being blocked doesn’t stop the annihilator trigger.
4. Can I choose which permanents to sacrifice for annihilator? Yes, you choose which permanents to sacrifice. Your opponent controls the annihilator trigger; therefore, they are the defending player. The defending player decides what permanents to sacrifice.
5. What happens if I don’t have enough permanents to sacrifice for annihilator? You sacrifice as many permanents as you can. If annihilator requires you to sacrifice two permanents and you only control one, you sacrifice that one permanent.
6. Does annihilator trigger against planeswalkers? Yes. You declare your attack against the player, and the planeswalker is one of their permanents, which could be sacrificed to the annihilator trigger.
7. Does flickering (exiling and returning) an attacking creature with annihilator trigger it again? No. Flickering the creature only removes it from combat temporarily. It doesn’t re-declare the attack.
8. Does annihilator target? No. Annihilator doesn’t target. It’s a triggered ability that forces the defending player to sacrifice permanents upon attack declaration. Since it doesn’t target, abilities like hexproof don’t prevent the sacrifice.
9. Does proliferate affect annihilator? No. Proliferate adds counters to permanents and/or gives players additional counters. Annihilator has nothing to do with counters, and the mechanics are unrelated.
10. If I copy a creature with annihilator, does the copy trigger annihilator as well? If the copy attacks, yes. Each individual creature with annihilator triggers the ability separately when it is declared as an attacker. So, a copy entering and attacking will trigger annihilator on its own.
11. Does annihilator trigger if the creature enters the battlefield attacking? Yes. If a creature with annihilator enters the battlefield attacking (e.g., through a card like “Sneak Attack”), annihilator will trigger.
12. How does annihilator interact with vigilance? Vigilance allows a creature to attack without tapping. This doesn’t affect annihilator. The ability still triggers when the vigilant creature is declared as an attacker.
13. Can annihilator be countered? The annihilator ability is a triggered ability that is placed on the stack. As such, it can be countered by cards such as “Stifle” or “Tale’s End”.
14. If I give my creature with annihilator haste, does that change how it triggers? No. Haste only allows the creature to attack during the turn it entered the battlefield. It doesn’t affect how annihilator triggers.
15. Is annihilator considered a triggered ability? Yes, annihilator is explicitly defined as a triggered ability within the comprehensive rules of Magic: The Gathering.

Understanding how annihilator interacts with other mechanics is crucial for strategic gameplay in MTG. While double strike enhances the damage output of an annihilator creature, it doesn’t amplify the number of times the annihilator ability itself triggers. Knowing these nuances allows players to build more effective decks and make informed decisions during games.

For more educational content and deeper dives into game mechanics, check out Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. They offer resources to enhance understanding and strategic thinking in various games.