Mastering Combat Tricks: Casting Instants After First Strike in Magic: The Gathering
Yes, you absolutely can cast instants after first strike damage in Magic: The Gathering! This is a crucial element of understanding combat and exploiting its phases to your advantage. After first strike damage is dealt, but before the regular combat damage step (if it occurs), players receive priority and can cast instants, activate abilities, or even cast spells with flash. Understanding this timing window is essential for advanced play.
The Dance of Combat Phases
Combat in Magic is broken down into distinct phases and steps. These phases provide opportunities for players to react to each other’s actions. The critical phases for our discussion are:
- Beginning of Combat Phase: This phase is primarily for upkeep costs and triggers but also allows instants before the declare attackers step.
- Declare Attackers Step: Players declare which creatures are attacking.
- Declare Blockers Step: The defending player declares which creatures are blocking which attackers.
- First Combat Damage Step: Creatures with first strike or double strike deal their combat damage.
- Second Combat Damage Step: Creatures without first strike or double strike, and creatures with double strike again, deal their combat damage.
- End of Combat Phase: This phase concludes the combat sequence.
The Priority Window After First Strike
The crucial point is this: after creatures with first strike deal their damage, the game proceeds to the next step, but only after giving players a chance to respond. This is where the magic happens (pun intended!). Players receive priority before moving on to the next combat damage step (if applicable). With priority, you can cast instants, activate abilities, and cast spells with flash. This is especially important because you now know the results of the first strike damage step! Did your creature survive? Did theirs? This information is invaluable for your next move.
For example, suppose your 2/2 creature with first strike is blocked by a 3/3 creature without first strike. Your 2/2 deals 2 damage to the 3/3. Now, before the 3/3 deals its damage, you have priority. You could cast an instant like “Giant Growth” on your 2/2, making it a 5/5, killing the blocker. You can also cast an instant to buff the creature blocking, or remove the creature blocking. Alternatively, you could cast a removal spell on the 3/3, preventing it from dealing damage to your creature altogether.
Without this window to respond, combat would be far less dynamic and strategic. This is a key aspect that makes Magic such a deep and rewarding game, blending planning and in-the-moment decision-making.
Strategic Implications
The ability to cast instants after first strike damage opens up numerous strategic possibilities:
- Saving Your Creatures: If your creature with first strike is about to be destroyed, you can cast a spell to boost its toughness, give it indestructible, or even remove the blocker altogether.
- Finishing Off Opponents: Conversely, if your opponent’s creature survives the first strike damage, you can cast a spell to deal the remaining damage needed to destroy it.
- Exploiting Board State: You can cast spells that take advantage of the current board state after first strike damage is dealt. For example, you might cast a spell that creates tokens if a creature died in combat.
- Bluffing: Sometimes, simply representing that you could cast an instant can be enough to influence your opponent’s decisions. They might choose not to block, fearing a combat trick.
Related FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the intricacies of casting instants and combat.
Can you cast instants after attackers are declared?
Yes, you can. During combat, you can cast instants before attacks are declared, after attacks are declared, before blockers are declared, and after blockers are declared. After that, you have to wait until combat damage is calculated to cast another spell or activate another ability.
Do players get priority after first strike damage?
Yes! As emphasized above, players get priority in both combat damage steps (if creatures with double strike are involved). This is the critical timing that enables combat tricks.
What is the first strike rule?
A creature that has first strike will deal its damage before a creature without first strike. For example, if a 2/2 with first strike attacks and is blocked by a 2/2 without first strike, the 2/2 with first strike will deal its damage first, and the blocker will die.
What happens if two creatures with first strike are in combat?
First strike against first strike is essentially the same as normal combat. Two creatures with first strike that are declared in combat against each other both assign their combat damage on the first damage step. They deal their damage at the same time.
What is the double strike rule?
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 any creatures that have first strike, and again during the second combat damage step along with creatures that have neither keyword.
Can a creature have both double strike and first strike?
Yes. However, it is redundant. Double strike is a “superset” of First Strike. Creatures with double strike and creatures with first strike deal combat damage in the first combat damage step.
How does first strike versus first strike work?
As mentioned above, it’s just like normal combat. Both creatures deal damage simultaneously.
Does first strike beat Deathtouch?
A creature with first strike will deal damage first and can possibly kill the deathtouch creature before it has a chance to deal damage.
How does first strike and Deathtouch work together?
A creature with first strike and deathtouch is extremely potent. The creature will deal damage first, and since it has deathtouch, any amount of damage it deals is lethal, and the other creature will die even if its toughness is higher.
Can you respond “in response” to combat damage?
No, you can’t cast a spell directly “in response” to combat damage. Damage doesn’t use the stack. However, you can respond in the priority window after damage has been assigned.
Can you cast instants during the combat damage step?
Yes! Once players decide how the creatures they control will deal their combat damage, the damage is all dealt at the same time. Players can then cast instants and activate abilities before moving to the next step.
Can you play an instant if no blockers are declared?
Yes. You can cast instant spells any time you have priority, including after attackers are declared and before blockers are declared. This gives you the chance to respond to your opponent’s decisions.
Does indestructible override Deathtouch?
Yes. Deathtouch deals lethal damage. Indestructible creatures cannot be killed by lethal damage.
Does trample work when blocking?
No. Trample only affects damage dealt by attacking creatures.
What happens if a creature gains double strike after first strike damage?
Giving double strike to a creature with first strike after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step will allow the creature to assign combat damage in the second combat damage step, dealing combat damage a second time.
The Importance of Understanding Priority
Mastering the concept of priority and the timing windows it creates is crucial for becoming a skilled Magic: The Gathering player. Recognizing when you can cast instants and activate abilities, especially during combat, allows you to react to your opponent’s moves, control the board, and ultimately, increase your chances of victory.
This knowledge extends beyond just combat. Priority governs when you can cast instants and activate abilities at any point during a turn. This is what enables complex interactions and strategic play. Understanding how to sequence your actions and react to your opponent’s actions is what separates casual players from competitive ones. For more in-depth explorations of the strategic dimensions of games and learning, consider exploring the resources available at the Games Learning Society website, GamesLearningSociety.org.
By internalizing these concepts, you’ll elevate your game and gain a deeper appreciation for the strategic depth of Magic: The Gathering. Now go forth and conquer the combat phase!