Can You Respond Between First Strike and Regular Damage in Magic: The Gathering?
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Yes, absolutely! After creatures with first strike or double strike deal their damage in the first combat damage step, all players receive priority. This means you have a chance to cast instants, activate abilities, and generally react to the outcome of the first strike damage before the regular combat damage step occurs. This crucial timing window adds a significant layer of strategy to combat in Magic: The Gathering.
Understanding the Combat Phase and Priority
To fully grasp the implications of responding between first strike and regular damage, it’s essential to understand the structure of the combat phase:
- Beginning of Combat Step: This is the first step of combat.
- Declare Attackers Step: The active player declares which creatures are attacking.
- Declare Blockers Step: The defending player declares which creatures are blocking.
- First Combat Damage Step: Creatures with first strike or double strike deal combat damage. This is where the magic happens, or rather, where you can respond to the magic happening!
- Regular Combat Damage Step: Creatures without first strike (and creatures with double strike) deal combat damage.
- End of Combat Step: This is the final step of the combat phase.
Priority is the game’s mechanism for determining when players can take actions, such as casting spells or activating abilities. After each player takes an action, or chooses to pass, priority passes to the next player in turn order. The combat phase, and especially the damage steps, are punctuated by these priority passes.
Capitalizing on the First Strike Window
The ability to react after first strike damage but before regular damage opens up numerous tactical opportunities. For example:
- Saving Your Creature: If your creature is about to be destroyed by first strike damage, you can cast an instant like “Giant Growth” to boost its toughness and allow it to survive.
- Removing a Blocker: If a key blocker is destroyed by first strike damage, you can cast a spell to remove another blocker, paving the way for your remaining attackers.
- Gaining Life: If your creature with lifelink deals first strike damage, you can then cast an instant to further benefit from the life gain before the regular combat damage step.
- Disrupting Your Opponent’s Plan: You can cast a counterspell to prevent your opponent from using an instant to save their creature or enhance their attack.
First Strike and Double Strike Synergies
Creatures with double strike deal damage in both the first combat damage step and the regular combat damage step. This means that if you give a creature double strike after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step, it will assign combat damage in the second combat damage step, as stated by rule 702.4d. However, multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are redundant (702.4e).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Can you cast instants between first strike and regular damage?
Yes, you can! All players get priority after first strike damage is dealt and before the regular combat damage step. This is a crucial window to react to the first strike damage.
2. Does first strike take damage?
First strike itself doesn’t take damage; it’s an ability that allows a creature to deal damage earlier in the combat phase. However, the creature with first strike can certainly take damage during combat. If a creature with first strike destroys its blocker/attacker before the regular combat damage step, it won’t take any damage.
3. Can you stack first strike?
No, multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant (702.7d). Having one instance of first strike is all that’s needed.
4. How does first strike and double strike work together?
A creature with first strike deals combat damage in the first combat damage step, while a creature with double strike deals damage in both the first combat damage step and the regular combat damage step. Essentially, a creature with double strike acts as if it has first strike and as if it doesn’t.
5. Does Double Strike beat Deathtouch?
Creatures with deathtouch deal damage during the regular combat damage step. However, if you block a creature with deathtouch with a creature with first strike or double strike, your creature will deal damage during the first strike damage step. If that damage is lethal, the deathtouch creature is destroyed before it can deal damage back.
6. Can you defend first strike?
Yes, you can defend against first strike. One way is to block with multiple creatures. Even though the first strike creature might destroy one blocker, the remaining blockers can still deal damage in the regular combat damage step.
7. Can you double block a first strike?
Yes, you can double block a creature with first strike. The first strike creature will deal its damage to one of the blockers, and the surviving blocker (if any) will deal damage in the regular combat damage step.
8. Who wins indestructible vs Deathtouch?
Indestructible creatures also ignore deathtouch. An indestructible creature can’t be destroyed by damage, even damage from a creature with deathtouch.
9. Does Hexproof stop Deathtouch?
Hexproof does not stop deathtouch. Hexproof prevents a creature from being targeted by spells or abilities your opponents control. Deathtouch is a static ability that makes any amount of damage dealt by a creature lethal; it doesn’t target.
10. Who wins first strike vs Deathtouch?
It depends! A creature with first strike can kill a creature with deathtouch before the deathtouch creature can deal damage. In this scenario, the deathtouch creature is destroyed, and the first strike creature survives unscathed.
11. Does first strike hit multiple targets?
No, first strike does not automatically hit multiple targets. A creature with first strike deals damage to its assigned blocker or attacker during the first combat damage step.
12. Is Double Strike only attacking?
No, double strike works both when attacking and blocking. A creature with double strike deals combat damage in both the first combat damage step and the regular combat damage step, regardless of whether it’s attacking or blocking.
13. Does fight ignore first strike?
Yes, the fight mechanic ignores first strike. Damage dealt during a fight is not considered combat damage, so abilities like first strike or double strike have no effect.
14. Can you respond to declaring blockers?
No, you cannot respond to blockers being declared. Declaring blockers is a turn-based action that doesn’t use the stack. You get priority after blockers are declared.
15. What is summoning sickness in first strike?
Summoning sickness prevents a creature from attacking or using abilities with the tap symbol in the turn it enters the battlefield. Summoning sickness applies regardless of whether a creature has first strike or not. It has no direct interaction with first strike. A creature that just entered battlefield can block though.
Conclusion
The interplay of first strike, double strike, and priority adds considerable depth to combat in Magic: The Gathering. Understanding the timing and opportunities to respond between the first strike and regular damage steps is crucial for mastering the game. Don’t underestimate the power of instants and activated abilities in this critical window!
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