Does Double Strike Work When Creatures Fight? A Comprehensive Guide
The short answer is: No, double strike does not work when creatures fight. When creatures fight, the damage dealt is not considered combat damage. This is a crucial distinction in card games like Magic: The Gathering, where mechanics like double strike are intimately tied to the combat phase. Let’s dive into why this is, and explore some related mechanics that often confuse players.
Understanding “Fight” vs. “Combat”
To fully grasp why double strike doesn’t work when creatures fight, we need to understand the difference between these two terms.
Combat Damage
Combat damage is damage dealt during the combat damage step of a turn, specifically when creatures are attacking and blocking. Mechanics like first strike and double strike are specifically designed to function within this context. They change when and how combat damage is dealt during a traditional combat phase.
Fight Abilities
Fight abilities, on the other hand, are triggered by card effects, not during combat. They allow two creatures to deal damage to each other simultaneously, outside of the combat phase. The damage dealt during a fight is not combat damage; it is simply “damage.” Therefore, abilities such as double strike and first strike have no effect when creatures are fighting because they are designed to modify combat damage specifically. The creatures do not attack or block during a fight; they are simply dealing damage to one another.
Why is this distinction important?
This distinction is vital because many card abilities only interact with combat damage, and not just all types of damage. As you will see below, a significant number of abilities are only triggered by combat damage specifically, making the understanding of this distinction essential to play.
Double Strike in Combat
Double strike is an evergreen keyword ability that allows a creature to deal combat damage twice in a single combat phase. It deals damage once during the first combat damage step along with other creatures with first strike, and again during the regular combat damage step along with creatures without these keywords. This can effectively double a creature’s damage output in combat, provided the creature survives.
Double Strike and Blocking
If a creature with double strike is blocked, it remains blocked even if the blocking creature dies to the first strike damage. A common misconception is that if a creature with double strike kills its blocker with the first strike damage, it will then deal its second instance of combat damage to the player. This is not true unless the double striking creature also has trample, and excess damage can trample over to the player.
Multiple Instances of Double Strike
It’s also important to know that multiple instances of double strike on the same creature are redundant. A creature does not deal damage more than twice, no matter how many double strike abilities it might possess. The same rule applies to multiple instances of first strike as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some frequently asked questions about double strike and combat, along with related topics, to help clarify this further.
1. Does Double Strike Count as 2 Combat Damage?
Yes, a creature with double strike does deal damage twice, but it doesn’t count as attacking twice. It’s only declared as an attacker once per turn. The ability is a trigger that deals damage in both the first combat damage step, and the normal combat damage step.
2. Does Double Strike Give 2 Poison Counters?
Yes, double strike does result in double the amount of poison counters if the creature also has infect. Since infect is a replacement effect that replaces damage dealt with poison counters, double strike simply ensures this happens twice.
3. Do Combat Damage Triggers on Double Strike?
Absolutely. Since a creature with double strike deals combat damage twice, any triggers related to dealing combat damage will be triggered twice as well.
4. Do Swords Trigger Twice with Double Strike?
Yes, if a creature with double strike and a card like “Sword of War and Peace” hits an opponent, the sword’s ability will trigger twice. This occurs because the sword triggers whenever combat damage is dealt to the player and double strike deals combat damage twice.
5. Does Double Strike Ignore Deathtouch?
No. However, if you block a creature with deathtouch using a creature with double strike or first strike, your creature will deal damage first and could kill the deathtouch creature before it deals its own combat damage. If your creature does not deal enough damage to destroy the deathtouch creature in the first strike damage step, the deathtouch creature will deal its damage in the regular combat damage step.
6. What is the Double Strike Rule with Deathtouch?
When a creature has both double strike and deathtouch, it deals damage first and if that damage is enough, will destroy the opponent’s creature without taking damage in return. The deathtouch ability will make any damage dealt lethal damage.
7. What is the difference between double strike and deathtouch?
Double strike affects when combat damage is assigned/dealt, specifically in the initial and additional combat damage steps. Deathtouch, on the other hand, simply makes any amount of damage dealt to a creature lethal damage.
8. Does First Strike Beat Deathtouch?
Yes, first strike can overcome deathtouch if the creature with first strike deals enough damage to destroy the creature with deathtouch before that creature has the chance to deal damage.
9. Do Creatures with First Strike Take Damage?
Creatures with first strike will only take damage if an opponent’s creature survives the first strike combat damage step and then deals damage during the regular combat damage step. They are generally safe from creatures without first strike or double strike.
10. Does Indestructible Prevent Damage?
Indestructible does not prevent damage but prevents damage from causing a creature to be destroyed. This means the creature takes the damage, and triggers relevant effects like lifelink, wither or infect, it simply does not result in destruction.
11. Does Indestructible Override Deathtouch?
Yes, because deathtouch would normally cause destruction when damage is dealt but because indestructible creatures cannot be destroyed, they ignore deathtouch.
12. Does Hexproof Stop Deathtouch?
No, hexproof only prevents a creature from being targeted by an opponent’s spells or abilities. Deathtouch is not a targeted effect, so the creature with hexproof will still be affected.
13. Does Deathtouch Work on Planeswalkers?
No, deathtouch only works against creatures, not planeswalkers. You’ll need a specific ability or card effect to allow damage from a creature to deal damage to a Planeswalker.
14. Does Trample Work When Blocking?
No, trample is only active when a creature is attacking, it is not active when a creature is blocking. Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning combat damage when a creature is attacking, but it has no effect when a creature with trample is blocking.
15. Why would a Tapped Creature Need Deathtouch?
A creature with deathtouch that is tapped would make it very dangerous to block other creatures. This is an aggressive ability, making small attackers difficult to block with larger creatures that would otherwise easily block.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between combat damage and fight abilities is critical in card games like Magic: The Gathering. While double strike is a powerful ability during the combat step, it has no effect when creatures are fighting due to the nature of the mechanics involved. By understanding these interactions, you can make more informed decisions and build more effective strategies.