How Does Deathtouch Affect Double Strike?

Deathtouch affects double strike by making any amount of damage dealt by the creature with deathtouch and double strike lethal to the blocking creature, potentially killing it before it can deal any damage back, while the creature with double strike can still deal its second instance of damage. The deathtouch ability ensures that if the creature with double strike deals any amount of damage to a creature, that creature will be destroyed, unless it has an ability like indestructible that prevents it from being destroyed.

Understanding Deathtouch and Double Strike

To fully comprehend how deathtouch affects double strike, it’s essential to understand what each of these keyword abilities does. Double strike allows a creature to deal combat damage twice during a combat phase: once during the first strike damage step and again during the regular combat damage step. On the other hand, deathtouch makes any amount of damage dealt by a creature with this ability lethal to the creature it’s dealing damage to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Deathtouch and Double Strike Interactions

1. Does Double Strike Work With Deathtouch?: Yes, if a creature has deathtouch and double strike, it can potentially kill a blocking creature before that creature can deal any damage back, and then deal its second instance of damage.
2. How Does Double Strike and Deathtouch Work?: Double strike affects when a creature assigns/deals its combat damage, allowing it to deal damage twice. Deathtouch makes any amount of damage dealt by the creature lethal to the creature it’s dealing damage to.
3. 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 and again during the second combat damage step.

Deathtouch Specifics

4. Does Death Touch Affect First Strike?: A creature with first strike will hit first, and can possibly kill the deathtouch creature before it has a chance to hit. If it does, then the deathtouch creature dies, and nothing happens to the first strike creature.
5. Does Deathtouch Kill Both Blockers?: Yes, deathtouch works well on attacking creatures with multiple blockers. Any creatures dealt damage by the deathtouch creature will die, with the attacking player choosing the order in which damage is assigned.
6. What IS Deathtouch?: Deathtouch is a static ability that causes any amount of damage dealt by the source to a creature to be lethal damage, unless the creature has an ability like indestructible.

Interactions with Other Abilities

7. Does Deathtouch Kill Double Strike?: Creatures with deathtouch deal damage during the regular combat damage step. If blocked by a creature with first strike or double strike, the blocking creature will deal damage first, potentially killing the deathtouch creature before it can deal damage.
8. Does Deathtouch Get Rid of Indestructible?: No, deathtouch causes “lethal damage” to creatures, but indestructible creatures cannot be killed by “lethal damage”.
9. How Does Deathtouch and Lifelink Work Together?: Deathtouch and lifelink work independently of each other, with deathtouch causing lethal damage and lifelink gaining life for the controller of the creature dealing damage.

Deathtouch in Different Scenarios

10. How Does Deathtouch Work With Multiple Blockers?: If exactly one creature is blocking, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the announced damage assignment order.
11. Does Deathtouch Work on Planeswalkers?: No, deathtouch applies to creatures, not planeswalkers, because planeswalkers are not creatures.
12. Does Trample Go Through Deathtouch?: Yes, trample goes through after damage is dealt, but both creatures will die if a creature with deathtouch and trample is blocked.

Additional Deathtouch Considerations

13. Can You Double Strike Double Strike?: No, multiple instances of double strike (or of first strike) on the same creature are redundant.
14. How is Double Strike Blocked?: Double strike means the creature deals both first-strike and regular combat damage. It doesn’t matter whether it’s blocked or not, but if blocked and the blocker has trample, the excess damage can be assigned to the player.
15. Does Hexproof Stop Deathtouch?: No, hexproof does not make a creature immune to deathtouch, as deathtouch does not target the creature.