How does trample vs Deathtouch work?

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Trample and Deathtouch are two powerful keywords in the world of Magic: The Gathering, and understanding how they interact is crucial for any player looking to dominate the battlefield. When a creature with trample attacks and is blocked by a creature with Deathtouch, the creature with trample will still assign lethal damage to the blocking creature and any excess damage can be assigned to the defending player, unless the creature with Deathtouch has first strike or double strike, which would allow it to deal damage before the creature with trample.

Understanding Trample and Deathtouch

Trample Mechanics

To fully grasp how trample and Deathtouch work together, it’s essential to understand the mechanics of each. Trample is a static ability that allows an attacking creature to deal excess damage to the defending player after assigning lethal damage to the blocking creature. On the other hand, Deathtouch is an ability that destroys any creature dealt damage by the source, regardless of the amount of damage dealt.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does trample still work against Deathtouch? Unless the creature with Deathtouch has first strike, Deathtouch does nothing to stop a creature from trampling over to the defending player.
2. Does trample go through if the creature dies? Yes, that’s what trample does – any damage beyond lethal can be assigned to the player or planeswalker the trampling creature is attacking.
3. How does Deathtouch trample work against indestructible? Any amount of damage from a creature with Deathtouch is lethal, but indestructible prevents a creature from being destroyed when it is destroyed by damage or effects that say “destroy”.
4. Does first strike Deathtouch negate trample? The only way in which Deathtouch would “prevent” trample is if the creature had first strike or double strike where it’d deal damage before the creature with trample.
5. Does indestructible negate Deathtouch? Indestructible creatures are immune to Deathtouch because they can’t be destroyed.
6. Does trample go through prevent damage? See rule 702.19, “Trample,” which states that trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature’s combat damage.
7. Does Hexproof stop Deathtouch? Hexproof doesn’t prevent Deathtouch because Deathtouch doesn’t target.
8. What destroys indestructible? A permanent with indestructible can’t be destroyed, but its toughness can be reduced to zero, which would still cause it to be put into the graveyard.
9. Does Deathtouch work if combat damage is prevented? Technically, Deathtouch says that “any amount of damage dealt by a source is enough to kill the creature receiving the damage”, implying the damage has to be dealt in the first place.
10. Does trample go over power or toughness? Assuming the trampler has higher power than the blocker’s toughness, then yes, you can certainly trample over for damage to the defending player.
11. Does trample roll over protection? Yes, if you attack with a creature with trample and it’s blocked by a creature with protection, the creature with trample will assign damage equal to the blocking creature’s toughness and the rest will trample over to the player.
12. Does double strike trample over? No, double strike lets your creature deal damage as if it had first strike and then again in the regular damage step, but if said creature deals extra damage and has trample, then that damage can trample over.
13. What can counter Deathtouch? Deathtouch is restricted to combat, so removing creatures using spot or mass removal gets the job done, as does first strike or double strike, and indestructible.
14. Can Deathtouch block flying? Deathtouch creatures can’t block everything, especially if the attacking creatures have evasive abilities like flying or trample.
15. Does Deathtouch beat protection? Yes, if all the damage from a source is prevented via protection, then no effect that cares about dealing damage will go off, whether a triggered ability or something like Deathtouch.