Trample and Banding: A Deep Dive into Magic’s Most Complex Interactions
Fast answer first. Then use the tabs or video for more detail.
- Watch the video explanation below for a faster overview.
- Game mechanics may change with updates or patches.
- Use this block to get the short answer without scrolling the whole page.
- Read the FAQ section if the article has one.
- Use the table of contents to jump straight to the detailed section you need.
- Watch the video first, then skim the article for specifics.
The interaction between Trample and Banding in Magic: The Gathering is notoriously complex, even for seasoned players. In essence, banding allows the player controlling the creatures with banding (whether attacking or blocking) to decide how combat damage is distributed. This means a creature with banding, or a group of creatures in a band, can effectively nullify trample by absorbing all the damage. If a creature with trample attacks into a blocker with banding, the player controlling the banding creature chooses how the trampler’s damage is assigned, allowing them to prevent damage from trampling over.
Understanding the Core Mechanics
To fully grasp the interplay between trample and banding, we need to dissect each mechanic individually.
Trample: Overrunning the Opposition
Trample is a keyword ability that modifies the rules for assigning combat damage. Normally, an attacking creature deals its damage to the creature(s) blocking it. However, a creature with trample can deal any excess damage beyond what’s required to assign lethal damage to its blockers to the defending player, planeswalker, or battle it’s attacking.
-
Lethal Damage Defined: Lethal damage is typically defined as an amount of damage equal to the creature’s toughness. However, effects like Deathtouch change this; a creature with deathtouch only needs to deal 1 damage to be considered lethal.
-
Multiple Blockers: If a creature with trample is blocked by multiple creatures, the attacking player assigns damage in a specific order. They must assign lethal damage to the first blocker before assigning any damage to the second, and so on. Only after all blockers have been assigned lethal damage can the remaining damage be assigned to the defending player, planeswalker, or battle.
Banding: United We Stand, Divided We…Assign Damage?
Banding is an older, more esoteric keyword ability. It allows creatures to attack or block together as a coordinated unit. Here’s a breakdown of its key elements:
-
Attacking Bands: Any number of creatures with banding, along with one creature without banding, can attack together as a single band. All creatures in a band must attack the same defending player, planeswalker, or battle.
-
Blocking and Damage Assignment: This is where banding truly shines against trample. If a creature with banding blocks (either alone or as part of a band), the defending player (the player controlling the banding creature) gets to decide how the attacking creature’s combat damage is assigned among the blockers. This is a crucial distinction. Normally, the attacking player decides the damage assignment order. Banding flips this around.
-
Trample Nullification: Because the player controlling the banding blocker gets to assign damage, they can choose to assign all of the trampling creature’s damage to the banding creature, even if it’s more than lethal. This prevents any damage from trampling over to the defending player or planeswalker.
Banding vs. Bands With Others
It is important to distinguish between banding and bands with others. Bands with other is a variant of banding that restricts that band to only creatures that have the specified quality.
Examples in Action
Let’s illustrate this with a couple of scenarios:
-
Scenario 1: Attacking with Trample into Banding Blockers. Player A attacks with a 5/5 creature with trample. Player B blocks with a single 2/2 creature with banding. Because of banding, Player B gets to decide how the 5 damage is assigned. They can assign all 5 damage to their 2/2 creature, preventing any trample damage.
-
Scenario 2: Attacking with Banding into Trample Blockers. Player A attacks with two 2/2 creatures with banding. Player B blocks with a 5/5 creature with trample. Because Player A is attacking with banding, Player B gets to decide how the damage is assigned. Because player B is blocking with trample, all damage must be assigned to the banding creatures.
Why is Banding So Complex?
Banding’s complexity stems from its unusual interaction with the combat damage assignment rules. It effectively gives one player control over damage assignment that they wouldn’t normally have. This can lead to strategic advantages, particularly against trample, but it also requires a deep understanding of the rules to utilize effectively. The Games Learning Society has resources that explore game mechanics and strategy, which can aid in mastering complex interactions like trample and banding. You can learn more about these educational resources at https://www.gameslearningsociety.org/ or GamesLearningSociety.org.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some common questions to further clarify the relationship between trample and banding:
1. Can banding stop trample?
Yes, a blocker with banding can stop trample. Banding changes who decides where combat damage is distributed, allowing the player who controls the banding creature (whether they’re attacking or blocking) to make this decision.
2. How does banding work with blocking a creature with trample?
If any creatures with banding you control are blocking or being blocked by a creature with trample, you (the defending player) divide that creature’s combat damage, not its controller, among any of the creatures it’s being blocked by or is blocking. You can assign all of the trampler’s damage to your banding creatures.
3. Can I block trample with multiple blockers?
Yes, you can block an attacking trample creature with multiple of your own creatures. If you block their 5/5 trampler with a 1/1 and a 2/2, they’ll need to assign lethal damage to both creatures before they can trample you.
4. Does trample damage go over indestructible creatures?
Yes, at least in the sense that the additional damage does successfully trample over a blocking creature. An indestructible creature can’t be destroyed by combat damage, but you only need to assign lethal-equivalent damage to that creature and then the excess damage can be assigned to the blocking player.
5. Does deathtouch negate trample?
Unless the creature with deathtouch has first strike, deathtouch does little to stop a creature from trampling over to the defending player. The creature with trample will assign lethal damage (1 point) to the creature with deathtouch and any more damage can be assigned to the defending player.
6. How is trample damage calculated?
You need to assign lethal damage to each blocking creature. Any damage exceeding the total lethal damage requirement can be assigned to the defending player, planeswalker, or battle.
7. Does trample only apply to combat damage?
Yes, all trample damage is considered combat damage.
8. Can you block as a band?
You don’t block as a band, you only attack as one. Blocking rules for banding are that if a creature has banding blocks a creature, the defending player chooses how that creature deals its combat damage instead of the attacking player.
9. What is the difference between banding and bands with others?
“Banding” allows all banding creatures and one non-banding creature to attack and block together as a band. “Bands with other” works similarly, except it restricts that band to only creatures that have the specified quality.
10. Does indestructible prevent deathtouch?
Indestructible creatures also ignore deathtouch. Normally, a creature is destroyed if it takes damage from a creature with deathtouch. But since indestructible creatures can’t be destroyed, they’re immune.
11. Does first strike stop trample?
Blocking an attacking creature with trample with a creature that has first strike can make sure that no damage is assigned by the attacking creature if it’s destroyed during the first damage step.
12. If a creature has both banding and trample, how does that work?
The attacking creature can’t trample over the damage, because trample damage is not calculated if the attacker is attacking with a creature that has banding.
13. If I attack with a banding creature and it is blocked by multiple creatures, how is damage assigned?
The blocking player (not the attacking player) chooses the order in which the blocking creatures will receive combat damage.
14. Can I assign less than lethal damage to a blocker with banding if I have trample?
No. You must assign lethal damage (or all of your attacker’s damage, if it is less than lethal) to the banding creature before assigning any damage to the defending player or planeswalker.
15. Is banding a good ability?
Banding is considered a weak and complex ability by most players. While it offers strategic advantages, especially against trample, its complexity and situational nature make it less desirable compared to other, more straightforward abilities.