Trample and Double Blocking: A Comprehensive Guide
Trample is a powerful mechanic in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) that allows creatures to deal excess damage to a player or planeswalker after dealing lethal damage to blocking creatures. When multiple creatures block a creature with trample, commonly referred to as double blocking, the trample mechanic interacts in a specific way. Essentially, the attacker with trample must assign enough damage to the blockers to equal their total toughness before any remaining damage can be dealt to the defending player or planeswalker. This article delves into the nuances of how trample interacts with double blocking, exploring various scenarios and clarifying common misconceptions.
How Trample Interacts with Double Blocking
The core concept to grasp is that trample doesn’t allow damage to “spill over” until lethal damage is dealt to all blockers. If a 5/5 creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 and a 1/1, the attacking player needs to assign 2 damage to the 2/2 and 1 damage to the 1/1 before they can assign any of the remaining damage to the defending player.
It doesn’t matter the order in which you assign damage to blockers; you just need to reach their total toughness before trample damage spills over. This means that you could, theoretically, assign 2 damage to the 1/1 and 1 damage to the 2/2, and still trample for the remaining 2 damage. The only requirement is you assign at least lethal damage equal to toughness before assigning damage to the defending player.
This highlights an important element: trample isn’t a free pass to ignore blockers. It’s a way to ensure some damage gets through even when your creature is being blocked by multiple targets.
The Process of Damage Assignment
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how trample interacts with double blocking:
- Declare Attackers and Blockers: The active player declares which creatures are attacking. Then, the defending player declares which of their creatures will block which attackers, including any double blocks.
- Damage Assignment: The attacking player whose creature has trample assigns combat damage to each blocking creature. They must assign lethal damage to each blocker. This is typically an amount equal to the creature’s toughness, but can be adjusted with deathtouch.
- Trample Over: After assigning lethal damage to each blocking creature, any remaining damage from the attacker is then dealt to the defending player or planeswalker.
Example Scenario
Imagine a 7/7 creature with trample is attacking, and the defending player blocks with a 3/3 and a 2/2.
- The attacking player must assign at least 3 damage to the 3/3 and 2 damage to the 2/2.
- After assigning that total of 5 damage, the remaining 2 damage (7 total damage – 5 lethal damage assigned to blockers) is dealt to the defending player.
This example demonstrates how trample can bypass the traditional limitations of blocking. While a player may be able to absorb a larger attacker’s damage through multiple creatures, the trample mechanic enables the excess damage to still get through to the player.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does deathtouch affect how trample works with double blocking?
Yes, significantly. If a creature with deathtouch and trample is blocked, any amount of damage it deals to a blocker is considered lethal. This means that you can deal 1 damage to each blocking creature with deathtouch, fulfilling the lethal damage requirement, and trample over with the remaining damage.
2. What happens if an indestructible creature blocks a trampler?
Indestructible creatures still receive damage, so a creature with trample must still assign lethal damage equal to their toughness to the indestructible blockers. Any remaining damage will then trample over to the defending player. Indestructibility stops destruction, not damage.
3. Does a creature with a shield counter stop trample damage?
No. Shield counters protect from destruction and damage. However they have no effect when considering how much damage must be assigned to a blocker. The trampler must still assign lethal damage to the shielded creature, and any remaining damage will trample over.
4. Does double strike interact with trample when double blocked?
Yes. A creature with both double strike and trample deals combat damage twice. In the first damage step, it assigns damage to blockers as usual, and any remaining damage that was unassigned tramples over. In the second damage step, the creature then assigns damage again, and any damage unassigned to blockers will trample over.
5. Can I assign all of my trampling damage to a single blocker?
No. You need to assign lethal damage to each individual blocker before assigning any excess damage to the defending player or planeswalker. You must distribute damage to blockers as needed to kill them.
6. Does trample work against flying creatures?
Trample itself does not directly affect whether a creature has flying. You deal damage to the defending player as usual if blockers have flying. However, if a creature with flying is blocking a creature with trample, the same rules regarding lethal damage still apply.
7. Can deathtouch stop trample when double blocked?
No, unless the creature with deathtouch has first strike or double strike. Deathtouch only makes it so that any amount of damage assigned to a creature is lethal. If the attacker with trample assigns lethal damage to the blocker with deathtouch, the attacker still tramples over with any remaining damage. If the creature with deathtouch has first strike it can potentially kill the attacker with trample before it deals its damage, effectively stopping the trample.
8. Does hexproof stop deathtouch when blocking a trampler?
No. Hexproof only prevents a creature from being targeted. Deathtouch is not a targeted ability, it is applied when damage is dealt, so a creature with hexproof is still vulnerable to deathtouch and will still be dealt lethal damage. Trample can bypass hexproof.
9. What is considered “lethal damage” when blocking?
Lethal damage is typically the amount equal to a creature’s toughness. However, when a creature with deathtouch deals damage, any amount of damage is considered lethal damage to that creature.
10. If I double block a creature with trample and first strike with a creature with first strike, who deals damage first?
First strike creatures deal damage before creatures without first strike. When two creatures both have first strike, they deal damage at the same time. If two creatures with first strike double block a trampler, both will deal damage at the same time during the first damage step. Then, the attacker will deal damage again if the first strike creatures didn’t kill the attacker during the first damage step.
11. Does trample damage go through multiple blockers?
Yes, trample damage goes through each blocker in the sense that you must assign lethal damage to each one individually. After assigning lethal damage, all remaining damage goes to the player. Trample doesn’t mean the same damage gets assigned to multiple blockers; it just means that excess damage goes to the defending player or planeswalker.
12. Can trample damage be blocked by another creature?
No, once lethal damage has been assigned to each blocking creature, the remaining damage is then dealt to the defending player or planeswalker and cannot be blocked by other creatures.
13. Can trample affect planeswalkers?
Yes, trample damage can be assigned to a planeswalker. Once lethal damage is assigned to blockers, any remaining damage can be assigned to the planeswalker being attacked.
14. How does trample interact with a creature that has protection from the trampler?
Protection from a source generally means the creature can’t be damaged by the protected source. Trample will still require lethal damage to be assigned to the blocking creature, but any excess damage won’t go through to the player since the protection prevents damage from the protected source to get through.
15. Can you double block with a creature with first strike?
Yes. A creature with first strike can still be used to block normally, or double block. The creature with first strike will deal its damage during the first strike damage step and will deal damage normally along with other creatures during the second damage step, if it survives.
Conclusion
Understanding how trample interacts with double blocking is crucial for strategic gameplay in MTG. Trample ensures that even when attackers are met with multiple blockers, a portion of the damage can still get through. This makes trample a powerful mechanic that can turn the tide of battle. By understanding these nuances, players can better leverage trample and make informed decisions during combat, maximizing their damage output and securing victories.