What happens when a creature with double strike blocks?
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When a creature with double strike blocks, it deals combat damage twice, once during the first strike damage step and once during the regular damage step, but it will only block the attacking creature once, and if the blocker dies during the first strike damage step, the double strike creature’s second instance of damage is not applied to anything. The key point to understand is that double strike allows a creature to deal combat damage twice, but it does not allow it to block twice or affect the blocking creature’s ability to block in any way other than dealing damage to it.
Understanding Double Strike Blocking
To comprehend the intricacies of double strike in blocking, it’s essential to delve into the specifics of how combat damage is resolved and how double strike interacts with other keyword abilities such as first strike, deathtouch, and trample.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Double Strike Blocking Rule?
The double strike blocking rule states that if a creature with double strike deals enough damage to the blocker to kill it during the first strike step, then the regular damage is never applied to anything.
2. Does Double Strike Effect Fight?
Neither first strike nor double strike affects how fighting works, as these abilities only give a combat phase two combat damage steps instead of one and restrict which creatures can assign combat damage during those steps.
3. Does Double Strike Beat Deathtouch?
Creatures with deathtouch deal damage during the regular combat damage step, but if you block a creature with deathtouch with a creature with first strike or double strike, your creature will deal damage during the first strike damage step, before the deathtouch creature can return fire.
4. Does Double Strike Count in Blocking?
Double strike also works when blocking, as the blocker deals damage to the attacker in both the first strike damage phase and the normal damage phase, but it doesn’t mean the blocker blocks twice.
5. Do You Have to Double Block Double Strike?
Your creature is still considered to be blocked regardless of how early the blocker dies, once a creature is declared as a blocker, the creature it blocks is blocked for the turn, regardless of what happens to the blocker.
6. How Does First Strike Work with Double Blockers?
The attacking creature may divide its damage among all declared blockers, so if the attacking creature with first strike has enough power to destroy multiple blocking creatures, it will assign its damage in the first strike damage step and destroy the blocking creatures before they assign their combat damage.
7. Does Trample Work When Blocking?
Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature’s combat damage and has no effect when a creature with trample is blocking or is dealing noncombat damage.
8. How Much Commander Damage is Lethal?
A player that’s been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game.
9. What Happens When a Creature with First Strike Blocks?
A creature that just has first strike only deals combat damage once, but blocking creatures can benefit from first strike, and creatures don’t attack twice, even with double strike.
10. How Does Lifelink Work with Double Strike?
A lifelink creature with double strike deals damage twice during combat, and as long as damage is dealt, each instance of damage will make its controller gain that much life.
11. Does Indestructible Prevent Damage?
Indestructible does not prevent damage, it prevents damage from causing a creature to be destroyed, and that damage needs to be done for lifelink to happen.
12. Can a Creature with Protection Block?
A creature with protection from a color can’t be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, enchanted, or equipped by anything of that color, but it can still block.
13. Can You Block and Then Sacrifice a Creature?
You can block and then sacrifice a creature, but there will be a chance between the block and the sacrifice for your opponent to activate something.
14. What Wins Indestructible vs Deathtouch?
Indestructible creatures ignore deathtouch, because indestructible creatures can’t be destroyed, they’re immune to deathtouch.
15. Does Double Strike Work with Trample?
Trample works well with double strike, as creatures with double strike deal damage during the first strike damage step and the regular damage step, and if they have enough power and trample, they can deal excess damage to the opponent.