Understanding Trample Damage in Magic: The Gathering
The trample keyword is a powerful ability in Magic: The Gathering, impacting how combat damage is assigned and offering a way for attackers to push damage through blockers. In essence, trample allows excess damage from an attacking creature to “trample over” blocking creatures and deal damage to the defending player, planeswalker, or battle. But the precise mechanics of this ability are nuanced and require careful consideration. Let’s break down the rules of trample damage, exploring how it interacts with various scenarios and other abilities in the game.
Core Rule of Trample Damage
The core rule for trample damage is as follows: When an attacking creature with trample is blocked, the attacking creature’s controller must first assign damage to all creatures blocking it, enough to deal lethal damage to them. Once lethal damage has been assigned to all blockers, any remaining damage can be assigned to either the blocking creatures or the defending player, planeswalker, or battle as the attacking creature’s controller chooses. This excess damage is often referred to as “trampled over” damage.
Lethal Damage Defined
It is critical to understand what constitutes lethal damage. Typically, this means assigning damage equal to a creature’s toughness. For instance, if a 5/5 creature with trample is blocked by a 2/2 creature, at least 2 damage must be assigned to the 2/2. The remaining 3 damage can then be assigned to the player. It is not mandatory to assign all damage beyond lethal to the defending player or planeswalker – the controller of the trampling creature is free to distribute that damage as they see fit among blockers and the player. However, it is always beneficial to assign as much trample damage as possible to the defender.
Strategic Implications
This rule opens up significant strategic possibilities. A larger creature with trample can essentially “ignore” smaller blockers, ensuring that its attack can still deal a substantial amount of damage directly. Trample promotes aggressive playstyles, rewarding players for deploying large, powerful threats that are difficult for opponents to entirely negate.
Trample Damage: Frequently Asked Questions
To further clarify the intricacies of trample, let’s examine some frequently asked questions about its mechanics.
1. How does trample interact with First Strike?
If an attacking creature has both first strike and trample, the damage is assigned in two combat damage steps. In the first step, the creature will deal its first strike damage to any blocking creatures first. If this damage kills the blocking creature(s), and it has trample, you can assign remaining damage to the defending player, planeswalker or battle. If the creature with first strike and trample is still alive after the first damage step, then during the normal damage step, the trampling part of its ability will work as normal.
2. Does trample damage go through Indestructible creatures?
Yes, trample damage goes through indestructible creatures. Although an indestructible creature cannot be destroyed by damage, when a creature with trample attacks an indestructible creature, the attacking creature must assign lethal damage to the indestructible creature before the remaining damage is trample over the remaining damage can be assigned to the defending player, planeswalker or battle.
3. How does Trample work with Deathtouch?
When an attacking creature with both trample and deathtouch is blocked, any amount of damage that the attacking creature assigns to the blocking creature is lethal damage and will destroy it. The attacking creature’s controller then assigns the remaining damage as normal to the defending player, planeswalker or battle with the trampling part of the ability, meaning any damage past the lethal amount to the blocking creatures will be dealt to the defender.
4. Does Regenerate stop trample damage?
Regeneration does not prevent trample damage from reaching the defending player, planeswalker or battle. When a creature blocks a trampling attacker and is regenerated, it is still dealt “lethal damage”, and the rest is assigned to the defender as normal.
5. Can trample damage be prevented?
Yes, while trample ensures damage bypasses creatures to be dealt to players, planeswalkers or battles, it doesn’t bypass all damage prevention methods. Effects that prevent damage work as normal, even for trampling damage. For example, cards that state “Prevent the next 3 damage” would stop 3 trampling damage, just as they would stop damage from any source.
6. Can you assign more than lethal damage to the blocking creature?
You must assign at least lethal damage to blocking creatures, but there is no rule to assign all damage to only the blocking creatures. The controller of the attacking creature has the flexibility to distribute any remaining damage among the blocking creatures and the defending player, planeswalker, or battle after lethal damage has been assigned to blockers.
7. Does trample work when the blocking creature dies before combat damage?
Yes, trample still works when the blocking creature dies before the combat damage step. If the blocker is removed, the attacking creature still assigns lethal damage to the “spot” where the creature was. The rest is assigned as trample damage and passed onto the defending player, planeswalker or battle.
8. Does Hexproof stop trample damage?
No, hexproof does not stop trample damage. Hexproof only makes a permanent unable to be targeted by spells or abilities an opponent controls, and trample doesn’t target any creature, or player.
9. Does trample only apply to combat damage?
Yes, all trample damage is considered combat damage. This means it is affected by things that affect combat damage, like first strike and vigilance.
10. Does trample go through a Planeswalker?
Yes, trample damage can go through a Planeswalker, though it cannot be assigned to the player if there is still a planeswalker in play. If a creature with trample is attacking a planeswalker, all damage is assigned to the planeswalker or the blocking creatures. If there are no blockers and the damage dealt is more than the loyalty of the planeswalker, the remaining damage does not hit the defending player.
11. Does Double Strike synergize well with Trample?
Yes, double strike is a potent combination with trample. In the first strike damage step, damage will trample over as usual. In the second, normal damage step, the attacking creature will again deal its damage, and again will trample over any excess damage.
12. If a creature with trample is blocked by multiple creatures, how is damage assigned?
The attacking creature’s controller must assign enough damage to each blocking creature in order to destroy them, then the remaining damage is assigned as normal to the player. The controller of the attacking creature decides in what order they assign damage to the blocking creatures, and how much damage goes over the blocking creatures with the trample ability.
13. Is Trample considered AoE (Area of Effect)?
While it’s sometimes described as a sort of AoE effect, trample damage is not true AoE in the traditional sense, it’s more of a damage redirection. Trample is always considered combat damage.
14. Does trample work with “Prevent all damage that would be dealt…”?
Yes, trample works through prevent all damage effects. The attacker will still assign lethal damage to all blocking creatures and then assign the rest as normal to the defending player, planeswalker, or battle.
15. Can trample be given by a counter?
Yes, the keyword trample is one of the keywords that a keyword counter can be, giving it to a creature that doesn’t normally have trample.
Conclusion
Trample is a complex keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering, but mastering its rules is crucial for effective gameplay. It allows for aggressive strategies, turning otherwise easily-blocked creatures into powerful threats. By understanding the nuances of how trample interacts with other mechanics and abilities, players can leverage this keyword to their advantage in countless different game scenarios.