Mastering Trample: The Magic Cards That Unleash Overwhelming Power

The pursuit of overwhelming your opponent in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) often hinges on the ability to break through their defenses. One of the most effective ways to do so is with the trample ability. Several cards grant this power, but one reigns supreme in its ability to bestow it universally: Akroma’s Memorial. This artifact single-handedly transforms your entire creature force into an unstoppable wave of destruction.

The Reign of Akroma’s Memorial

Akroma’s Memorial is the card most directly associated with granting all your creatures trample. It’s a powerful, albeit expensive, artifact that acts as a force multiplier for creature-heavy strategies. But its influence doesn’t stop there.

This iconic card is a game-changer, providing not only trample but also:

• Flying: Enables evasion, bypassing ground blockers.
• First Strike: Allows your creatures to deal damage before being hit, potentially eliminating blockers outright.
• Haste: Allows creatures to attack or tap the turn they enter the battlefield, creating immediate pressure.
• Vigilance: Creatures can attack without tapping, leaving them available to block on the opponent’s turn.
• Protection from Red and Black: Makes your creatures resilient against common removal spells and combat tricks.

While expensive to cast at eight mana, the sheer impact of Akroma’s Memorial can quickly swing the game in your favor. If you’re building a deck that focuses on swarming the board with creatures, this artifact is a must-consider.

Honorable Mentions: Other Ways to Grant Trample

While Akroma’s Memorial is a blanket solution, other cards and strategies can grant trample to creatures, either individually or to a subset of your army:

• Equipment: Cards like Vorpal Sword, mentioned in the provided text, directly grant trample to the equipped creature, along with other beneficial effects. These are more targeted and can be effective in voltron-style decks focusing on a single, powerful creature.
• Auras: Auras are enchantments that attach to creatures, and some of them provide trample.
• Instants and Sorceries: Many spells can grant trample temporarily, often as part of a broader package of combat tricks. These are great for surprise attacks and pushing through the last points of damage.
• Creature Abilities: Some creatures intrinsically grant trample to other creatures you control.
• Static Abilities: Some enchantments and creatures have static abilities that grant trample to all your creatures.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Trample in Magic: The Gathering

1. What exactly is Trample?

Trample is a static ability that modifies how a creature assigns combat damage. If a creature with trample is blocked, it must still assign lethal damage to each blocking creature before it can assign any remaining damage to the player or planeswalker being attacked. However, with trample, any damage exceeding what’s needed to assign lethal damage to the blocker is then dealt to the player or planeswalker.

2. How does Trample interact with Indestructible Creatures?

You can trample over an indestructible creature. You only need to assign what would be lethal damage if the blocker weren’t indestructible, and the remaining damage can then be assigned to the defending player or planeswalker. The indestructible creature won’t be destroyed, but the excess damage still goes through.

3. Do Blocking Creatures have Trample?

No, blocking creatures typically do not have trample unless a specific card grants it to them. Trample is primarily found on attacking creatures. The color pie dictates that trample is most common in green, with red also having access.

4. Can I assign Trample damage to multiple targets?

No. When dealing combat damage, you must assign lethal damage to each blocking creature in order. Once you assign lethal damage to all blocking creatures, any remaining damage can be assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked.

5. What happens if a Trample creature is blocked by multiple creatures?

You must assign lethal damage to each blocking creature in the order you choose before assigning any damage to the player or planeswalker. It’s crucial to order your blockers strategically to maximize the trample damage.

6. Does removing a blocker after damage is assigned but before it’s dealt affect Trample?

Yes. If a blocker is removed after you’ve assigned damage but before combat damage is dealt (perhaps with an instant-speed removal spell), the damage you would have assigned to that blocker is instead applied to the player or planeswalker being attacked. This can lead to significant increases in trample damage.

7. How does Trample work with Deathtouch?

A creature with both trample and deathtouch only needs to assign one damage to a blocking creature for that damage to be considered lethal. All remaining damage can then be trampled over to the defending player or planeswalker. This is an extremely potent combination.

8. If a creature has more than one instance of Trample, what happens?

Multiple instances of trample are redundant. Having two or more instances of trample doesn’t change how the ability functions.

9. How does Trample interact with Lifelink?

If a creature with trample and lifelink deals damage to a player or planeswalker, you gain life equal to the total damage dealt, including the trampled damage. This can provide a significant life boost alongside the offensive pressure.

10. Are there any cards that prevent Trample damage?

Yes, several cards can prevent combat damage, including trampled damage. Fog effects and damage prevention spells can completely shut down a trample attack.

11. What are some good strategies for using Trample effectively?

• Pump Spells: Increasing a creature’s power makes trample even more effective.
• Evasion: Combining trample with flying or other evasion abilities makes it harder for opponents to block effectively.
• Token Swarms: Flooding the board with creatures and then granting them all trample can overwhelm defenses.
• Deathtouch: As mentioned earlier, this is a deadly combo.

12. How does Trample work in a multiplayer game like Commander?

Trample functions the same way in multiplayer games. You choose which player or planeswalker to attack, and then assign damage as described above. You cannot split trample damage between multiple players.

13. Does Trample work against Battles?

Yes, if a creature with trample is blocked while attacking a battle, any excess damage after assigning lethal damage to the blockers is dealt to the battle. Remember from the original text how flipping a battle wins games!

14. Are there any situations where Trample doesn’t work?

Trample is less effective against decks that rely heavily on removal spells. An opponent can simply destroy your creature with trample before it deals combat damage. Also, if a creature with trample is blocked by a creature with the “defender” keyword and high toughness that creature may soak up the damage making trample ineffective if the attacker’s power is not high enough.

15. Where can I learn more about the strategy and game theory behind Magic: The Gathering?

For those interested in exploring the educational applications of gaming and learning, visit the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org. The Games Learning Society explores how games, including Magic: The Gathering, can be used as tools for teaching and cognitive development.

By understanding trample and its nuances, you can significantly improve your gameplay and build more effective and devastating strategies in Magic: The Gathering. From the blanket power of Akroma’s Memorial to the strategic use of combat tricks, mastering trample is essential for any aspiring Planeswalker.