Double strike vs multiple blockers
Asked by CaiusV 7 years ago
My Pheres-Band Raiders is enchanted with Hopeful Eidolon and Ghostblade Eidolon, power and toughness each 7. My opponent is blocking with Champion of Stray Souls whose power and toughness are each 4, Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord whose power and toughness are each 5, and Rot Shambler whose power and toughness are each 8. That is the blocking order she is choosing in hopes that my Pheres-Band Raiders will die before it deals enough damage to her Rot Shambler to kill it. Will either of the first two blockers do ANY damage to my creature, or will the first strike kill both of them before either of them deal damage and she's killing them unnecessarily?
Gidgetimer says... Accepted answer #1
There is a major conceptual error you seem to be operating under. The controller of a creature determines in what order that creature deals damage to the creatures blocking it, or if the creature can block multiple others to the creatures it is blocking. This means that while your opponent can triple block if they like, you can assign damage to the Rot Shambler first and kill it. Barring combat tricks your Pheres-Band Raiders will die either way and your opponent it throwing away a creature, and giving you a choice of two creatures to kill, for no benefit.
Rules to show who determines damage assignment order. Remember that the active player is going to be the attacking player:
509.2. Second, for each attacking creature thats become blocked, the active player announces that creatures damage assignment order, which consists of the creatures blocking it in an order of that players choice.
509.3. Third, for each blocking creature, the defending player announces that creatures damage assignment order, which consists of the creatures its blocking in an order of that players choice.
March 17, 2017 7:50 p.m.