Mardu Charm's first-strike tokens and blocking
Asked by doctorsmegma 9 years ago
Okay so for some reason when it comes to first strike in blocking/attacking scenarios involving multiple creatures my head gets all jumbled.
Lets just say that a Monastery Swiftspear is attacking (no prowess trigger) and in response I play Mardu Charm for the 1/1 first strike tokens and use BOTH of them to block the Swiftspear.
I know there is enough damage to kill the swiftspear but will my tokens live or die? Each only deals 1 dmg first strike so the 1 dmg would be assigned and then normal combat damage from the Swiftspear would commence...
-OR-
The 1 dmg from each token's first strike would kill the Swiftspear before the Swiftspear can deal any damage to the tokens.
Basically in this scenario, would the tokens live or die?
Gidgetimer says... #2
GoldGhost012 is mostly correct in their explanation and exactly correct in the result.
The only wrong part was "First strike damage step ends, creatures that already dealt damage and don't have double strike are removed from combat, creatures that were dealt lethal damage die". The phrase "removed from combat" has a game meaning and first strikers are not removed from combat after they deal damage. They will not deal damage in the normal combat damage step. However; they are still "attacking" or "blocking" creatures and they are still in combat to be dealt combat damage to if the creature they damaged did not die.
April 14, 2015 12:03 a.m.
It's also worth noting that the swiftspear will die when state-based actions are checked before players get priority during the first strike damage step, which is in the middle of the step, not the end.
This means that once blockers are declared and each player passes priority (declines to do anything) the Swiftspear will have left the battlefield by the time players get another chance to cast spells or activate abilities.
April 14, 2015 3:50 a.m.
doctorsmegma says... #4
Yeah I know. Using Mardu Charm to block a Monastery Swiftspear was a bad example but I just needed some sort of a quick-thinking situation to get my answer lmao.
Thanks for the help. Might actually consider using the charm not against RDW considering most are 1 health anyway. Especially if someone is dashing Goblin Heelcutter Mardu Scout or Zurgo Bellstriker
April 14, 2015 9 a.m.
If your question's been answered you should select an answer so this will be removed from the active questions queue.
GoldGhost012 says... Accepted answer #1
So the combat phase with first strike works like this:
Combat phase begins
Attackers are declared
Blockers are declared
-Damage step, which is broken down into:
First strike damage phase, where creatures with first and double strike deal their first strike damage
First strike damage step ends, creatures that already dealt damage and don't have double strike are removed from combat, creatures that were dealt lethal damage die
Normal damage step, where non-first strikers deal damage
End of normal damage step
In your case, both tokens would block the Monastery Swiftspear and deal first strike damage to it, 1 from each. At the end of the first strike damage step, the Monastery Swiftspear would die, and it wouldn't deal any damage since it would die before it would have the opportunity.
tl;dr, the tokens would kill Monastery Swiftspear before it deals them any damage.
April 13, 2015 11:31 p.m.