First Strike in MTG – Rules, Best Cards + Decks!

MTG First Strike Rules

What do the MTG first strike rules say?

“This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.”

Magic: The Gathering Comprehensive Rules 702.7. “First strike”.

First strike is an ability that allows creatures to deal damage first and not sustain any damage. In a typical combat phase, both creatures deal and take damage simultaneously. First strike bends this rule and creates an additional combat step where only cards with first strike get to deal damage and then moves on to the next combat step.

Here’s how the combat phases look without and with first strike.

A combat phase in a typical turn of MTG looks like this:

• Beginning of combat
• Declare attackers
• Declare blockers
• Assign combat damage
• End of combat

Creatures with first strike or cards with double strike (mentioned later in this article) effectively create two ‘assign combat damage’ steps. So the combat phase with first strike looks like this.

• Beginning of combat
• Declare attackers
• Declare blockers
• Assign combat damage (additional combat step)
• Assign combat damage
• End of combat

A card with first strike will assign combat damage in the first combat damage step. Then, if the opposing creature is not dead, the opposing creature will assign combat damage in the next step.

So if you attack or block with a creature that has first strike, that card will deal damage first and will not take into consideration any damage being dealt by the opposing creature.

If two creatures have the same power and toughness, the creature with first strike will destroy the other before it has a change to hit back. If it didn’t have first strike, the traditional rules would apply and both creatures would die.

First Strike Example

Let’s say I attack with my Sanguine Guard, a 2/2 with first strike. My opponent blocks with Prismari Apprentice, also a 2/2 creature. In a normal combat step, because both creatures have equal toughness and power, they would both die.

However, because my Sanguine Guard has first strike, it deals damage in the first combat step that first strike creates and destroys the Prismari Apprentice before it has a chance to deal damage to it.

Can You Block A Creature That Has First Strike?

As the first strike rules say, a card with first strike will apply combat damage in the initial combat damage step. But this doesn’t mean you can’t block it. 

By blocking with a creature card of your own, that damage will be assigned to your creature’s toughness. If the damage is greater than your creature’s toughness, it will die, but if the damage is lower, then it will not. 

For example, your opponent attacks with Sanguine Guard and you block with Generous Patron. The amount of damage that Sanguine Guard applies to your creature in the first combat step is not enough to defeat it, and it will block successfully. 

In the next combat step, your card will not apply enough damage to destroy Sanguine Guard either. 

Can You Kill A Creature That Has First Strike?

You can definitely kill a creature with first strike.

If you have blocked your opponent’s creature that has First strike and it did not defeat your creature, then your creature will apply damage to it in the next combat step. If your creature’s damage is greater than the other’s toughness, it will then kill it. 

In this example, your opponent attacks with Sanguine Guard but you block with Terastodon.

In the first combat step, Sanguine Guard will not apply enough damage to your creature to destroy it, and it will be blocked. In the next combat step, your Terastodon will apply enough combat damage to kill Sanguine Guard. 

You can also use removal spells to destroy or get rid of a creature with First strike by using burn spells, destroy spells, or exile spells. Unless the card you want to remove also has other abilities such as hexproof or indestructible which protect it from such spells.

First Strike vs First Strike

What happens when a creature with first strike like Sanguine Guard versus another creature with first strike like Razormane Masticore?

Both cards damage each other simultaneously (just like regular damage) but it happens in the first combat step and not the second combat step.

First Strike vs Deathtouch

It can get confusing when abilities start to pile up, for example, how first strike works against deathtouch.

Simply put, the deathtouch ability means that any amount of damage that card deals to another creature is enough to kill it no matter what the other creature’s toughness is.

Deathtouch means a card like Hired Poisoner can kill a card like Terastodon. However, things work a little bit differently when first strike comes into the equation.

We now know that creatures with the First strike ability will apply damage first, and this is the case when it comes to creature cards with the deathtouch ability as well.

A card with deathtouch will apply combat damage (even though it is lethal combat damage) only in the second combat step if it is still alive.

For example, let’s say Sanguine Guard fights Hired Poisoner. Because Sanguine Guard applies damage first and its power is higher than Hired Poisoner’s toughness, Hired Poisoner will die.

Even though Hired Poisoner has deathouch, it will not apply it to Sanguine Guard because it doesn’t get the chance to. 

If two cards are attacking and blocking, the one with first strike will apply damage first and will not be affected by deathtouch unless that creature survives to apply damage in the second combat step. 

Let’s look at another example where things could be different.

Let’s say your opponent attacks with Razormane Masticore that has first strike, and you block with Hythonia the Cruel. Their creature won’t deal enough damage to kill yours in the first combat step, so both creatures will go to the next combat step.

Razorman Masticore will not deal damage again in the next combat step. Only cards that have double strike can do this (see the next section on double strike). Hence, Hythonia the Cruel will deal damage in the next combat step and because it has deathtouch, any amount of damage that it applies is lethal and so Razerman Masticore dies.

Sanguine Guard has first strike so will only apply damage once in the first combat step.

Fencing Ace has double strike and will apply damage twice. Once as first strike damage in the initial combat step, and then once again in the second combat step as regular damage. Thus essentially dealing 2 damage over two combat steps.

First Strike vs Double Strike

What happens if Sanguine Guard with first strike fights Fencing Ace double strike fight?

Well, both cards deal damage to each other in the first combat step simultaneously. Sanguine Guard is a 2/2 and Fencing Ace is only a 1/1 so it dies.

Best MTG First Strike Cards

Mirri, Cat Warrior (Green First Strike Creature)

Mirri, Cat Warrior, is a fantastic green legendary creature with first strike. It also has vigilance, which means it doesn’t tap to attack, and it has forestwalk. Forestwalk means that if an opposing player controls a forest, then this card is unblockable. 

Because it can attack without having to tap and it has forestwalk, this card can be devastating if playing against another green deck. 

Kari Zev, Skyship Raider (Red First Strike Legendary Creature)

Kari Zev, Skyship Raider, is another legendary creature, but this time it’s a mono-red card. Even though its power is only 1, it is supplemented by first strike and menace, making it difficult to block. Costing only 2 mana, you can get this card out quickly. When it attacks, it creates another token that is tapped and attacking, meaning you can put huge pressure on your opponent at the beginning of the game!

Drana, Liberator of Malakir (Black First Strike Legendary Creature)

Drana, Liberator of Malakir, is a legendary black creature with first strike and an activated ability that gives it a +1/+1 when it deals damage to a player. 

What great about this card, is that it is cheap to cast and has moderate power and toughness with first strike. You can put it out early game, and due to its toughness, your opponents likely won’t have a creature that can handle it. Then when it does damage to the player, it gets a counter making it even bigger. By turn 5, you could have a 4/5 with first strike if you play your mana correctly. 

Illusionary Wall (Blue First Strike Wall)

Illusionary Wall could arguably be one of the better defenders (walls) in the game. Being a 7/4 with flying and first strike, your opponent is going to be hard-pressed to get rid of this card unless they have removal spells in their deck. The only downside is that you have to pay 1 blue mana each upkeep to keep it in play. But it’s worth it. 

Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile (White First Strike Legendary Creature)

Brigid, Hero of Kinsbaile, is a legendary white creature that costs 4 mana to play. It costs so much not because of the first strike ability and its 2/3 power and toughness, but because of its activated tapped ability. If you tap this card, it deals 2 damage to your opponent’s attacking or blocking creatures. This card can single-handedly change the board state to your favor with a single tap!

Many creatures your opponent plays will have a toughness of 2 or less, so this card will destroy them outright. If they have a pesky creature with a higher toughness, you can bait your opponent into blocking or attacking and then activate Brigid’s ability, reduce their toughness, and destroy it!

Anax and Cymede (Multicoloured First Strike Legendary Creature)

Anax and Cymede is a multicolored (red, white, and colorless) creature card with first strike and vigilance. It has an incredible activated ability that it gets +1/+1 and Trample until the end of turn when you target it with a spell.

This means it comes come into play quickly and does some major damage. White and Red have some cheap instants and enchantments that could really make the card overpowered early on in the game, allowing you to control the board as soon as it comes out!