how does damage assignment order work

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Rules Resources

Cr 510. combat damage step.

• 510.1 First, the active player announces how each attacking creature assigns its combat damage, then the defending player announces how each blocking creature assigns its combat damage. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack. A player assigns a creature’s combat damage according to the following rules:
• 510.1a Each attacking creature and each blocking creature assigns combat damage equal to its power. Creatures that would assign 0 or less damage this way don’t assign combat damage at all.
• 510.1b An unblocked creature assigns its combat damage to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking. If it isn’t currently attacking anything (if, for example, it was attacking a planeswalker that has left the battlefield), it assigns no combat damage.
• 510.1c A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that’s blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. An amount of damage that’s greater than a creature’s lethal damage may be assigned to it.
• 510.1d A blocking creature assigns combat damage to the creatures it’s blocking. If it isn’t currently blocking any creatures (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If it’s blocking exactly one creature, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If it’s blocking two or more creatures, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocking creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that it’s blocking unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocked creature is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. An amount of damage that’s greater than a creature’s lethal damage may be assigned to it.
• 510.1e Once a player has assigned combat damage from each attacking or blocking creature they control, the total damage assignment (not solely the damage assignment of any individual attacking or blocking creature) is checked to see if it complies with the above rules. If it doesn’t, the combat damage assignment is illegal; the game returns to the moment before that player began to assign combat damage. (See rule 722 , “Handling Illegal Actions.”)
• 510.2 Second, all combat damage that’s been assigned is dealt simultaneously. This turn-based action doesn’t use the stack. No player has the chance to cast spells or activate abilities between the time combat damage is assigned and the time it’s dealt.
• 510.3 Second, the active player gets priority (See rule 117 , “Timing and Priority.”).
• 510.3a Any abilities that triggered on damage being dealt or while state-based actions are performed afterward are put onto the stack before the active player gets priority; the order in which they triggered doesn’t matter. (See rule 603 , “Handling Triggered Abilities.”)
• 510.4 If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike (see rule 702.7 ) or double strike (see rule 702.4 ) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step.

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Attacking in Magic: All Your Rules Questions Answered

Last updated on February 28, 2024

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | Illustration by Bryan Sola

Tussles tend to be untidy topics, and Magic is no exception.

Even if the whole game works under very precise rules, there's so much going on during the combat phase that deciphering how attacking works can be one of the messiest matters in the game.

But despair not: Unlike real life, Magic melees are a strictly structured subject. So let's press the offense and find out how the best defense works!

What Is Attacking?

Relentless Assault | Illustration by Christopher Moeller

In Magic, a creature is attacking if it's declared as an attacker during the “declare attackers step” (the second step of the combat phase), or if some effect puts it onto the battlefield attacking, like when Adeline, Resplendent Cathar puts an attacking 1/1 human creature token into play.

Only creatures can attack, and they can have only three types of objectives: opponents, planeswalkers they control, or battles they defend.

Unless it has vigilance, the attacking player taps a creature to declare it as an attacker. Creatures with summoning sickness can’t attack the turn they entered the battlefield unless they gave haste.

As a refresher, a turn in MTG has five phases : beginning, precombat main, combat, postcombat main, and ending phase. The combat phase is further divided into five steps:

• Beginning of Combat
• Declare Attackers
• Declare Blockers
• Combat Damage
• End of Combat

Creatures are no longer considered attacking or blocking once the combat phase ends. Some effects, like Moraug, Fury of Akoum or Relentless Assault , refer to creatures that have attacked; but if the combat phase is over, they are no longer attacking .

If there's another combat phase, like with Relentless Assault , creatures may once again become attackers.

How Does Attacking Work?

Combat starts with the “beginning of combat” step, where some triggered abilities will trigger and priority passes between players before attackers are declared. This is the last opportunity for an opponent to interact before the active player attacks. Multiplayer formats may have their own rules on the matter so we won't cover them here.

At the start of the “declare attackers” step, the attacking player declares which of their creatures will attack, and what/who they’re attacking (a player, planeswalker, or battle ). Each attacking creature can attack a single objective, but different attackers can aim for different objectives.

The attacking player taps each creature that's declared as an attacker unless it has vigilance.

By the way: Expressions that mention “you” as an attacker, like Adeline, Resplendent Cathar , mean “when at least one of your creatures is declared as an attacker” – you don't have to, you know, verbally assault or personally punch anybody, or anything like that!

When Can You Unassign Attackers?

Once you declare attackers, that's it – they’re attacking. No going back. There is no “unassigning attackers,” though some effects might remove a creature from combat, in which case it’s no longer attacking.

And no changing objectives, either! If you declared your 6/6 as attacking a planeswalker, they can't attack anything else in the samecombat phase unless some effect allows them to.

What’s Assigning Damage? Who Chooses?

In short, it's dealer's choice. Whoever is dealing combat damage gets to choose how to assign said combat damage.

It can get messy with multiple blockers, though, so let's go step by step.

As we saw, the attacking player declares attackers and what they’re attacking during the “declare attackers” step.

After attackers are declared, there’s a priority pass where players can interact before the game proceeds to the “declare blockers” step. That's when the defending player chooses which of their creatures block the incoming attackers. If they assign multiple blockers to a single attacker, it's the attacking player (not the defender) who gets to choose how blockers will stand in a “Please Punch Me!” line, so to speak.

Say you attack me with one creature, and I block your attacker with blockers A, B and C. In that scenario, you can arrange the “Please Punch Me!” line as A>B>C, C>A>B, or however you wish. Dealer's choice: You’re dealing the damage, so you get to choose how my blockers will be lined up. This is called “damage assignment order” in the MTG rules.

You can choose the damage assignment order, but no creature deals combat damage during this “declare blockers” step. That happens at the “combat damage” step, during which you get to decide how much damage your attacking creature deals to each of my blockers.

You do have to follow some rules:

• You must assign all combat damage, which is equal to your attacking creature's power. Your attackers are not allowed to go easy and pull their punches – they must strike with full force.
• You need to assign at least lethal damage to the first defender before you assign any damage to whoever's next in the punch line.
• If you wish, you can assign more than lethal damage to any blocker(s), which is when things get tricky; more on this below.

Let’s say creature A is a 4/4, B is a 1/1, and C is a 2/2. You’re attacking with a 6/6 and you’ve arranged the damage assignment order as A>B>C.. You must assign at least 4 damage to A (which would kill it); if you assign exactly 4 damage, then you must assign at least 1 damage to B (which again would kill it); if you assign exactly 1, then you assign the remaining 1 damage to C.

In other words, you can't just graze A and B, and assign all 6 points of damage to C.” If you want to damage C, you have to either place it first in the assignment order, or deal lethal damage to any blockers assigned before it with damage to spare.

You could also do the opposite and “overkill” one of my blockers. You can choose to assign 6 points of damage to blocker A even if it’s a 4/4, and avoid dealing any damage B and C.

Why would you want to do that, you ask?

More often than not you won't, but there are corner cases. Perhaps I stole creatures B and C from you until end of turn, and you want to spare them. Or maybe if B or C die they’ll trigger some effects that you want to avoid. Or there may be multiplayer politics at play, etc.

What If You Tap an Attacking Creature?

Once a creature is attacking, tapping or untapping it has no effect as far as combat is concerned. The creature is still attacking, and combat damage is unaffected.

The same is true for blockers, by the way.

However, if an effect taps a creature before it attacks (or blocks), then it won’t be able to engage in combat. As a tip: If you have a tap ability and want to prevent a creature from attacking, the “beginning of combat” step is your last chance to do so.

How Is Damage Dealt with Multiple Blockers?

As we saw previously, it's dealer's choice: If you’re the attacker then you get to choose how your attacking creature deals damage to the blockers.

The rules of engagement are:

• Whenever a single attacker gets multiple blockers, it's the attacking player (not the defender!) who gets to arrange blockers in the order they’ll receive damage – this is done during the “declare blockers” step, right after the defending player chooses their blockers.
• The attacking player isn’t allowed to pull their punches during the “combat damage” step – they have to assign all their attackers' combat damage.
• An attacker must assign lethal damage to a blocker before being able to assign damage to the next blocker in the punch line.
• Attackers can overkill a blocker if they want by assigning more damage than would be necessary to kill that blocker and assigning less damage to other blockers – not something you'll want to do often, but it's an option if for some reason you want to focus on a specific blocker while allowing another blocker to survive unscathed.

How Is Damage Assigned With Deathtouch?

You need a single point of deathtouch damage to kill a creature, so just 1 point of damage needs to be assigned to each blocker.

If your 3/3 deathtouch is blocked by a 4/4, a 5/5, and a 6/6, everybody dies: Your 3/3 will do 1 point to each of the three blockers.

Does Deathtouch Work on Planeswalkers?

Nope! Deathtouch only affects creatures and is treated like normal damage as a result of attacking planeswalkers.

How Does Double Strike Work with Trample?

If your creature has trample , all its excess combat damage after all its blockers are dead will connect with the attacker's objective (player, planeswalker, or battle). If the attacking trampler also has double strike , this works on both of the damage-dealing steps.

Let's say your 6/6 with double strike attacks a player and gets blocked by a 4/4. During the first strike combat damage step, your 6/6 deals 4 damage to the blocker, kills it, and then deals the excess 2 points of damage to the player. In the second/normal combat damage step, since there's no blocker left standing, your attacker deals the full 6 points of damage to the defending player.

By the way: If your double-striking trampler also has deathtouch, it’ll only need 1 point of damage to kill each blocker and will deal any excess to the defending player.

Do Vehicles Tap After Attacking?

Indeed! A vehicle turns into a creature when crewed, and therefore behaves exactly like a creature… because it is a creature at that point!

Therefore, it taps if it attacks (unless it has vigilance, like Parhelion II ).

Notice that artifacts that turn into a creature will have summoning sickness during their first turn under your control.

Can You Cast Instants After Attackers Are Declared?

Yep! Right after the attacking player declares attackers, they receive priority and they can cast instants . Once they pass, other players can do the same.

Once everybody passes with an empty stack, the game proceeds to the “declare blockers” step, which works similarly (the active player gets priority right after blockers are declared).

Attacking vs. Fighting

While combat damage and fighting have several points in common, they’re different effects and don't entirely overlap.

When an effect instructs two creatures to fight (like when Kogla, the Titan Ape ETBs), each of those creatures deals damage equal to its power to the other creature. In that aspect, fighting is like combat damage.

Deathtouch also works the same way and a single point of damage is lethal: An Infectious Bite from Baleful Strix can kill any creature.

But damage dealt when creatures fight is considered non-combat damage. In particular, first strike and double strike don't work while fighting; they only modify how combat damage is handled. Similarly, trample creatures won't harm the other player even if they deal excess damage in a fight.

Attacking vs. Biting

Effects like Rabid Bite or Bite Down are a different kettle of fish. Unlike fighting or combat damage, bite-like effects are one-sided, and the target doesn’t strike back. This is also considered non-combat damage.

Rabid Bite | Illustration by John Thacker

Alright, time to break up this tussle!

Combat is perhaps the most complex phase in a turn, with lots of things going on during each step. You may want to read about the other steps in detail, since each one has its own quirks, but I hope I’ve clarified how attacking works.

If you have further comments or questions please drop a comment below, stop by the Draftsim Discord for a chat, or ping me on the social network formerly known as Twitter .

And good luck out there!

Herko Kerghans

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what if Intangible Virtue is in play, which gives the tokens vigilance, but Adeline clearly states that they should be tapped and attacking, do the tokens remain tapped?

Vigilance means the creature doesn’t tap as part of declaring an attack. Tokens made by Adeline and similar cards are never declared as attackers, they just enter attacking, so they’ll be tapped when they enter. They’ll technically have vigilance, but that won’t matter until the next turn when you can actually choose them as attackers.

Regarding Trample vs. Banding (yes, I care about banding…): We had this scenario come up in-game. I have a banding deck. My opponent attacked with a 13/13 trampler. I blocked with a Wall of Shadows that had was banded with Wall of Glare through Fortified Area. He claimed that all he had to do was lethal damage (my toughness of 1) and the rest would trample through and deal 12 damage to my face. My argument was 1) since Wall of Shadows had banding, I am now the one assigning the damage, so I can choose to assign all 13 damage to the Wall (over-assigning damage to one creature). Then, because of Wall of Shadows’ “Damage dealt to Wall of Shadows by creatures it blocks is reduced to 0” text, all 13 damage would go away when combat damage is resolved. Who is correct here? My entire Banding strategy seemed to completely be destroyed by one trampler, so this doesn’t seem correct to me.

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Step By Step: Damage

Damage in Magic is more complicated than it may seem at first glance. In this article, I'm going to break it down into 6 simple steps to follow.

A brief note: This is a more advanced article intended for Magic players and judges who already have a strong grasp of the rules. If you don't yet know the basics of the combat phase and how to apply replacement effects, you'll probably find this article a bit confusing.

The steps of damage:

Step 0.1: choose combat damage assignment order, step 0.2: assign combat damage, step 1: calculate excess damage, step 2: deal the damage, step 3: process the damage into results, step 4: the damage event.

The first two steps are a little different, as they only apply to combat damage. They're technically turn-based actions of the combat phase and aren't a part of processing damage itself at all, but I want to cover them too because they're often overlooked or misunderstood.

This happens right after blockers have been declared in combat. If any attackers are being blocked by multiple creatures, the attacking player chooses an order for those creatures. Then the defending player does the same for any creatures that are blocking multiple creatures. This order is specific to the creature it's for, and doesn't affect other creatures.

For example, if Bear Cub and Glory Seeker are attacking and they're both blocked by a Hundred-Handed One and Coastline Chimera, the attacking player chooses an order for Bear Cub and an order for Glory Seeker. The order need not be the same for both creatures. You can think of it as each attacking creature looking at what's blocking it and writing down a list of them in a certain order.

Once the combat damage step is entered, damage must be assigned. This is a distinct process from damage being dealt, which only happens later. Damage assignation is simply a way to say "ok, this amount of damage is going to be dealt to this creature, this amount to that creature, etc". Damage is assigned simultaniously for all attacking creatures first, and then for all blocking creatures. (In turn order if there are multiple blocking players.)

When announcing where a creature's damage is being dealt, it must obey that creature's damage assignment order. If a creature earlier in the order hasn't been assigned lethal damage, then the attacker's damage can't be assigned to a later creature. So if a 3/3 attacks and is blocked by a 4/4 and a 2/2, and the 3/3's damage assignment order was "the 4/4 first, then the 2/2", when it comes time to assign damage, all 3 damage must be assigned to the 4/4.

Deathtouch on a creature means that any amount of damage it's assigning is considered to be lethal. Trample on an attacking creature simply means that the player or planeswalker it's attacking is considered to be last in the damage assignment order.

Other damage being assigned at the same time is taken into account for this process. If a 1/1 with deathtouch and a 3/3 with trample are attacking and were both blocked by a 4/4, the 1/1 can assign its damage to the 4/4, and since that's lethal, the 3/3 can assign all of its damage to the defending player.

Now we get into handling the damage itself. These next four steps apply to any damage being dealt, regardless of whether it's combat damage or not. An attacking creature dealing damage functions the same way here as a Lightning Bolt. These steps are sequential in terms of how they're handled by the game, but they're simultaneous in time as the game progresses. Everything that happens as a result of one of these steps happens at the same time.

Some effects that deal damage say that "excess" damage is dealt to another object or player. This is basically "spell trample". In order to calculate excess damage, we look at the toughness of the creature in question, minus any damage that's marked on it and any other damage being dealt to it at the same time. If there is any excess damage, the damage event changes to deal that damage to a different object or player. This step is very similar to step 0.2, but it applies only to noncombat damage. Just like with trample, replacement effects that change the amount of damage being dealt are not taken into account here.

Once we know what the original damage event is, we need to handle any replacement and prevention effects that apply to it. Only effects that directly apply to "damage" are considered here. Other effects that apply to what the damage is doing to what it's being dealt to are considered in step 3. Replacement and prevention effects are handled in the normal method, where the controller of the affected object chooses in what order to apply them. Anything that triggers due to damage being dealt triggers at this point, once the amounts of damage being dealt have been "locked in".

Once we know how much damage is being dealt and to what, it's time to figure out what result that damage is going to have. Damage can have one or more different results, depending on what is being dealt damage and what abilities or effects are applying to the damage. The full list of default results is as follows:

• Damage dealt to a player by a source without infect causes that player to lose that much life.
• Damage dealt to a player by a source with infect causes that source’s controller to give the player that many poison counters.
• Damage dealt to a planeswalker causes that many loyalty counters to be removed from that planeswalker.
• Damage dealt to a creature by a source with neither wither nor infect causes that much damage to be marked on that creature.
• Damage dealt to a creature by a source with wither and/or infect causes that source’s controller to put that many -1/-1 counters on that creature.
• Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller to gain that much life.

Other cards can modify these results. In order to figure out what the final outcome is going to be, we first consider what the default results would be. Then we apply any effects that say damage is dealt "as though" a condition is true. Then we look at effects that say something can't happen. Lastly we apply any appropriate replacement effects that apply to the result of the damage. (Again, in the order of the affected player's choice.) Note that just like with all replacement effects, choosing an order for them is simply determining what the future event is going to be, it hasn't actually happened yet.

Now that we've figured out exactly what's going to happen, it's time to actually do it. All results of the damage, along with any events that replaced them, happen simultaniously.

Well that's great and all, but what does all that text actually mean? Let's look at some examples and walk through them step by step.

Question #1

Andy controls Furnace of Rath and attacks with a 3/3 with trample. Nancy blocks with a 2/2 that has protection from creatures. How much damage is dealt to Nancy?

In step 0.2, Andy chooses how to assign damage. There are 3 points of damage to be assigned, and at least 2 of them have to be assigned to the blocking creature in order to be lethal damage. The last point can eiher be assigned to the 2/2 blocker or to Nancy. Let's assume that Andy chooses to assign 2 to the blocker and 1 to Nancy.

At this point the original damage event has been determined as "2 damage is being dealt to the 2/2, 1 damage is being dealt to Nancy". In step 2, replacement and prevention effects are applied. Since Nancy's creature is being dealt the damage, she can choose which one to apply to it first. If she applies Furnace of Rath's effect first, the event becomes "4 damage is being dealt to the 2/2". Then protection's prevention effect would apply and prevent the 4 damage that's being dealt to the blocker. If on the other hand Nancy chooses to apply protection first, the event becomes "2 damage is prevented to the blocker". Since no damage is being dealt to it anymore, Furnace of Rath's effect doesn't apply. There's only one replacement effect applying to Nancy, so that's applied and the event becomes "2 damage is dealt to Nancy".

Now it's time for step 3. The 2 damage that's being dealt to Nancy turns into Nancy losing 2 life. The blocker isn't being dealt any damage, so nothing happens to it.

Finally, this all actually happens. The attacking creature deals 2 damage to Nancy and Nancy loses 2 life, simultaniously.

Question #2

Norman controls Phyrexian Unlife and has 0 life. Alex casts Lightning Bolt targeting Norman. In response, Norman casts Angel's Grace. What happens?

In step 2, there are no replacement effects to be applied.

In step 3, the damage would by default make Norman lose 3 life. However Phyrexian Unlife says that the damage is dealt as though its souce had infect, which means that Norman would be getting 3 poison counters. Since this damage would not reduce Norman's life total to less than 1 (it wouldn't be reducing it at all), Angel's Grace's replacement effect doesn't apply.

Question #3

Amanda attacks with a 5/5 with trample and a 3/3 with no abilities. Nemo blocks the 3/3 with Dralnu, Lich Lord and blocks the 5/5 with Darien, King of Kjeldor. Nemo currently has 2 life and also controls Worship and Vilis, Broker of Blood. (And controls nothing else.) Assuming Amanda has as much damage as possible trample over to Nemo and that Nemo only wants to sacrifice creatures to Dralnu, what is Nemo's resulting life total, how many tokens does he create, and how many cards does he draw?

In step 0.2, Amanda assigns 3 damage to Dralnu, 3 damage to Darien, and 2 damage to Nemo. The damage event starting out is "3 damage to Dralnu, 3 damage to Darien, and 2 damage to Nemo".

In step 2, there is one replacement effect to be applied- Dralnu's. Nemo chooses to sacrifice Dralnu, Darien, and Vilis to it. The event becomes "Nemo sacrifices Dralnu, Darien, and Vilis, 3 damage is dealt to Darien, and 2 damage is dealt to Nemo". Since the amount and recipients of damage have now been determined, Darien triggers at this time.

In step 3, we begin to process the damage into its results. 3 damage is being dealt to Darien and 2 to Nemo, so the default results are that Darien has 3 damage marked on it and Nemo loses 2 life. However Worship has a replacement effect that replaces Nemo losing 2 life with Nemo losing 1 life.

Finally, the event occurs. Nemo simultaniously loses 1 life and sacrifices Dralnu, Darien, and Vilis. (And marks 3 damage on Darien, but who cares- it's dead anyway.) Vilis's trigger is checked immediatetly afterwords, but Vilis is in the graveyard by then, so it doesn't trigger. Darien's trigger to create two tokens will be put onto the stack once the players get priority.

And that's about it! Figuring out what happens as damage is dealt can be complicated sometimes, but if you walk though it step by step, you'll get to the right answer. If you want to test your skills with some more practice questions on damage, click here !

Outside the Asylum

How does assigning combat damage work?

Assigning combat damage in Magic: The Gathering follows specific rules outlined in the game’s comprehensive rules. When a creature is blocking another creature, the blocking creature assigns its combat damage in the following manner:

• If the blocking creature is currently blocking no creatures (if they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage.
• If the blocking creature is blocking exactly one creature, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature.
• If the blocking creature is blocking two or more creatures, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage.

Here are some related questions about combat damage in Magic: The Gathering:

How is combat damage assigned in MTG?

If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage.

How does combat damage work?

Combat damage is damage dealt by an attacking or blocking creature to another source. This only applies to damage dealt during the “damage step” and doesn’t include damage dealt by abilities like those seen on Prodigal Pyromancer.

How does combat damage work with multiple blockers?

When a creature is blocked by multiple creatures, the controller of the attacking creature determines the damage assignment order for the blockers. The blocking creatures will all deal their damage simultaneously to the attacking creature.

Does 0 damage count as combat damage?

No, if a source would deal 0 damage, it does not deal damage at all. Abilities that trigger on damage being dealt won’t trigger in this case.

Does toxic count as combat damage?

Yes, a creature with the ability “toxic” still deals combat damage as usual based on its power. This means it will deal damage to other creatures and planeswalkers normally. If a toxic creature hits a player, they both take normal damage and receive poison counters.

Can you assign all damage to one blocker?

Yes, if a creature is blocking exactly one creature, it assigns all its combat damage to that single blocker.

Do you deal combat damage twice with double strike?

Yes, a creature with double strike deals combat damage twice during the combat phase. It deals damage during the first combat damage step along with creatures that have first strike, and then again during the second combat damage step along with creatures that have neither first strike nor double strike.

Does spell damage count as combat damage?

No, spell damage does not count as combat damage in Magic: The Gathering. Combat damage specifically refers to damage dealt by attacking or blocking creatures during the combat phase.

Does indestructible prevent combat damage?

No, creatures with indestructible are still affected by combat damage. They will still assign and receive combat damage, but they are immune to being destroyed by lethal damage. Indestructible only prevents destruction effects.

Does losing life count as taking damage?

No, losing life is not the same as taking damage. Damage is calculated by reducing a creature or player’s toughness or loyalty, while life loss is a direct reduction of a player’s life total. Losing life does not typically trigger abilities that trigger specifically from damage being dealt.

Can you destroy an indestructible creature?

No, a permanent with the indestructible ability cannot be destroyed by any effect that would normally destroy creatures. Indestructible prevents lethal damage from destroying the creature, and it also ignores the state-based action that checks for lethal damage.

Can you cast spells after combat damage?

No, once combat damage has been assigned, it is dealt simultaneously and players do not have the opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities before damage is dealt. This is because assigning and dealing combat damage are turn-based actions that do not use the stack.

Who assigns the order of blockers?

The attacking player assigns the order in which the blocking creatures will be assigned damage. This order is important when determining how combat damage is divided between multiple blockers.

Can you respond to declaring blockers?

No, declaring blockers is a turn-based action that does not use the stack. Players do not have the opportunity to respond to the declaration of blockers.

How does combat work in MTG?

Combat in Magic: The Gathering is a five-step phase that proceeds in order: beginning of combat, declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and end of combat. During combat, players can attack with creatures, block attacking creatures with their own creatures, assign combat damage, and use certain combat-related abilities and spells.

Does deathtouch work with fight?

Yes, deathtouch works with the fight mechanic. If a creature with deathtouch fights another creature, only 1 damage is needed to be considered lethal damage, due to the deathtouch ability. This means the creature being fought will be destroyed, regardless of its toughness.

Does double strike get past deathtouch?

No, deathtouch and double strike interact in a specific way. When a creature with double strike and another creature with deathtouch are involved in combat, the creature with double strike will deal its damage during the first combat damage step. If the creature with deathtouch survives, it will deal its damage during the second combat damage step, and any creature it damages will be destroyed due to the deathtouch ability.

Does indestructible prevent deathtouch?

Yes, creatures with indestructible are unaffected by the deathtouch ability. Deathtouch causes destruction, but indestructible prevents the creature from being destroyed. Thus, creatures with indestructible are immune to destruction caused by deathtouch.

Can you block with summoning sickness?

Yes, a creature with summoning sickness can still block. While summoning sickness prevents a creature from attacking or using abilities that tap it, it does not restrict the creature from being able to block.

Can two creatures block one attacker?

Yes, it is possible for multiple

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510.1c A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that’s blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage . When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. An amount of damage that’s greater than a creature’s lethal damage may be assigned to it.

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Quote from Freedom Call Primeval Titan having trample doesn't require damage to be assigned 5/4/1 to the Elder, Thrun, and Emissary respectively? What if Primeval Titan was a 12/12 with Trample, would the damage need to go 5/4/1/and 2 to the defending player? Or does Trample not matter in either of these cases?

Quote from Comprehensive Rules » 702.18b The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any remaining damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player or planeswalker the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that's being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that's actually dealt. The attacking creature's controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can't assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.

Quote from Matt Tabak » In the first three examples given for 510.1c, if the attacking Vastwood Gorger had trample, it could still assign 5 damage to the Guardian. The rules for trample do not force you to assign lethal damage to each blocking creature if able. All they do is state that if you don't assign lethal damage to each blocker, you can't assign any damage to the defending player or planeswalker. The key part of rule 702.18b is: "The attacking creature's controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can't assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking."

Quote from Comprehensive Rules » Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Vastwood Gorger (a 5/6 creature) is Pride Guardian (a 0/3 creature) then Llanowar Elves (a 1/1 creature). Vastwood Gorger can assign 3 damage to the Guardian and 2 damage to the Elves, 4 damage to the Guardian and 1 damage to the Elves, or 5 damage to the Guardian. Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Vastwood Gorger (a 5/6 creature) is Pride Guardian (a 0/3 creature) then Llanowar Elves (a 1/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Giant Growth targeting Pride Guardian, which gives it +3/+3 until end of turn. Vastwood Gorger must assign its 5 damage to the Guardian. Example: The damage assignment order of an attacking Vastwood Gorger (a 5/6 creature) is Pride Guardian (a 0/3 creature) then Llanowar Elves (a 1/1 creature). During the declare blockers step, the defending player casts Mending Hands targeting Pride Guardian, which prevents the next 4 damage that would be dealt to it. Vastwood Gorger can assign 3 damage to the Guardian and 2 damage to the Elves, 4 damage to the Guardian and 1 damage to the Elves, or 5 damage to the Guardian.

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How does damage assignment work with multiple blockers?

Asked by deusdaedalus 10 years ago.

So, when a creature gets blocked by multiple creatures, how does the damage assignment work? Do I get to choose how the damage is assigned?

Like, deathtouch creatures for example. Let's say I had a Wasteland Viper and a Gruul War Chant in play. If I attack with the Viper, and they block with two creatures, can I have the Viper do 1 damage to each creature so that it kills them both?

E p o c h a l y p t i k says... Accepted answer #1

You choose the order in which the defending creatures will be dealt damage. In order to assign damage to any particular creature in the damage assignment order, you must first have assigned lethal damage to each creature before that creature in the DAO.

Yes, you can choose to assign 1 damage to each creature blocking Wasteland Viper in your scenario. 1 damage from a source with deathtouch is considered lethal.

January 2, 2014 3:19 a.m. 1

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How does Trample work with assigning damage & combat tricks?

So say a 6/6 Trample attacks and is blocked by a 2/2.

The attacking player would assign 2 damage to the creature and 4 to the player right?

Before combat damage takes place if the defender plays a +1/+1 pump spell, would the creature now live because it only has 2 damage on it as 3/3, and 4 still goes through to the player?

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Does an attacking creature have to deal lethal damage to the blocking creatures before dealing damage to the other blocking creatures?

510.1c A blocked creature assigns its combat damage to the creatures blocking it. If no creatures are currently blocking it (if, for example, they were destroyed or removed from combat), it assigns no combat damage. If exactly one creature is blocking it, it assigns all its combat damage to that creature. If two or more creatures are blocking it, it assigns its combat damage to those creatures according to the damage assignment order announced for it. This may allow the blocked creature to divide its combat damage. However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that’s blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. An amount of damage that’s greater than a creature’s lethal damage may be assigned to it.

Who chooses the assignment order?

If I attack with a 5/5 and he has a 2/4 and a 2/2 would he have to deal 4 damage to the 2/4 first before dealing any damage to the 2/2? Could he instead give the 2/2 lethal damage instead if it was a better card to kill?

• magic-the-gathering

If A is blocked by B , C and D (in that order), then

• A must assign lethal damage to B before it can assign any damage to C .
• A must assign lethal damage to C before it can assign any damage to D .
• A must assign lethal damage to D before it can assign any damage to the defending player or planeswalker (if A has trample).

510.1c [...] However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that’s blocking it unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocking creature in its order is assigned lethal damage. [...] 510.1d [...] However, it can’t assign combat damage to a creature that it’s blocking unless, when combat damage assignments are complete, each creature that precedes that blocked creature is assigned lethal damage. [...]

Banding overrides these rules.

The controller of the creature dealing damage. Three turn-based actions occur in the Declare Blockers Step before players get priority:

509.1. First, the defending player declares blockers. [...] 509.2. Second, for each attacking creature that’s become blocked, the active player announces that creature’s damage assignment order, which consists of the creatures blocking it in an order of that player’s choice. [...] 509.3. Third, for each blocking creature, the defending player announces that creature’s damage assignment order, which consists of the creatures it’s blocking in an order of that player’s choice. [...]

you giant growth the 2/3 making it a 5/6 how does that change the damage?

Players gain Priority after declaring attacking and blocking damage orders [CR 509.5] , but before assigning damage [CR 510.1] .

We have an attacking 5/5 blocked by a 5/6 and a 2/2. The attacking creature chose to damage the (now) 5/6 first.

The attacking creature must assign at least 6 damage to the 5/6 before it can assign any to the 2/2. It can only assign 5 damage, so

• The 5/5 deals 5 damage to the 5/6.
• The 5/6 deals 5 damage to the 5/5.
• The 2/2 deals 2 damage to the 5/5.
• The 5/5 takes 7 damage
• The 5/6 takes 5 damage
• The 2/2 takes no damage

• After the order has been decided can it be changed? Could the attacking player decide to then change the order so it killed the 2/2 creature instead of doing the damage to the 5/6? –  Ryan Detzel Commented Dec 24, 2014 at 15:38
• 1 No, it can't be changed. Nothing in the third part of my Answer is optional. You buf, debuf and remove creatures from combat using instants or abilities before letting it go to the Combat Damage Step, but that's it. –  ikegami Commented Dec 24, 2014 at 15:43

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