New players

Combat

Combat is a clear sequence. Announce it so the table can respond.

Combat Flow

  • Declare attackers (tap attackers).
  • Declare blockers (defender assigns).
  • Combat damage (first strike, then regular).
  • Creatures with lethal damage are destroyed.

Key Concepts

  • Creatures without summoning sickness can attack or tap for abilities.
  • Combat tricks are instants cast before damage.
  • Trample assigns lethal to blockers, then the rest to the player.
  • Vigilance means attacking without tapping.
  • First strike deals damage before regular damage.

Combat Terms

Summoning sickness

A creature cannot attack or tap the turn it enters unless it has haste.

Declare attackers

The attacking player chooses all attackers at once.

Declare blockers

Defending player assigns blockers after attackers are declared.

Lethal damage

Damage equal to a creature’s toughness destroys it after damage.

If a term is unfamiliar, cross-check it in the glossary.

Open Glossary
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