Magic is ultimately a game about combat. You might be able to win in other ways, but most decks will rely on creatures to close out the game. As a result, it’s worth knowing what keywords make your creatures excel during combat, and few MTG mechanics are as potent as double strike.
Whether you’re attacking or blocking, creatures with double strike will have a big impact on combat. Normally there’s only one damage step during the combat phase. If a creature with double strike is attacking or blocking, though, there will be two damage steps. Any creatures with double strike will deal damage during both combat steps, while normal creatures will only deal damage during the second.
Dealing damage twice, and especially before most creatures can fight back, is a huge advantage. Of course, there’s more to understand about how double strike works in MTG, as well as which creatures use it best.
Table Of Contents:
- What Is Double Strike In MTG?
- How Does Double Strike Work In MTG?
- Best MTG Creatures With Double Strike
- End Step
What Is Double Strike in MTG?
Double strike is an MTG keyword that appears on creatures. If a creature has double strike, it deals its damage twice during combat. Let’s take a closer look at when these creatures deal damage.
In the combat phase, there are normally five steps that the game follows. They are:
- Beginning of Combat
- Declare Attackers
- Declare Blockers
- Combat Damage
- End of Combat
Each of these steps are fairly self-explanatory, but something changes when a creature has first strike or double strike. When one of these creatures is either attacking or blocking, there will be two combat damage steps instead of one. They happen back-to-back, and creatures with double strike deal damage during both steps.
If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike 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… 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.
MTG Wiki
Dealing combat damage before other creatures is a huge advantage. You can destroy other creatures before the second damage step, removing them from combat before they get a chance to threaten your creatures.
Your double strikers can also make quick work of your opponents’ life totals. Any buffs to their power are twice as effective, and any triggered abilities that rely on dealing combat damage to players will happen twice. A Thieving Otter equipped with a Fireshrieker, for instance, would draw you two cards in total. Double strike gives you a lot of extra power in combat, but there’s more to know about it than just dealing damage.
How Does Double Strike Work in MTG?
With so many mechanics, just about every aspect of this game is more complicated than it seems. Now that we’ve gone over the basics of double strike, let’s take a look at how it interacts with other parts of MTG.
Is Double Strike Better Than First Strike?
Yes! Creatures with first strike deal damage before normal creatures, but they still only deal damage once. Creatures with double strike deal damage during both combat damage steps, making it the more powerful keyword.
What Happens If A Creature Has First Strike And Double Strike?
First strike and double strike are redundant. Creatures with both first strike and double strike still only deal damage once per combat damage step, so there’s no advantage to having both keywords.
Similarly, if a creature already has double strike and gets another instance of the keyword, nothing changes.
Can You Block Double Strike with Two Creatures?
Yes! Unless cards prevent you from doing so, you can always block an attacking creature with as many legal blockers as you want.
Does Double Strike Work When Blocking?
Yes! Double strike doesn’t check whether you’re attacking or blocking. That means your double strikers can work for you on defense, and in fact, they make for excellent blockers. If they have enough power, they can destroy attacking creatures before they can even deal damage.
RELATED: MTG Blocking: How It Works
How Does Double Strike Work With Trample?
Double strike and trample is a deadly combo. Attacking creatures with trample deal excess damage to the defending player. If all of the creatures blocking the trampler are gone, then it deals all of its damage to the player.
If a creature with both double strike and trample kills all of its blockers during the first combat damage step, this means it will deal damage to the player during the second step. These creatures can threaten huge sums of damage in a single swing, and it can be difficult for your opponents to effectively block them.
Best MTG Creatures With Double Strike
With such a powerful keyword, it makes sense that it would appear on some amazing creatures. Below are the best double strike creatures throughout MTG, either because they use the keyword exceptionally well, or because this keyword is part of an overall strong design.
Balan, Wandering Knight
This is the only entry on the list that doesn’t always have double strike. As long as you can meet its condition, though, Balan, Wandering Knight is one of the best double strikers in the game.
In equipment decks that want to go tall, Balan is an excellent creature to attach your equipment to. Its ability can cheat the equip cost of powerful cards, such as Colossus Hammer and Argentum Armor, and that effect is powerful enough on its own. When you consider that most equipment also boosts power, though, you can see how double strike pushes Balan to the next level.
Whether you’re building a Balan Commander deck or including it in another build, this cat can get the most out of your equipment.
Efreet Flamepainter
On its own, Efreet Flamepainter isn’t likely to get much done for you. Most decks can block a double striker with one power, and this card doesn’t have trample or flying to help it push through. With some work, however, this card can become explosive.
Casting spells for free out of your graveyard is a huge reward, so it’s worth setting this artist up for success. Granting it evasion, or even just haste to surprise your opponents, is a great start. Removing their blockers or wiping the
As with most double strike creatures, boosting Efreet Flamepainter‘s power is also a strong option. When your opponent has to decide between losing their
Fury
Double strike isn’t what makes Fury powerful, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Usually, you’ll be evoking Fury for its removal effect, but casting it normally leaves you with a solid creature. On offense or defense, a 3/3 double striker is no joke, and it can make combat very dificult for your opponents to navigate. Still, double strike is icing on the cake here, rather than the main reason to play this card.
God-Eternal Oketra
God-Eternal Oketra is another strong card that happens to have double strike. It has a large enough body that the double strike is very relevant, but that’s not the main reason you’d put this in your deck. Getting 4/4s for every creature spell you cast is a ton of value, and this effect can take over the battlefield quickly.
It would be wrong for me to tell you that Oketra’s double strike is irrelevant, though. Decks that want to play a lot of creatures will often try to win through combat. Having a 3/6 double striker that makes even more creatures for you is a huge boost to your offensive and defensive potential. Any mass pump effects like Glorious Anthem will work very well with Oketra herself, and she synergizes with decks that want to play those cards anyway.
Shadrix Silverquill
Lastly, we have yet another addition from Strixhaven: Shadrix Silverquill. Everything about Shadrix encourages you to attack. Double strike and flying lets you sneak through a ton of damage, and Shadrix’s attack trigger can give you lots of value. The +1/+1 counters work well with double strike, but the other modes are solid, too.
What excites me the most about Shadrix is how flexible it is. If you wanted to build a Shadrix EDH deck, there are countless directions you could go. You could focus on politics and interacting with your opponents, +1/+1 counters, going wide or going tall, just to name a few options.
End Step
Hopefully by now, you’ve learned a thing or two about double strike. MTG has plenty of great creatures with double strike, and it’s a potent mechanic no matter what situation you’re in.
