How does First Strike work in MTG?
First Strike in Magic The Gathering lets a creature deal its combat damage before creatures without First Strike or Double Strike during the combat damage step. If your creature with First Strike is battling it out with a regular creature, your creature gets to throw the first punch and could potentially take down the opponent before they even get a chance to retaliate. This can be a game-changer, especially in situations where knocking out the opponent's creature before it can deal damage keeps your creature alive for another round of combat.
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Think of First Strike as the fantasy card game equivalent of a speed bonus. Creatures with First Strike hit first and fast in the combat, potentially knocking out their opponents before they can strike back. This doesn't change the total amount of damage a creature deals, but the timing can completely alter the outcome of a battle.
First Strike? Overrated. It's all about having the bigger creature. Bigger creatures equal bigger wins, easy. First Strike is just fancy footwork.
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