Can Defenders Bring the Hurt in Magic: The Gathering?

As a long-time Magic enthusiast and gaming commentator, one of the most common questions I see is: "Can defender creatures deal any real damage in Magic: The Gathering?"

The quick answer is usually no. But there are some spicy defender builds that can surprise opponents and dish out pain under the right conditions! Let‘s dig deeper into the combat damage rules and see if defenders have any hidden potential as threats rather than just walls.

Defender Basics: Built to Block, Not Attack

Creatures with defender are defined by one simple static ability: "This creature can‘t attack." Of course, combat damage specifically refers to damage dealt by attacking or blocking creatures in the combat damage step.

So with no attacks allowed, how can a hapless defender hope to deliver blows? Well, card text can provide some crafty workarounds…

First though, let‘s better understand what counts as the good-old combat damage defenders struggle to provide:

• Only applies to the combat damage step (not other damage effects)
• Only attacking or blocking creatures can deal it
• Zero damage doesn‘t count at all

And when it comes to Commander formats, even non-combat sources like direct damage or deathtouch won‘t trigger commander damage trackers – only straight-up combat slaps.

Deathtouch and Blocking: Sneaky Damage Sources

While they can‘t attack, most defenders sport higher toughness for durable blocking. And deathtouch grants tricky damage dealing potential when holding the line:

Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)

So a lowly 1/3 Wall of Wood with deathtouch can still trade blow-for-blow with a mighty 4/4 beater thanks to the power of deathtouch!

And in multiplayer Commander games, these small trades can really add up value:

Wall of Wood

1/3 Defender, Deathtouch
Creature - Wall

This super niche wall sees play in only 0.2% of Commander decks according to EDHRec stats. But partner it with Doran and cards that switch power and toughness…now we‘ve got a beefy threat that can dish out 3 damage a hit!

Exceptions and Enablers: When Defenders Break Bad

While most defenders will stay pacified, some rule-bending cards let them go berserk! Enchantments like Assault Formation flip power and toughness:

Assault Formation  2W
Enchantment   (Rare)

Creatures you control assign combat damage equal to their toughness rather than their power.

Suddennly, high-toughness defenders transformed into monsters! And they can even attack with abilities like:

Stalwart Shield-Bearers  3WW    
Creature - Human Soldier  (Uncommon)

Vigilance  
Defender creatures you control attack as though they didn‘t have defender.

3/5

So the right combinations and deck synergy can enable defenders to beat down even without the defender keyword active! The community continually experiments with new defensive damage builds in formats like Commander and Pioneer.

And you better believe things can get crazy in eternal formats like Legacy and Vintage where virtually any card combo is possible with the right mana base!

Summing Up the Defender Damage Dilemma

While attackers relish doling out combat damage, defenders occupy an awkward middle-ground by Magic: The Gathering combat rules. Their defensive capabilities heavily overshadow limited damage potential in most matches.

But the joy of Magic is finding creative combos and rule-bending card effects to break conventions! So defenders can sometimes surprise opponents with unexpected attacks or damage capacity.

As a long-time Magic player and deck-builder, I love the challenge of brewing unconventional decks. Defenders may not become top-tier damage threats any time soon outside niche builds. Yet I admire those bold brewers and janky Johnnies who keep searching for that magical formula to transform walls into conquerors!

So if you draw the perfect mix of enablers, can defenders unleash carnage? The possibility exists however slim. And that glimmer of potential keeps deckbuilding an exciting adventure for this battle-hardened Planeswalker.

Let me know what you think of defenders and their untapped damage potential down below! And if you‘ve built a sweet deck that weaponizes walls, share your brew – I‘d love to see defenders defy expectations in glorious fashion!