First Strike Soundly Beats Deathtouch in Combat

As an avid Magic: The Gathering player and gaming content creator, I can definitively say that first strike does beat deathtouch in combat. This match-up highlights the importance of understanding timing and combat damage order – first strike‘s speed overcomes deathtouch‘s lethal danger.

Here‘s How First Strike and Deathtouch Work

Before explaining how first strike defeats deathtouch, let‘s breakdown what these abilities actually do:

First Strike

• Creature deals combat damage before other creatures without first strike
• Damage is dealt in the "first strike damage" step
• Allows landing the first blow!

Deathtouch

• Any amount of combat damage dealt is considered lethal
• As little as 1 damage will destroy the creature
• Deals damage in regular combat damage step

So first strike enables a creature to hit earlier, while deathtouch makes all damage lethal. What happens when they interact?

Timing Is Everything – First Strike Negates Deathtouch

Since first strikers deal damage first, they can destroy deathtouch creatures before the deathtoucher deals back damage.

Here‘s a play-by-play:

1. First striker attacks into a deathtouch blocker
2. During first strike damage step, it assigns lethal damage
3. Deathtouch creature is destroyed by the damage
4. The regular damage step occurs…but the deathtoucher is already dead!

By eliminating the deathtouch creature before regular damage, first strike has "negated" the deathtouch ability altogether. Timing is critical!

Winning the Damage Race

Another way to conceptualize this interaction is a race – between first strike and deathtouch damage:

• First strike deals damage first
• If lethal, deathtoucher dies before assigning damage
• First strike crosses the finish line first!

With respect to damage order, first strike beats deathtouch. The following chart illustrates based on game steps:

So in the race between assigning damage, first strike hits the finish line before the slowed deathtouch damage, winning outright.

Other Effective Answers to Deathtouch

While first strike nicely dispatches deathtouch foes, what other tricks beat this lethal ability? Here are some of my favorite counters as an avid deck builder:

Indestructible

• Prevents destruction from damage, including deathtouch
• Creature survives no matter how much "lethal" damage is dealt!

Protection Abilities

• Prevents all damage from a source
• Completely shuts down deathtouch damage from protected color/type

Instant Speed Removal

• Destroy or exile creature before combat
• Popular options: Doom Blade, Hero‘s Downfall, Swords to Plowshares

So while first strike is great on the battlefield, don‘t forget the power instant speed answers bring from your hand too!

How Other Evergreen Keywords Interact with Deathtouch

As a Magic theorycrafter, I love exploring interactions between different evergreen keywords. So how do other popular abilities play with deathtouch?

Lifelink

• If the lifelinker has deathtouch, only 1 damage needed to gain life!
• If the lifelinker dies to the deathtoucher however, no lifegain occurs.

Trample

• Only 1 damage must be assigned to blocker, rest goes face.
• Makes deathtouch attacker even scarier!

Double Strike

• Gets 2 chances to deal first strike damage!
• Overkills deathtouch blockers.

Understanding these nuances takes experience. As a gaming writer I want to spotlight lesser known combos!

Key Takeaways: First Strike Speed Beats Deathtouch Danger

In closing, first strike enables faster damage timing, dispatching deathtouchers before they can return a lethal strike. While other tricks like indestructible or instant removal can also handle deathtouch, first strike‘s combat prowess provides another potent answer.

So in your next game when an opponent brandishes a nasty deathtouch monster, use these first strike combat tricks up your sleeve! Outspeed and outmaneuver danger – leverage first strike and timely play to emerge victorious!

What other combat matchups would you like explored? Let me know in the comments!