Does a Creature with Double Strike Count as Attacking Twice?
When it comes to Magic: The Gathering, understanding the intricacies of combat phases and creature abilities can be crucial to success. One of the most common and powerful abilities is Double Strike, which allows a creature to deal combat damage twice during the combat phase. But does a creature with Double Strike count as attacking twice? In this article, we’ll delve into the details and provide a comprehensive answer.
The Basics of Combat Phases
Before we dive into the specifics of Double Strike, let’s quickly review the basics of combat phases. In Magic, a combat phase consists of several steps, including:
- Beginning of Combat: Creatures are declared as attackers or blockers.
- Declare Attackers: Players declare which creatures will be attacking and which will be blocking.
- Declare Blockers: Players declare which creatures will be blocking which attackers.
- Combat Damage: Creatures deal combat damage to opposing creatures or players.
- End of Combat: The combat phase ends, and the next phase begins.
What is Double Strike?
Double Strike is a keyword ability that allows a creature to deal combat damage twice during the combat phase. This means that the creature will deal its combat damage to the opponent’s life total or to the opponent’s creatures, just like a regular creature. However, the key difference is that the creature will deal combat damage twice, once during the first combat damage step and again during the second combat damage step.
Does a Creature with Double Strike Count as Attacking Twice?
So, does a creature with Double Strike count as attacking twice? The answer is no. Declaring a creature to attack only happens once per combat phase, regardless of how many times it deals combat damage. The combat damage steps are simply a way to track the damage dealt by creatures during the combat phase.
Additional Combat Damage Steps
To illustrate this point, let’s consider the following example:
- A creature with Double Strike attacks an opponent.
- During the first combat damage step, the creature deals 2 damage to the opponent’s life total.
- During the second combat damage step, the creature deals an additional 2 damage to the opponent’s life total.
In this scenario, the creature has dealt a total of 4 damage to the opponent’s life total. However, it has only attacked once during the combat phase. The additional combat damage steps are simply a way to track the damage dealt by the creature, rather than a separate attack.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a creature with Double Strike does not count as attacking twice. The combat damage steps are simply a way to track the damage dealt by creatures during the combat phase, and declaring a creature to attack only happens once per combat phase. While Double Strike is a powerful ability that allows creatures to deal additional damage, it does not change the fundamental nature of the combat phase or the way creatures attack.