What are the Rules for Trample in Magic?
In Magic: The Gathering, trample is a keyword ability that allows a creature to deal excess combat damage to a player or planeswalker even if it is blocked. When a creature with trample deals combat damage to a player, the player assigns the damage to the creatures blocking it, and any excess damage is assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked. In this article, we will dive deeper into the rules for trample in Magic: The Gathering.
Normal Combat Damage Assignment
Normally, when a creature attacks a player and another creature blocks it, the blocking creature absorbs all the damage and the defending player takes none. However, trample changes this dynamic. When a creature with trample attacks and is blocked, the attacking creature deals damage to the player or planeswalker being attacked, even if it is blocked.
How Trample Works
When a creature with trample deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, the following rules apply:
- The attacking creature first assigns combat damage to the creatures blocking it.
- Any excess damage is then assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked.
For example, let’s say a 7/7 creature with trample attacks a player and a 2/2 creature blocks it. The blocking creature will take 2 points of damage, leaving 5 points of excess damage. The attacking creature with trample will deal 5 points of damage to the player or planeswalker being attacked.
Sacrificing Blocking Creatures
You can sacrifice a blocking creature with trample, but it will not change the way the excess damage is assigned. For example, if a 2/2 creature with trample blocks a 5/5 creature, you can sacrifice the blocking creature. The attacking creature will still deal 3 points of excess damage to the player or planeswalker being attacked.
Trample and Double Strike
When a creature with both trample and double strike attacks, it deals damage as if it had first strike and then again in the regular damage step. The excess damage from the double strike is added to the excess damage from the trample ability.
| First Strike Damage | Trample Damage | Total Damage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Damage Step | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Regular Damage Step | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Total Damage | 3 | 5 | 8 |
Trample and Deathtouch
If a creature with deathtouch ability is attacked by a creature with trample, the deathtouch ability will kill the blocking creature. The excess damage from the trample ability will then be assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked. However, if two or more creatures with deathtouch ability are attacking each other, the deathtouch abilities will cancel each other out, and no creatures will be killed.
Conclusion
Trample is a powerful keyword ability that allows creatures to deal excess combat damage to a player or planeswalker even if they are blocked. By understanding how trample works, you can use it to your advantage in Magic: The Gathering games. Remember to consider the toughness of the blocking creatures and the excess damage caused by the trample ability to maximize its impact.
Key Takeaways:
- Trample allows creatures to deal excess combat damage to a player or planeswalker even if they are blocked.
- The excess damage is assigned to the player or planeswalker being attacked.
- Sacrificing blocking creatures with trample does not change the way excess damage is assigned.
- Creatures with double strike deal damage as if they had first strike and then again in the regular damage step.
- Deathtouch abilities kill creatures that deal combat damage to them, but if two or more deathtouch abilities are attacking each other, they cancel each other out.