Wager Mage
Photo by Ylanite Koppens Pexels Logo Photo: Ylanite Koppens

Can Deathtouch block flying?

Deathtouch creatures can't block everything. If you have too many attackers – or your attackers have evasive abilities like flying or trample – a single creature with deathtouch won't save your opponent from taking damage. In some scenarios, engaging with deathtouch creatures in combat is inevitable.

How much minimum Can I withdraw from Betway?
How much minimum Can I withdraw from Betway?

INR 1,000 The minimum withdrawal amount regardless of method is INR 1,000 at Betway. Sep 27, 2022

Read More »
Is bet now illegal?
Is bet now illegal?

Sports betting in California is sadly still not legal. However, daily fantasy sports and horse racing sites operate legally in the state.

Read More »

Games of Limited Magic are all about creature combat. The player with the biggest creature on the board – or the player who can beef up their creatures with combat tricks – will often gain advantages as their creatures survive combat with much smaller ones. But what if there were a way for small creatures to overpower even the biggest monsters? It’s possible thanks to a keyword ability called deathtouch.

What is Deathtouch?

If a creature has deathtouch, any amount of damage it deals to another creature will be enough to destroy it. Even if the creature with deathtouch has just one power, the one damage it deals to another creature will be lethal, no matter how big the other creature is. Thematically, deathtouch in Magic often represents venomous bites and stings from vermin or insects – small, but incredibly deadly. Creatures with deathtouch therefore have an inordinate amount of power in combat. Your opponent will be reluctant to trade their 6/6 dinosaur for your 1/1 rat with deathtouch, so they may choose not to attack if your 1/1 is available to block. This makes deathtouch a great defensive ability, but it can be just as effective on offense. For example, if you put an enchantment that says, “Whenever this creature deals combat damage to an opponent, draw a card” on a creature with deathtouch, your opponent may be disinclined to block it, as much as they’d like to prevent you from drawing extra cards.

Dealing with Deathtouch

It’s always nice to have a deathtouch creature on your side, but what if you’re on the other end of the battlefield? What are the most effective ways to deal with deathtouch creatures? Here are a few suggestions.

Removal

Creatures with deathtouch can be so annoying that many players prioritize them when using removal spells. Situational removal spells, including those that give creatures -1/-1 or -2/-2, go up in value when there are plenty of small deathtouch creatures to target.

Reduce Their Power

If a creature with deathtouch has zero power, it can’t deal damage and thus cannot destroy an attacking or blocking creature. Spells that reduce a creature’s power to zero or turn it into a creature with zero power can be effective answers to deathtouch. Just be wary of any attempts your opponent might make to increase their power again!

First Strike & Double Strike

What is the simplest forecasting method?
What is the simplest forecasting method?

#1 Straight-line Method The straight-line method is one of the simplest and easy-to-follow forecasting methods. A financial analyst uses historical...

Read More »
How long is an over and under?
How long is an over and under?

Overs unders betting markets start at 0.5, and generally go right up to over under 7.5. Looking at the over under 2.5 market, it means that within...

Read More »

Creatures with deathtouch deal damage during the regular combat damage step. Fortunately, if you block a creature with deathtouch with a creature with first strike or double strike, your creature will deal damage during the first strike damage step, before the deathtouch creature can return fire. We’ll cover first strike and double strike in a later article.

Indestructible

Similarly, creatures with indestructible can’t be destroyed by creatures with deathtouch. Some combat tricks will grant indestructible to creatures.

Go Around Them

Deathtouch creatures can’t block everything. If you have too many attackers – or your attackers have evasive abilities like flying or trample – a single creature with deathtouch won’t save your opponent from taking damage.

Just Make the Trade

In some scenarios, engaging with deathtouch creatures in combat is inevitable. Sometimes, it’s best to just trade a better creature for theirs and move on with the game, especially if you have more powerful creatures you can cast later. If you play your cards right, you can pressure your opponent into blocking a creature that means relatively little to you, only to deploy a game-winning threat when they have fewer defenses.

Deathtouch Applications

So far, we’ve talked about deathtouch creatures in the context of Draft or Sealed. Deathtouch creatures don’t always measure up in Constructed formats, where removal spells are more prevalent and creature combat isn’t always as relevant, but they do have some important applications. Deathtouch creatures go up in value in Constructed if they can deal non-combat damage to other creatures. In 2012 and 2013, many Standard players used Nightshade Peddler’s soulbond ability to target Izzet Staticaster, which gave Staticaster the ability to wipe out tons of creatures. More recently, players have cast Status in response to Goblin Chainwhirler’s enter the battlefield trigger, allowing the Goblin the deal one point of lethal damage to all their opponents’ creatures.

Learn More

If you’re looking for more information on Magic keywords, check out our articles on the following:

Banding

Companion

Cycling

Equip

First Strike & Double Strike

Flash

Flying & Reach

Haste

Hexproof

Indestructible

Kicker

Lifelink

Mutate

Phasing

Prowl

Trample

Vigilance

Who won highest amount in Dream11?
Who won highest amount in Dream11?

Prabhakaran, who hails from Tamil Nadu, has won an amount of ₹1.50 crores from the mega contest of 49 rupees, got the first rank in today's dream11...

Read More »
How do you predict fixed matches?
How do you predict fixed matches?

A fixed event can be identified when the demand on odds on an outcome being so great that it misrepresents the market. Using the same example...

Read More »
What sport is good for an introvert?
What sport is good for an introvert?

Some of the most popular forms include judo, tai chi, karate, kickboxing, wrestling, tae kwon do, aikido, and jiujitsu. They all teach some form of...

Read More »
How do you properly bet?
How do you properly bet?

Promoted Stories The favourite doesn't always win. ... Don't just stick to one bookmaker – shop around. ... The fewer selections, the better. ......

Read More »