Strikes First

Deals damage in the first-strike step before the regular strike step. If the first-strike damage kills the opposing unit, the fight ends and the killed unit never strikes back. Only one first-strike window per fight, even if stacked.

Strikes first while attacking (or unconditionally, depending on the card).

Filed under Combat — Keywords and mechanics that change how a fight resolves — strike order, range, and the intercept window.