What it does
Creatures with first strike deal their combat damage before creatures without it. In a fight, if a first striker kills its blocker (or attacker) before that creature can deal damage back, the dying creature deals nothing. This makes first strikers excellent attackers and blockers, often letting them trade up or survive combat untouched.
The big nuance: first strike doesn't create "extra" damage—it just creates a separate, earlier combat damage step. If both creatures survive the first-strike step (neither dies), the regular damage step still happens and the non-first-striker deals its damage normally. Also, deathtouch plus first strike is brutal: the first striker assigns lethal damage first, killing the blocker before it can swing back.
In Commander, first strike matters most with deathtouch combos, pumping a blocker mid-combat, or holding off a big attacker. Pairing it with lifelink also nets you life before any retaliation lands.
Iconic cards with First strike
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