You've undoubtedly heard of that glorious MTG mechanic known as First Strike. You know, that two-word line of text that somehow manages to turn your measly 2/1 Knight into a genuine menace during combat, almost as if it's whispering, "I get to poke you first, and if you don't survive, well, you don't get to poke me back."

But what if I told you there's actually more to First Strike than meets the eye? What if I told you it was actually introduced so long ago that it practically has gray hair and a retirement fund? And what if I said that there are actually good reasons as to why it pops up in nearly every Magic set, waiting to ruin someone's combat math at the worst possible time?

Well, in today's Mechanics Overview Segment, we're peeling back the layers of this evergreen combat trick. Whether you're brand-new to the concept of "extra damage steps" or you're an old-school player who remembers the days of Throat Wolf rumors, let's dive into the hows, whys, and whens of First Strike.

What Is First Strike?

"This creature deals combat damage before creatures without First Strike."

You've got a single 2/2 creature, and your opponent has a 2/1 creature with First Strike. You both look at each other, grimace, declare blockers, and proceed to the combat damage step. Naturally, based on what you know about how combat works in MTG, you figure your 2/2 will always trade with their 2/1. But hold up--you seemingly overlooked the small fine print on your opponent's annoying Thalia, Guardian of Thraben--First Strike, which effectively translates to, "Not so fast."

By default, Magic lumps all combat damage into one simultaneous event. But if anything in that battle has First Strike (or Double Strike, if one instance of combat just isn't enough), the game splits the damage step. The First Strike step happens, and then the regular damage step follows. If your creature didn't survive the first step, well, guess you're sitting out the second.

The History of First Strike

First Strike cards have been around longer than most Magic players have been alive. It debuted in the original Alpha (1993) set, marking it as one of Magic's oldest abilities. Historically, First Strike appears most frequently in White and Red. White knights, red knights, knights on dragons, knights with spears, knights on horses--if it's wearing a suit of armor and is in some kind of hurry, it probably has First Strike. Black occasionally sneaks in with its own brand of First Strike, but it's typically overshadowed by White's righteous fervor and Red's reckless aggression.

Over time, Wizards realized that too many First Strike creatures clogging up the battlefield can sometimes turn Magic into an excruciatingly slow stare-down. ("Do you attack?" "No, do you attack?" "No, let's just keep passing.") So these days, it's more common to see First Strike appear in smaller doses--like a single combat trick or an ability that only works when you're on the offensive. Cards like Fresh-Faced Recruit or Purraj of Urborg flaunt that conditional First Strike, letting you feel extra clever when you use it at precisely the right moment.

And if you thought all that wasn't enough, Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (2020) even recently introduced the concept of First Strike counters, which gives you the ability to give anything First Strike. Beasts? Dragons? Rats? Just about anything and everything can get First Strike these days!

Firstest Strike: The Mythical Throat Wolf

Imagine, for a moment, the early days of Magic when no one had internet decklists at their fingertips. Rumors ran rampant: stories of ultra-powerful cards, insane abilities, and top-secret expansions that may or may not exist. Then came Throat Wolf, the overpowered creature rumored to have "Firstest Strike," presumably meaning it hits so early in combat that even First Strike creatures show up late to the party.

In truth, Throat Wolf was never an official card--just a rumor that soared throughout local game shops, leaving utter chaos in its wake. But, to our dismay, in a comedic turn of events years later, Wizards actually decided to finally print a version of it as a test card in the Mystery Booster (2020) set. And sure enough, that version of Throat Wolf had "Firstest Strike" in writing, which read, "This creature deals combat damage before creatures with First Strike."

Last Words on First Strike

At its core, First Strike is definitely one of Magic's simplest yet most impactful mechanics. It's older than your average Magic player, prominent enough to have spawned rumors of "Firstest Strike," and now even comes in the form of First Strike Counters--because more ways to power up your creatures are always a plus!

With all that said, though, that's pretty much all I've got for you this time around.

As always, happy brewing, and may you always remember the words of infamous NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby, "If you ain't first, you're last" the next time you enter combat with or against First Strike!