Combat Basics

Creature Ordering

Creatures generally will fill the three creature slots in the order they are cast. There are 3 creature slots and the "First" slot is always on the bottom.

There are a few exceptions to this:

• Creatures with Defender will reorder to the first slot that does not have a creature with Defender in it.
• Creatures with Reach will reorder to the first slot that does not have a creature with Defender or Reach in it.
• Creatures with Vigilance will reorder to the first slot that does not have a creature with Defender, Reach, or Vigilance in it.
• Temporary effects that grant Defender, Reach, or Vigilance will reorder a creature until that effect wears off, at which point, the order will revert using the rules above.

Attacking

Any enabled creature with a power greater than 0 will attack during the combat phase. The creatures attack in the order of the slot they are in.

Blocking

When a creature attacks, it is blocked by the first eligible defending creature. A defending creature is any creature with Defender, Reach or Vigilance.

• If the creature has Unblockable, then it will bypass all blockers.
• If the creature has Menace, then it will bypass blocking if there is only one defender, otherwise it will be blocked by the first defending creature.
• If the creature has Flying, then the defending creature must have Flying or Reach.

Trample

Trample damage is applied after enough damage is applied to match the toughness of the defending creature.

For example: A creature with a toughness of 5 is hit by a trampling creature with a power of 8, in this case, 5 damage will be applied to the defending creature and the remaining 3 damage will be applied to the defending Planeswalker.

This is true even if that creature has Prevent Damage or other effects that keep it from dying when taking damage.

First Strike

First strike damage occurs first, then there is a check for whether one of the two creatures in combat would die prior to the second creature applying any damage.

Double Strike

Double Strike applies damage in both the FIrst Strike and normal Combat damage phases. In PuzzleQuest, trample damage will apply to both the first and second strike with a double strike creature, even if the defending creature would die from the initial First Strike damage.

Berserker

A creature with Berserker will "seek" to attack the first eligible creature that the defending player has, even if that creature does not have any defending skills. In this way, a flying creature with Berserker can attack a non-flying creature, but a non-flying creature cannot attack a flying one.