Double Strike MTG: How It Works, the Best Cards and an $87 Kellan Deck (2026)

Double strike is a Magic: The Gathering keyword that lets a creature deal its combat damage twice. A creature with double strike deals damage in a first combat damage step, alongside creatures with first strike, and then again in the regular combat damage step. A 3/3 with double strike that isn’t blocked deals 3 damage, then 3 more, for 6 in one attack.

That sounds like “twice the damage”, and against an empty board it is. The real value is that every hit counts separately. A double striker triggers “whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player” twice, gains lifelink life twice and deals commander damage twice. We counted 704 Commander-legal cards that trigger on combat damage to a player, and double strike doubles every one of them. Only 122 cards have the keyword, but another 192 mention it, almost all to give it to something else, and two of those (Boros Charm and Akroma’s Will) are among the most played cards in Commander.

This guide covers the double strike rules (including the timing tricks between the two damage steps), how it combines with trample, deathtouch, lifelink and first strike, the most played double strike cards and commanders, legality in every format and an $87.30 budget Kellan, the Fae-Blooded Commander deck.

What is double strike in MTG?

Double strike is rule 702.4 of the Comprehensive Rules. Rule 702.4a calls it “a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step”, and rule 702.4b spells out how: if at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike as the combat damage step begins, only those creatures deal damage in that step. Then the game adds a second combat damage step, where everything else deals damage, “as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike”.

So a combat with a double striker in it has two damage steps instead of one:

• First combat damage step: creatures with first strike or double strike deal damage. State-based actions are checked and players get priority, so creatures that died are gone and you can cast spells before the next step.
• Regular combat damage step: creatures that had neither first strike nor double strike when combat damage began deal damage, and so does every surviving creature that has double strike right now.

Double strike first appeared in Legions (February 2003) on Ridgetop Raptor and Rockshard Elemental, and Fireshrieker in Mirrodin was the first card to give it to another creature later that year. For a decade it was rare: no more than four new keyword cards a year until 2017. Then it sped up. Fourteen new double strike cards were printed in 2025 and 16 so far in 2026, so a quarter of the 122 keyword cards are less than two years old.

Double strike has a big brother on the card: it is first strike plus regular damage. Our combat damage keywords guide compares it side by side with first strike, deathtouch and trample in one table if you want the short version.

How double strike works

Almost every rules question about double strike is about what happens between the two damage steps. These are the situations that come up at the table, with the source for each.

The one that catches people is the blocked double striker without trample. A 6/6 double striker blocked by a 1/1 kills the 1/1 in the first step and then does nothing at all in the second step. The first hit wasted five damage, and the second had no target. That is why double strike and trample are printed together so often, and why Temur Battle Rage adds trample when you have a big creature.

Double strike vs first strike

First strike lets a creature deal its damage early. Double strike lets it deal damage early and again on time. In practice:

• Against blockers, both win the same fights. A 2/2 with first strike and a 2/2 with double strike both kill a 2/2 blocker before it can hit back.
• Against a player, double strike deals twice the damage and first strike adds nothing. First strike is a defensive keyword; double strike is an offensive one.
• Against each other, first strike and double strike deal damage at the same time in the first step. A first striker doesn’t get to hit a double striker “first”.

That last point matters because there are 369 Commander-legal creatures with first strike, three times as many as have double strike. None of them blocks a double striker for free. A 3/3 double striker blocked by a 2/2 first striker kills it in the first step and takes 2 damage at the same moment. Taking the keyword away is rare too: by our count only five Commander-legal cards make a creature lose first strike (Archetype of Courage, Urborg, Quick Draw and two old red creatures), and Quick Draw is the only one of them that also strips double strike.

What double strike doubles

Double strike makes a creature deal combat damage twice. Anything that cares about a creature dealing damage cares twice. We counted each group in the Commander-legal card pool on Scryfall (30 October 2026).

The trigger census is the reason double strike is a bigger deal in Commander than its 122 keyword cards suggest. A creature carrying Mask of Memory loots twice per attack. Ragavan with double strike makes two Treasures and exiles two cards. Old Gnawbone makes a Treasure for every point of damage, twice. The double strike card itself can be a cheap equipment or a two-mana instant; the payoff is whatever trigger is already on the board.

The most played double strike cards in Commander

These are the 25 double strike cards that appear in the most Commander decks on EDHREC, whether they have the keyword or give it to something else. Prices are the cheapest printing on Scryfall on 30 October 2026.

Nineteen of the top 25 give double strike rather than having it, and none of the top five is a creature. The pattern is clear: Commander players don’t want a double strike creature, they want a way to put double strike on the creature they already have, usually their commander. Boros Charm and Akroma’s Will are in more than half a million decks each (Boros Charm is often there for its indestructible mode as much as the double strike one). Equipment fills the next tier: Genji Glove, Fireshrieker, Leyline Axe and Embercleave are all in 117,000 to 153,000 decks.

The keyword creatures are mostly small. Of the 120 creatures with double strike, 77 have power 1 or 2. The design is “a small creature that hits twice”, which is why the creature-based double strike decks lean on equipment and pump to make each hit count.

Double strike legality in every format

Double strike has never been a problem keyword on its own. The only banned card on the list is Fury, and that is for its free evoke cost and four damage, not for double strike. In competitive formats it shows up mostly as a finisher: Temur Battle Rage on a big trampler has ended Modern games since Fate Reforged in 2015.

The best double strike commanders

These are the commanders that have double strike or give it, ranked by how many decks they lead on EDHREC.

For a commander-damage deck, the best of these is the one that has double strike printed on it and cares about equipment: Kellan. The budget list below is built around him. If you want to see how double strike changes a commander-damage clock in general, our commander damage guide has the full rules and the fastest commanders.

Budget Kellan double strike deck ($87.30)

This is a red and white voltron deck with Kellan, the Fae-Blooded as commander, built to put equipment on a double striker and win with commander damage. Every card is checked against Scryfall for Commander legality and color identity, and the deck costs $87.30 using the cheapest printing of each card (30 October 2026). It runs 35 lands, 15 equipment, 7 auras and 15 creatures besides the commander, with an average mana value of 2.29 for the nonland cards.

The plan. Kellan costs three mana, so he is out on turn three. Birthright Boon, his adventure side, costs {1}{W} and finds any Aura or Equipment, so you can cast it on turn two and then cast Kellan from exile. Kellan already has double strike, which means every point of power you add counts twice toward commander damage. Bonesplitter and Loxodon Warhammer make him a 7/2: 14 damage per attack, and a player dead on the second swing. Bruenor Battlehammer adds +2/+0 for each piece of equipment on him, and Leyline Axe and Embercleave add trample so a chump blocker doesn’t waste the second hit.

The backup plan. Kellan gives your other creatures +1/+0 for each Aura and Equipment on him. If he gets removed, 18 more cards in the deck give or have double strike: seven equipment (Fireshrieker, Leyline Axe, Embercleave, Lizard Blades, Bladehold War-Whip, Holy Avenger and Two-Handed Axe, whose adventure side grants it), two auras, Reyav, Duelist’s Heritage, Heavenly Blademaster, Needle Spires, Sunhome and four instants and sorceries. Mask of Memory triggers on each hit, so on a double striker it draws four cards and discards two per attack.

Protection. Voltron decks lose to one removal spell on the wrong turn. The deck runs Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, Giver of Runes, Benevolent Bodyguard, Blacksmith’s Skill, Gods Willing, Apostle’s Blessing, Shelter, Hyena Umbra (umbra armor) and Hammer of Nazahn (indestructible). Brave the Elements is left out on purpose: Kellan is a red creature, and it only protects white ones.

The ten most expensive cards:

Where to spend more first: Halvar, God of Battle ($20.91) gives double strike to every enchanted or equipped creature, Akroma’s Will ($17.13) is the best finisher in white, and Stoneforge Mystic and Commander’s Plate are the usual voltron upgrades. Our best equipment guide ranks the rest. To check how your own build curves out, paste it into our free MTG deck analyzer, or look up any card’s current price in the card price finder. You can also browse what other players have built in community decks.

How to play against double strike

• Block with something you don’t mind losing. Unless the double striker has trample, any chump blocker absorbs both hits. Tokens are ideal.
• Kill it or the source after the first step. If the double strike comes from another creature (Blade Historian, Reyav, Odric), removing that creature after first-strike damage means no second hit. The same goes for an instant-speed equipment or aura removal spell like Wear // Tear.
• Don’t race lifelink. A double striker with lifelink gains its power in life twice per attack. Racing it with damage rarely works.
• Use first strike on defence carefully. A first striker blocks a double striker at the same speed, not faster. It only wins if its damage alone kills the attacker.

Double strike is one of several keywords built around the combat damage step. If you want the defensive side, see our guides to lifelink and infect, which both get twice as strong with a second hit.

Frequently asked questions

What does double strike do in MTG?

A creature with double strike deals combat damage twice: once in the first combat damage step with first strikers, and again in the regular combat damage step. An unblocked 3/3 with double strike deals 6 damage.

Does double strike trigger “deals combat damage” abilities twice?

Yes. Each damage step is a separate damage event, so an unblocked double striker triggers “whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player” once in each step. That includes equipment like Mask of Memory and cards like Toski and Old Gnawbone.

Does double strike work with trample?

Yes, and they are best together. If the first hit kills every blocker, all of the second hit goes to the player. Without trample, a double striker whose blocker died in the first step deals no damage in the second.

Does double strike count twice for commander damage?

Yes. Both hits are combat damage from your commander, so a commander with 11 power and double strike deals 22 commander damage in one attack.

Does lifelink with double strike gain life twice?

Yes. You gain life in each damage step, which also means “whenever you gain life” cards trigger twice.

Does first strike beat double strike?

No. First strike and double strike creatures deal damage at the same time in the first combat damage step. The double striker then deals damage again in the regular step if it survived.

What happens if a creature has double strike twice?

Nothing extra. Multiple instances of double strike are redundant (CR 702.4e), so it still deals damage twice.

Can I give a creature double strike after first-strike damage?

Only a creature that already had first strike benefits. It dealt first-strike damage, and gaining double strike before the regular step lets it deal damage again (CR 702.4d). A creature without first strike would deal its regular damage anyway, so it gets no extra hit.

What is the best double strike commander?

By EDHREC deck count, Jetmir, Nexus of Revels (9,963 decks), though it only grants double strike once you control nine creatures. For a deck built around double strike itself, Kellan, the Fae-Blooded and Sami, Wildcat Captain are the red and white options, and Atarka, World Render is the Dragon one.

Is double strike in Standard?

Yes. 75 Standard-legal cards have or grant double strike as of October 2026, and the keyword has been printed more in 2025 and 2026 than in any earlier years.