Alpha strike: Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
(Changed "his" to "their" to be more gender neutral) |
No edit summary |
||
| (6 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
An | {{Infobox keyword | ||
| type = Static | |||
| first = Unfinity | |||
| reminder = This creature has first strike as long as it's blocking or being blocked by a creature that comes after it alphabetically. | |||
| stats = {{stats|W=1|R=1}} | |||
| searchtype = fulloracle | |||
}} | |||
'''Alpha strike''' is a [[acorn]] [[keyword ability]] introduced in ''[[Unfinity]]'' on two cards.<ref>{{DailyRef|making-magic/making-space-part-2-2022-09-26|Making Space, Part 2|[[Mark Rosewater]]|September 26, 2022}}</ref> | |||
==Description== | |||
Alpha strike grants the creature [[first strike]] if it is alphabetically ahead of at least one of the creature(s) it is blocking or being blocked by. | |||
===Slang term=== | |||
An ''alpha strike'' refers to an all-out [[attack]], in which a player (more often than not, who believes that they will win from that attack) aims to deal a lethal amount of [[damage]] to the opponent. Since this leaves the attacker defenseless, it is generally used when the attacking player is positive that their attack will result in a win. Such attacks are often accompanied by spells or abilities (such as <c>Overrun</c>, <c>Garruk Wildspeaker</c>, or <c>Relentless Assault</c>) that will create a nearly hopeless situation for the opponent. | |||
The term comes from the computer game [[Wikipedia:MechWarrior|''MechWarrior'']], where it describes the firing of all of the player's weapons simultaneously. | The term comes from the computer game [[Wikipedia:MechWarrior|''MechWarrior'']], where it describes the firing of all of the player's weapons simultaneously. | ||
==Rulings== | |||
* Numbers come before letters alphabetically, in ascending order by value (e.g. 0, 1, 2, etc.)<ref>{{DailyRef|feature/unfinity-release-notes-2022-10-07|''Unfinity'' Release Notes|[[Mark Rosewater]] and [[Jess Dunks]]|October 7, 2022}}</ref> | |||
* Spaces and punctuation, including blank lines, are ignored when determining alphabetic order. | |||
* In ''[[acorn|Un-]]'' games, the name of a card is the actual printed card name, not the card's Oracle text or its name in a language other than the one used on the card. | |||
** In ''Un-'' games, a [[token]]'s name will be in the same language as the the source that created the token. | |||
==Examples== | |||
{{examples|<c>Jetpack Janitor</c> {{2}}{{W}}<br>Creature {{-}} Human Employee<br>3/2<br>Alpha strike ''(This creature has first strike as long as its blocking or being blocked by a creature that comes after it alphabetically.)''}} | |||
==Cards that grant alpha strike== | |||
'''Sorcery''' | |||
*<c>Aardwolf’s Advantage</c> {{2}}{{R}} | |||
==References== | |||
{{Reflist}} | |||
[[Category:Magic slang]] | [[Category:Magic slang]] | ||
{{Mechanics|misc|state=collapsed}} | |||
{{Acorn|mechanics}} | |||
Latest revision as of 19:07, 27 June 2023
| Alpha strike | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Static |
| Introduced | Unfinity |
| Last used | Unfinity |
| Reminder Text | Alpha strike (This creature has first strike as long as it's blocking or being blocked by a creature that comes after it alphabetically.) |
| Statistics |
2 cards  50%  50% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| fulloracle:"Alpha strike" | |
Alpha strike is a acorn keyword ability introduced in Unfinity on two cards.[1]
Description
Alpha strike grants the creature first strike if it is alphabetically ahead of at least one of the creature(s) it is blocking or being blocked by.
Slang term
An alpha strike refers to an all-out attack, in which a player (more often than not, who believes that they will win from that attack) aims to deal a lethal amount of damage to the opponent. Since this leaves the attacker defenseless, it is generally used when the attacking player is positive that their attack will result in a win. Such attacks are often accompanied by spells or abilities (such as Overrun, Garruk Wildspeaker, or Relentless Assault) that will create a nearly hopeless situation for the opponent.
The term comes from the computer game MechWarrior, where it describes the firing of all of the player's weapons simultaneously.
Rulings
- Numbers come before letters alphabetically, in ascending order by value (e.g. 0, 1, 2, etc.)[2]
- Spaces and punctuation, including blank lines, are ignored when determining alphabetic order.
- In Un- games, the name of a card is the actual printed card name, not the card's Oracle text or its name in a language other than the one used on the card.
- In Un- games, a token's name will be in the same language as the the source that created the token.
Examples
Example
Jetpack Janitor 
Creature — Human Employee
3/2
Alpha strike (This creature has first strike as long as its blocking or being blocked by a creature that comes after it alphabetically.)
Cards that grant alpha strike
Sorcery
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 26, 2022). "Making Space, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater and Jess Dunks (October 7, 2022). "Unfinity Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
