The 40 Best Double Strike Cards in Magic Ranked

Marneus Calgar | Illustration by Slawomir Maniak

Double strike is one of the main evergreen keyword abilities in MTG, and one that pops up frequently on rare and mythic cards. It’s a powerful mechanic on its own that requires very little setup to be good, but once you have these mighty pieces in play, the sky’s the limit.

Magic has more than 100 cards that have double strike or that relate to the mechanic somehow, and today we’re trimming down that list to the best ones. Stay with me until the very end, and we’ll see which double strike cards are worth playing.

Let’s go!

What Are Double Strike Cards in MTG?

Fury | Illustration by Raoul Vitale

Double strike cards are creatures that natively have the double strike ability, or that gain double strike when attacking. That occurs mainly in white and red, and on gold cards that share one of these colors – or both. Gold and hybrid Boros cards are prime candidates for this ability. Double strike means the creature hits twice, combining the first strike ability with regular damage.

Many excellent combat tricks, equipment, and creatures are able to give double strike to others, but I won’t include them here to keep things simple. Sorry to Embercleave and Temur Battle Rage, you’ll be missed. Of course, if a creature already has double strike and can give double strike to others, there’s no impediment. I’d say it’s even better!

Honorable Mention: Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

While technically not a double striker, Gisela, Blade of Goldnight deals damage in double thanks to its own ability, and it also extends its ability to all your other damage sources. That makes it huge as an extra combat steps commander and an awesome creature all around.

#40. Mirran Crusader

Mirran Crusader is a classic double striker with okay stats and good creature types. What makes this card especially playable is its relevant protection; it resists black removal while taking on larger green creatures. It’s been played in many sideboards, considering that Golgari () midrange is usually a relevant part of various Constructed metas.

#39. Savageborn Hydra

Savageborn Hydra is just that, a big simple dumb beatstick with double strike. It’s an interesting finisher and mana sink, and if you have an EDH deck with any hydra synergies or X-spell synergies, consider adding this card. It’s very common to cast this as a small creature and grow it over the course of the game.

#38. Drogskol Reaver

Drogskol Reaver shows the synergies of having a saboteur ability on a double strike creature. Attack, hit for 6, gain 6 life, draw two cards, and that’s not counting your other lifegain synergies. Drogskol Reaver is also a classic Oloro, Ageless Ascetic card, because this commander allows you to automatically gain 2 life each turn, so you’re drawing cards off Oloro and Drogskol for cheap.

#37. Zetalpa, Primal Dawn

Zetalpa, Primal Dawn’s become a meme because it’s been reprinted in nearly every white Commander precon. It’s a 4/8 indestructible double strike flier, so effectively an 8/8, also with vigilance and trample. Plus, this card is effective in many Odric, Lunarch Marshal or Soulflayer decks due to the keywords it brings to the table.

#36. Atarka, World Render

Atarka, World Render has one main use: Win via commander damage. Representing nearly 12 damage by itself, it’s a 2-turn clock. The fact that it extends its double strike ability to other dragons is cool, so you can have this as a dragon lord of sorts, and it has nice synergy with firebreathing effects.

#35. Terror of Mount Velus

Terror of Mount Velus is a terror indeed, both as a big flying threat and when it enters. It’s totally worth it as a 7-mana spell, but its natural home is alongside dragons. The more synergies, the merrier, including those that reduce the cost of dragon spells.

#34. Lizard Blades

The value of Lizard Blades comes from being both a double strike creature and an equipment. You can push damage earlier with it and some pump effects, and later equip your biggest threat or your commander. It has a low reconfigure cost of 2, so it’s easy to attach and detach.

#33. Death-Greeter’s Champion

Death-Greeter's Champion can be both a 3/2 double striker or a 2/1 that gives the ability via backup, and both are good options. Double strike is also better with power enhancement, so in this case, the +1/+1 counter from backup makes an important difference.

#32. Enduring Angel / Angelic Enforcer

Enduring Angel gives you a way to come back from certain death, and when it transforms, you get back on track by doubling your life total. You also get hexproof as a bonus.

#31. Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas

I like cards like Kalemne, Disciple of Iroas that are already good, and that naturally get bigger over the course of a game. Whether this card is your commander or not, you’re bound to cast some bigger creatures here and there, racking up experience counters. It’s a natural pair with Otharri, Suns' Glory, another Boros powerhouse.

#30. Jenny, Generated Anomaly

Jenny, Generated Anomaly has a nice combination of abilities. Double exploring is good, allowing you to trigger the ability twice, get a bunch of lands, or quickly grow your Jenny to a 4/5 double striker and beyond. It’ll be frustrating when you get two lands, but if that’s the worst scenario, it’s still kind of okay.

#29. Agrus Kos, Spirit of Justice

Agrus Kos, Spirit of Justice’s best use is as an aggressive card that can exile suspected creatures. Suspect is a niche mechanic, but at least you can suspect creatures with Agrus Kos, too. Suspected creatures can't block, so you can push damage through. It’s not a bad idea to suspect Agrus Kos, either.

#28. Oketra the True

How awesome is a 3/6 double strike and indestructible card? And for just 4 mana to boot. Oketra the True is at its best in tokens strategy, and if you can’t use it for combat, at least you’re pumping out creatures.

#27. Swiftblade Vindicator

Swiftblade Vindicator is a simple creature as a double strike 1/1 for 2. But having vigilance and trample begs you to build a little monster here with auras and combat tricks, so you’ll be able to play offense and defense.

#26. Rafiq of the Many

Rafiq of the Many is the classic Voltron commander, combining the exalted and double strike bonus. You can slap some auras on it and go to town, or you can have Rafiq and other exalted creatures stand by while hitting with a powerful or evasive creature. This card is one of my few exceptions since it doesn't have native double strike, but you’ll be attacking alone with Rafiq of the Many quite a bunch.

#25. Shadrix Silverquill

Shadrix Silverquill combines a huge body with a symmetrical bonus that’s optional, mind you. You can combine these effects to your benefit, so if you give cards to your opponent, they’ll lose more life, and you get more bodies on your side. Or maybe you care more about the cards and they don’t have creatures, so they keep the +1/+1 counter bonus. In EDH, it gets easier as it’s better to spread the bonuses around.

#24. Bronze Guardian

Bronze Guardian can get huge in artifact decks, or just decks that have plenty of Treasure tokens around. Ward 2 is very important on this type of creature so it becomes hard to interact with it. Not to mention the artifact lands you can be running. Many artifact decks already thrive in numbers, and in this case, this card will be a good addition.

#23. Samut, Voice of Dissent

Samut, Voice of Dissent is a troublesome surprise blocker, either doing it themselves or untapping another creature. It also gives other creatures haste, a feature that’s near and dear to Gruul () decks.

#22. God-Eternal Oketra

God-Eternal Oketra is a house. It has a strong body for a 5-mana creature, and making a 4/4 token each time you cast a single creature is bonkers. It even works well alongside Oketra the True, quickly adding up the much-needed body count.

#21. Phyrexian Dragon Engine

Phyrexian Dragon Engine is very strong if your hand is bad or you’re low on cards. Unearthing this card, hitting for 4, and drawing three cards is strong. You can even have little synergies with madness cards or with other Dragon Engines, discarding one to the other. This is the 2/2 double striker that keeps on giving, and half of the equation for melding Mishra, Lost to Phyrexia.

#20. Xenk, Paladin Unbroken

Xenk, Paladin Unbroken is a simplified Rafiq of the Many. Just fill it up with some auras and attack as a giant creature. You can also gain a bunch of life with lifelink-granting auras, or use some removal-based auras that stay on the battlefield and add to your exalted count.

#19. Adorned Pouncer

Adorned Pouncer starts small as a 1/1, and later returns as a much more fearsome 4/4 double striker. Plus, it’s a cat, and there’s plenty of typal support for it. Arahbo, Roar of the World in particular can make a huge difference with its +3/+3 buff.

#18. Valiant Changeling

Valiant Changeling makes this list based on the synergies with other changelings. Just having another changeling in play means that this can be a 3/3 double strike for , which is a steal. Changelings also leech all kinds of typal support, so expect this card to be at least a regular 4/4.

#17. Patched Plaything

Patched Plaything is a little synergy piece in blink decks, or decks that like to Unearth small creatures. They even made it so that the “first version,” the 2/1 creature, has synergies with cards that care about 2 power or less.

#16. Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt

Snapdax, Apex of the Hunt is an interesting creature to mutate into, as it has nice stats and a good mutate ability. You can make a mutate pile with it and take it to the sky or add lifelink. The only unfortunate thing is its colors, as a good chunk of the good mutate cards are blue or green. Ignoring all of Snapdax’s mutate shenanigans, it’s one of the best rates as a 3/5 double striker for 4 mana.

#15. Extus, Oriq Overlord / Awaken the Blood Avatar

Extus, Oriq Overlord is an interesting sacrifice-based legend, allowing you to sacrifice creatures and return them to your hand with magecraft triggers. For example, your Village Rites gets you another creature to play next. It also combines well with its backside, Awaken the Blood Avatar, a card that thrives on sacrifice.

#14. Kellan, the Fae-Blooded

Kellan, the Fae-Blooded is very efficient as both a tutor for equipment or auras, and later a strong double strike creature that buffs your team.

#13. Jawbone Duelist

Jawbone Duelist is very solid in decks like Standard toxic/poison, combining the toxic ability and double strike. Just one hit gives two poison counters, already putting your opponent in the “corrupted range” with a little help. Slaughter Singer makes a good pair with this card, allowing you to pump your double striker.

#12. Drizzt Do'Urden

Drizzt Do'Urden is a nice midrange threat, being two relevant bodies in one card. Drizzt is already well-statted, but when your other creatures start to die, you’ll get a huge creature as a benefit – sort of an inverse evolve. It’s a silly combo with evoke cards like Walker of the Grove or Cloudthresher, which will die and put many counters on this card.

#11. Blade Historian

Blade Historian can end games by giving everybody double strike, and it was a staple in Winota, Joiner of Forces as a strong human that can be cheated into play. It’s not bad by itself too, but you’ll want it as a supporter.

#10. Warren Instigator

Warren Instigator puts its double strike ability to good use, allowing you to cheat bigger goblins into play. Just attacking with this card and dumping two more creatures is already a huge tempo swing, and if you get Muxus, Goblin Grandee, the game might be over. You’ll need some support to make this card connect, though, so be on the lookout for goblin lords.

#9. Éomer, King of Rohan

Éomer, King of Rohan is a nice human typal card, and it'll often be one of the biggest creatures around. It’s a big stick, it’s removal, and you can also become the monarch, drawing more cards. Better use your red mana to give Éomer trample!

#8. Angel of Destiny

Angel of Destiny can be a great wincon in an angel deck or a lifegain deck. It works great with myriad to gain more life or just to attack more players for the win. Plus, as a 2/6 flier, this card isn’t afraid of the opposition.

#7. Heavenly Blademaster

Heavenly Blademaster is insane as an instant Voltron flying double strike angel, while at the same time serving as a powerful lord for your other creatures. It has a good impact on the board already in decks full of auras and equipment, and it scales up beyond that.

#6. The Wandering Rescuer

Having flash on a double strike creature is surprisingly effective, as few people expect a 3/4 double strike to appear on the battlefield on a whim. The Wandering Rescuer plays offense and defense, both as a surprise blocker and a surprise attacker the next turn. Plus, it’s almost “free to add” to a deck that requires key threats to be protected from spot removal, so your commander gets harder to kill if you have a few untapped creatures laying around.

#5. Riptide Gearhulk

Riptide Gearhulk natively combines double strike with prowess, allowing you to hit for a ton while simply playing your card draw, removal, or cantrip effects. It’s at its best in a control deck as a win condition that also gets rid of a problematic permanent when it enters. A common interaction is to attack for 4 in the hope that your opponent will try to kill it, and you counter their removal to then hit for 6.

#4. Illuminator Virtuoso

Illuminator Virtuoso has a lot of things going for it in a heroic/spellslinger deck. You want to aim your pump effects at it and watch it grow while conniving at the same time. Connive can help you dig for more gas and also helps to pump the Virtuoso’s power. Connive also has synergies with flashback or escape effects, which are cards you actively want to discard. Facing one of these threats on the other side of the table gives you a tiny window to kill it.

#3. Loot, the Pathfinder

Few cards in MTG have a relevant body and the ability to draw three cards the turn they enter. Loot, the Pathfinder is a relevant haste body that can dish out extra damage, kill a guy, draw three cards, or even generate more mana. Having vigilance here is neat to ensure you can attack and exhaust it at the same turn.

#2. Marneus Calgar

Not only is Marneus Calgar a relevant body as a 3/5 double strike, you can draw cards each time a token enters on your side. This works very well with the squad mechanic or the offspring mechanic, not to mention those X spells that create X tokens. Plus if you have spare mana, Marneus provides its own army and cards.

#1. Fury

Fury has been a Constructed staple ever since it was printed. Combining the evoke part with cards like Ephemerate not only sweeps your opponent’s board, but it also gives you a 3/3 double strike creature. It was banned in Modern for its sheer efficiency. A card like Pyrotechnics alone costs 5, and Fury also gets you a big imposing body for the same cost.

Best Double Strike Payoffs

The best thing you can do with double strike is to pump power. Anthem effects, auras, equipment, cards that change power and toughness, or simply your good ol’ Giant Growth are excellent here.

Almost all combat-related mechanics go well with double strike. Lifelink gains you more life, prowess gives you double the power pump, trample deals more damage to the defending player, and so on. Exalted also goes very well with double strike.

Cards that make larger copies or clones of double strike creatures are also interesting. Things like The Scarab God, Hashaton, Scarab's Fist, or even something like Altered Ego get the job done.

Saboteur abilities trigger twice, so cards that grant this bonus are even more effective. If you put Curiosity on your double strike flier, it hits twice and you’ll draw two cards. If we think about equipment cards that pump power and give a creature saboteur abilities, like Sword of Fire and Ice, their natural home is equipping double strikers.

A little hidden synergy with double strike creatures is the fact that most of them have low power, typically between 1 and 2. Many cards in Mardu () improve your “2 power or less” creatures, like Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, Arabella, Abandoned Doll, Assemble the Players, and Enduring Innocence. Similarly, cards like Escape Tunnel and Goblin Tunneler can be used to make sure they connect.

Wrap Up

Lizard Blades | Illustration by Jason Kang

Double strike is one of the best evergreen mechanics in MTG, allowing a small creature to dish out a lot of damage, even with a simple combat trick. It’s also one of the favorite mechanics WotC likes to add to rares and mythics to raise their chance of Constructed playability. It’s no surprise that plenty of these cards saw heavy Constructed play, at least in Standard.

What are your favorite double strike creatures? If there’s anyone who didn’t make it, please let me know and leave us a message on Draftsim’s Twitter/X.

Thanks for reading guys, and keep pumping your double strike warriors.