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Lightning, Army of One

one generic manaone red manaone white manaLegendary Creature — Human SoldierPower and toughness3/2

Card text

First strike, trample, lifelink

Stagger — Whenever Lightning deals combat damage to a player, until your next turn, if a source would deal damage to that player or a permanent that player controls, it deals double that damage instead.

"Lightning. It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect. It only destroys."

Showing Final Fantasy#233

Price

9.07 $

Foil 12.76 $

27 printings · up to 33.70 $

Daily estimate from Scryfall, not a shop quote.

Lightning, Army of One rulings

  • If another effect (or effects) modifies how much damage a source you control would deal—by preventing some of it, for example—the player being dealt damage or the controller of the permanent being dealt damage chooses the order in which any such effects (including Lightning's) apply. If all of the damage is prevented, Lightning's effect no longer applies.

  • If damage dealt by a source you control is being divided or assigned among multiple permanents and/or players, that damage is divided or assigned before doubling. For example, if you attack with a 5/5 creature with trample and it's blocked by a 2/2 creature, you can assign 2 damage to the blocker and 3 damage to the defending player. Those amounts are then doubled to 4 and 6, respectively.

  • The damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The doubled damage isn't dealt by Lightning unless it was the original source of damage.

Lightning, Army of One keyword rules

Lifelink Rule 702.15

Lifelink is a static ability.

Damage dealt by a source with lifelink causes that source’s controller, or its owner if it has no controller, to gain that much life (in addition to any other results that damage causes). See rule .

If an object changes zones before an effect causes it to deal damage, its last known information is used to determine whether it had lifelink.

The lifelink rules function no matter what zone an object with lifelink deals damage from.

If multiple sources with lifelink deal damage at the same time, they cause separate life gain events (see rules –10).

Multiple instances of lifelink on the same object are redundant.

First strike Rule 702.7

First strike is a static ability that modifies the rules for the combat damage step. (See rule , “Combat Damage Step.”)

If at least one attacking or blocking creature has first strike or double strike (see rule ) as the combat damage step begins, the only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are those with first strike or double strike. After that step, instead of proceeding to the end of combat step, the phase gets a second combat damage step. The only creatures that assign combat damage in that step are the remaining attackers and blockers that had neither first strike nor double strike as the first combat damage step began, as well as the remaining attackers and blockers that currently have double strike. After that step, the phase proceeds to the end of combat step.

Giving first strike to a creature without it after combat damage has already been dealt in the first combat damage step won’t preclude that creature from assigning combat damage in the second combat damage step. Removing first strike from a creature after it has already dealt combat damage in the first combat damage step won’t allow it to also assign combat damage in the second combat damage step (unless the creature has double strike).

Multiple instances of first strike on the same creature are redundant.

Trample Rule 702.19

Trample is a static ability that modifies the rules for assigning an attacking creature’s combat damage. The ability has no effect when a creature with trample is blocking or is dealing noncombat damage. (See rule , “Combat Damage Step.”)

The controller of an attacking creature with trample first assigns damage to the creature(s) blocking it. Once all those blocking creatures are assigned lethal damage, any excess damage is assigned as its controller chooses among those blocking creatures and the player, planeswalker, or battle the creature is attacking. When checking for assigned lethal damage, take into account damage already marked on the creature and damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt. The attacking creature’s controller need not assign lethal damage to all those blocking creatures but in that case can’t assign any damage to the player or planeswalker it’s attacking.

Trample over planeswalkers is a variant of trample that modifies the rules for assigning combat damage to planeswalkers. The controller of a creature with trample over planeswalkers assigns that creature’s combat damage as described in rule , with one exception. If that creature is attacking a planeswalker, after lethal damage is assigned to all blocking creatures and damage at least equal to the loyalty of the planeswalker the creature is attacking is assigned to that planeswalker, further excess damage may be assigned as the attacking creature’s controller chooses among those blocking creatures, that planeswalker, and that planeswalker’s controller. When checking for assigned damage equal to a planeswalker’s loyalty, take into account damage from other creatures that’s being assigned during the same combat damage step, but not any abilities or effects that might change the amount of damage that’s actually dealt.

If an attacking creature with trample or trample over planeswalkers is blocked, but there are no creatures blocking it when damage is assigned, its damage is assigned to the defending player and/or planeswalker as though all blocking creatures have been assigned lethal damage.

If a creature with trample over planeswalkers is attacking a planeswalker and that planeswalker is removed from combat, the creature’s damage may be assigned to the defending player once all blocking creatures have been dealt lethal damage or, if there are no blocking creatures when damage is assigned, all its damage is assigned to the defending player. This is an exception to rule , and it does not cause the creature to be attacking that player.

If a creature without trample over planeswalkers is attacking a planeswalker, none of its combat damage can be assigned to the defending player, even if that planeswalker has been removed from combat or the damage the attacking creature could assign is greater than the planeswalker’s loyalty.

Multiple instances of trample on the same creature are redundant. Multiple instances of trample over planeswalkers on the same creature are redundant.

Double Rule 701.9

Doubling a creature’s power and/or toughness creates a continuous effect. This effect modifies that creature’s power and/or toughness but doesn’t set those characteristics to a specific value. See rule .

To double a creature’s power, that creature gets +X/+0, where X is that creature’s power as the spell or ability that doubles its power resolves. Similarly, an effect that doubles a creature’s toughness gives it +0/+X, where X is that creature’s toughness. Doubling a creature’s power and toughness gives it +X/+Y, where X is its power and Y is its toughness.

If a creature’s power is less than 0 when it’s doubled, doubling that creature’s power instead means that the creature gets -X/-0, where X is the difference between 0 and its power. Similarly, if its toughness is less than 0 when doubled, it gets -0/-X. If one characteristic’s value is negative but the other isn’t when both are doubled, it gets -X/+Y or +X/-Y, as appropriate.

To double a player’s life total, the player gains or loses an amount of life such that their new life total is twice its current value.

To double the number of a kind of counters on a player or permanent, give that player or permanent as many of those counters as that player or permanent already has.

To double the amount of a type of mana in a player’s mana pool, that player adds an amount of mana of that type equal to the amount they already have.

To double an amount of damage a source would deal, that source instead deals twice that much damage. This is a replacement effect.

Lightning, Army of One format legality

Constructed

  • StandardLegal
  • PioneerLegal
  • ModernLegal
  • Future StandardLegal

Eternal

  • LegacyLegal
  • VintageLegal
  • PauperNot legal
  • PremodernNot legal
  • Old SchoolNot legal
  • Penny DreadfulLegal

Commander

  • CommanderLegal
  • OathbreakerLegal
  • Pauper CommanderNot legal
  • Duel CommanderLegal
  • PreDHNot legal

Arena & online

  • HistoricLegal
  • TimelessLegal
  • AlchemyLegal
  • GladiatorLegal
  • BrawlLegal
  • Standard BrawlLegal
  • Competitive BrawlLegal

Other

  • TLRLegal

All printings of Lightning, Army of One 27

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