Magic: The Gathering · Rules reference

Banding Combat Matrix

How banding plays out in combat when attackers and blockers have other abilities. Find the attacker's ability down the left and the defender's across the top; each cell says what happens and where the damage should go. Rules are from the Comprehensive Rules dated September 25, 2026.

The rules behind every cell

Banding playerThe player whose creatures have banding. In each matrix, the side marked Banding side belongs to this player; the other side is the opponent in that fight.
Banding attackers place the blocker's damageWhen a creature blocks a creature with banding, the attacking player divides the blocker's damage however they like among the creatures it's blocking.Rule 702.22k
Banding blockers place the attacker's damageWhen an attacker is blocked by a creature with banding, the defending player divides the attacker's damage however they like among all its blockers.Rule 702.22j
One blocker blocks the whole bandBlocking any member blocks every member. A creature that could block any one member can block the band.Rule 702.22h; Scryfall ruling on Benalish Hero
First strike makes two damage stepsFirst and double strikers deal damage first. Creatures still in combat without first strike, plus double strikers again, deal damage second. Damage from the first step stays marked.Rule 702.7b

Attackerrows, down the leftDefendercolumns, across the top

Banding side favored the banding player comes out aheadEven neither side gains muchOther side favored the banding player likely loses something

A band attacks

The attacking band has banding. Rows are what the band brings; columns are what the blocking creature has. Unless a cell says otherwise, the attacking player places both the blocker's damage and the band's damage.

AttackerBanding sideThe attacking band includes	DefenderThe blocking creature has
AttackerBanding sideThe attacking band includes	DefenderNo other ability	DefenderFirst strike	DefenderDouble strike	DefenderDeathtouch	DefenderIndestructible	DefenderLifelink	DefenderBandingBoth sides have banding
AttackerBanding onlyEvery member has banding and nothing else.	Banding side favored The banding player places the blocker's damage: all on the toughest member, or on one creature they can spare. They also split the band's damage among the blockers.	Even The blocker hits first, but the banding player chooses where. Putting it all on one member lets the rest survive and hit back in the second step.	Other side favored It hits in both steps, and the banding player places each hit. Stacking both on one member limits the loss to that creature.	Even Any amount of its damage kills, but the banding player chooses where it lands. All on one member means at most one dies.	Other side favored The band can't kill it. Its damage still goes where the banding player chooses, ideally on a member that survives it.	Even Its controller gains life equal to its damage wherever it lands. Placement only decides what the banding player loses.	Even Each side places the other's damage: the banding player places the blocker's damage among the band, and the blocking player places the band's damage among their blockers.
AttackerFirst strikeThe band's members have first strike.	Banding side favored The band hits first. Enough damage to kill the blocker means it never deals damage back.	Even Both deal damage in the first step, at the same time. The banding player still places the blocker's damage.	Other side favored Its first hit lands with the band's. If it survives, it hits again in the second step and the first strikers don't. Kill it in the first step.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and its deathtouch damage never happens.	Other side favored First strike can't kill it. It strikes back in the second step, and the banding player places that damage.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and its controller gains no life.	Even The blocking player places the band's first-strike damage, so they can spread it to keep their blockers alive. The banding player still places the blocker's damage.
AttackerDouble strikeThe band's members have double strike.	Banding side favored The band hits in both steps. Most blockers die in the first step and deal no damage.	Banding side favored Both sides hit in the first step. Only the band hits again in the second, and the banding player placed the blocker's one hit.	Even Both sides hit twice. The banding player places each of the blocker's hits.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and its deathtouch damage never happens.	Other side favored The band can't kill it. It hits back in the second step, and the banding player places that damage.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and its controller gains no life.	Even The blocking player places the band's damage in both steps; the banding player places the blocker's.
AttackerDeathtouchOne member of the band has deathtouch.	Banding side favored One point from the deathtouch member kills each blocker it's assigned to. The banding player places the blocker's damage on a different member.	Even Its first-strike damage lands first, so the banding player puts it on a member other than the deathtouch one. That member then kills it in the second step.	Even Same as first strike, but it also hits again in the second step, alongside the deathtouch member.	Even Any damage from either side kills. The banding player puts the blocker's damage on a different member, trading that one creature for the blocker.	Other side favored Deathtouch destroys, and indestructible ignores destroy. The band can't kill it.	Banding side favored The deathtouch member kills it. Its controller still gains life from the damage it deals at the same time.	Even The blocking player places the deathtouch member's damage, but any amount kills a blocker, so they'll put it all on one.
AttackerAn indestructible memberOne member is indestructible.	Banding side favored Put all the blocker's damage on the indestructible member. Nothing is lost.	Banding side favored Its first-strike damage also goes on the indestructible member.	Banding side favored Both of its hits go on the indestructible member.	Banding side favored Deathtouch destroys, and indestructible ignores destroy. Put it all there and lose nothing.	Even Neither side loses anything to combat damage.	Even Nothing is lost, but its controller still gains the life.	Even The banding player still puts the blocker's damage on the indestructible member. The blocking player places the band's damage to keep their blockers alive.
AttackerA protection memberOne member has protection from the blocker's color. The blocker can still block the band through another member, and then it's blocking the protected one too.	Banding side favored Put all its damage on the protected member, where protection prevents it. Nothing is lost.	Banding side favored Its first-strike damage goes on the protected member and is prevented.	Banding side favored Both hits go on the protected member; both are prevented.	Banding side favored Prevented damage isn't dealt, so deathtouch never applies.	Even Nothing is lost on either side, since the band can't kill it.	Banding side favored Prevented damage gains its controller no life.	Even The banding player still puts the blocker's damage on the protected member. The blocking player places the band's damage.
AttackerA member that benefits from damageFor example, "whenever this creature is dealt damage" abilities, or damage turned into +1/+1 counters.	Banding side favored Put the blocker's damage on that member to trigger it.	Banding side favored The trigger resolves before the second damage step, so its effect, such as +1/+1 counters, applies before the rest of the band deals damage.	Banding side favored Two hits on that member trigger it twice.	Even That member dies, but "whenever dealt damage" abilities still trigger.	Even Triggers work as usual; the band just can't kill it.	Even Triggers work as usual; its controller still gains the life.	Even The banding player still puts the blocker's damage on that member. The blocking player places the band's damage.

A band can include up to one creature without banding. Any number of creatures with banding can join, plus one without. All members must attack the same player, planeswalker or battle. (702.22c–d)
Flying in a band. A creature that could block any one member can block the whole band. One creature without flying in a band of fliers lets ground creatures block all of them. (702.22h)
Trample in a band. Banding doesn't change how the band's own damage is assigned: a trampler still has to assign lethal damage to its blockers before any excess goes to the player. If any of its blockers has banding, the blocking player places its damage instead, only among their blockers, so none of it tramples over. (702.19b, 702.22j)
The band stays together. Once attackers are declared, the band lasts for the rest of combat, even if a member loses banding. (702.22e)

Banders block

At least one blocker has banding. Rows are what the attacking creature has; columns are what the blocking group includes. The defending player places the attacker's damage among all its blockers.

AttackerThe attacking creature has	DefenderThe blocking group includesBanding side
AttackerThe attacking creature has	DefenderBanders only	DefenderA first striker	DefenderA high-toughness creature	DefenderA creature that benefits from damage	DefenderAn indestructible creature	DefenderA protection creatureProtection from the attacker's color
AttackerNo other ability	Banding side favored Gang-block. The banding player puts its damage on one blocker, or spreads it so none die. The blockers' damage adds up.	Banding side favored The first striker hits first. If that kills the attacker, it deals no damage.	Banding side favored Put all its damage on the toughest blocker. Everyone else hits freely.	Banding side favored Put its damage on that creature to trigger it.	Banding side favored Put it all on the indestructible blocker. Nothing is lost.	Banding side favored Put it all on the protected blocker, where it's prevented.
AttackerFirst strike	Even It hits first, and the banding player places it. All on one blocker lets the rest survive to hit back.	Even Both sides deal damage in the first step, at the same time.	Banding side favored Its first-strike damage goes on the toughest blocker. The others hit it in the second step.	Banding side favored The trigger resolves before the second step, so the other blockers hit back with its effect applied.	Banding side favored Nothing is lost, then everyone hits back.	Banding side favored Its damage is prevented, then everyone hits back.
AttackerDouble strike	Other side favored It hits in both steps, and the banding player places each hit. Stacking both on one blocker limits the loss to that one.	Even First strikers hit alongside its first hit. Kill it then to stop the second hit.	Even Both hits on the toughest blocker. It dies only if the total reaches its toughness.	Banding side favored Two hits trigger it twice.	Banding side favored Both hits go on the indestructible blocker.	Banding side favored Both hits go on the protected blocker and are prevented.
AttackerDeathtouch	Even Any amount kills, but the banding player places it: all on one blocker, so at most one dies.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and deathtouch never happens.	Other side favored Toughness doesn't help against deathtouch. Put the damage on the cheapest blocker instead.	Even That creature dies, but its "dealt damage" ability still triggers.	Banding side favored Indestructible ignores deathtouch. Nothing is lost.	Banding side favored Prevented damage isn't dealt, so deathtouch never applies.
AttackerTrample	Banding side favored The banding player divides its damage only among its blockers, so none tramples over to the defending player. (702.22j)	Banding side favored Same, and first strikers may kill it before it deals any damage.	Banding side favored Put all of it on the toughest blocker; none reaches the player.	Banding side favored All of it can go on that creature; none reaches the player.	Banding side favored All of it on the indestructible blocker; none reaches the player.	Banding side favored All of it on the protected blocker: prevented, and none reaches the player.
AttackerLifelink	Even Its controller gains life equal to its damage wherever it lands. Placement only decides what's lost.	Banding side favored Kill it in the first step and its controller gains no life.	Even The toughest blocker absorbs it, but its controller still gains the life.	Even Its controller gains the life, and the damage still triggers that creature.	Even Nothing is lost, but its controller still gains the life.	Banding side favored Prevented damage gains its controller no life.
AttackerIndestructible	Other side favored It can't be killed. The banding player places its damage to lose as little as possible.	Other side favored First strike doesn't help kill it.	Banding side favored The toughest blocker soaks it each time it attacks.	Banding side favored It triggers that creature each time it attacks.	Even Nothing dies on either side.	Banding side favored Its damage is prevented; nothing is lost.

Only one blocker needs banding. If any creature blocking the attacker has banding, the banding player places all of the attacker's damage, including onto blockers without banding. (702.22j)
Defending players can't form bands. On defense, banding only changes who places the attacker's damage. It doesn't change who can block, so flying, menace and other evasion work as usual. (702.22c)
Blockers that die in the first damage step deal no damage in the second.