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What’s the most (non-infinite) combat damage you can deal on Turn 1?

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Now we know the answer, and it's a doozy.

So much so, in fact, that the number itself is too big to write. Suffice to say, it's three billion (yes, Billion) digits of damage.

So how do we make it happen? Besides the usual suspects (Black Lotus, A-Dragon's Rage Channeler, Recurring Nightmare), it's all thanks to a little card named Children of Korlis. Basically, you create a loop thanks to Tempt with Vengeance where you can pay life for mana, and then use that mana to loop the Children and gain increasing amounts of life.

The secret to lots of damage is gaining lots of life. Who knew?
The secret to lots of damage is gaining lots of life. Who knew?

Once you've generated an absurd amount of mana, you flash back Tempt with Vengeance thanks to Mystic Retrieval (There's some mana cycling involved to create the right colors), and you go to town.

So there you go. The most damage you can imagine on Turn 1. Here's a handy visual guide in case you have some extra Black Lotus around and get bored.

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Corbin Hosler

Corbin Hosler is a journalist living in Norman, Oklahoma (also known as the hotbed of Magic). He started playing in Shadowmoor and chased the Pro Tour dream for a few years, culminating in a Star City Games Legacy Open finals appearance in 2011 before deciding to turn to trading and speculation full-time. He writes weekly at QuietSpeculation.com and biweekly for LegitMTG. He also cohosts Brainstorm Brewery, the only financial podcast on the net. He can best be reached @Chosler88 on Twitter.

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