Lightning, Army of One - Intelligence

Lightning is an Active Intelligence Commander page for player and decklist movement. Start with connection tools, Equipment support, double strike, extra-combat cards, protection, and damage payoffs before trusting any price story.

Lightning triggers only when she deals combat damage to a player; damage to a planeswalker, battle, or creature does not trigger Stagger.

Trample can allow Lightning to assign excess combat damage to a player through a blocker.

The Stagger trigger does not target the player and lasts until Lightning's controller's next turn.

The replacement effect survives Lightning leaving the battlefield after the trigger resolves.

The original source remains the damage source; opponents' sources are also doubled if they damage the staggered player or that player's permanents.

Non-damage life loss and life payments are not doubled.

Damage assignment and division happen before doubling; fully prevented damage cannot be doubled.

Multiple Stagger or other damage-doubling replacement effects are cumulative.

Double strike can establish Stagger in the first-strike combat-damage step, then Lightning's normal combat damage can be doubled.

Doubled combat damage dealt by Lightning counts as commander damage; noncombat damage does not.

Chandra's Ignition is its own damage source, so Lightning's lifelink does not apply to Ignition damage.

A source with lifelink gains life based on damage actually dealt after doubling.

Fog and protection effects can prevent the trigger or the payoff damage.

First strike alone does not make Lightning deal combat damage twice.

Make Lightning hard to block, protect her through removal, and raise her power so Stagger converts one connection into lethal pressure.

Establish Stagger, then use extra combats to hit the same player again or mark a second opponent.

Use Stagger as a damage multiplier for burn, damage-based removal, and board-control spells.

Mark one opponent, then make other players attack into the doubled-damage window.

Route damage through reflection creatures or prevention-redirection cards after Stagger is active.