The First Strike is important as it decides who will be the lead player, or Player 1. Each player selects one of their Magni to strike first (without knowledge of the other player's pick). The Magni with the highest central value is the winner, and becomes Player 1. The winning Magni is placed in the center of the board, and the losing Magni is placed on the hex directly north of this point. It is then Player 1's turn.