What is typically the outcome if a player cannot assign lethal damage during a combat?

When a player cannot assign lethal damage during combat, the game generally continues without any immediate consequences to the player or their strategy. This means that even if a player fails to assign lethal damage to their opponent's creatures, they aren't penalized in a way that would affect the game's outcome directly. The combat phase simply moves on, allowing further actions or decisions to be made in the next phases of the turn.

In strategic terms, players must always evaluate their combat situations carefully; failing to assign lethal damage may give their opponents an advantage in future turns, but it does not result in an immediate loss or penalty. This aspect highlights the importance of combat decision-making in gameplay, as players need to be aware of how their actions (or inactions) impact the ongoing game state.