Hour of Devastation Release Notes

Posted in Feature on June 30, 2017

By Wizards of the Coast

Compiled by Eli Shiffrin, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Carsten Haese, Nathan Long, Zoe Stephenson, Matt Tabak, and Thijs van Ommen.

Document last modified May 16, 2017

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The Release Notes include information concerning the release of a new Magic: The Gathering set, as well as a collection of clarifications and rulings involving that set's cards. It's intended to make playing with the new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the Magic rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at Wizards.com/CustomerService.

The "General Notes" section includes release information and explains the mechanics and concepts in the set.

The "Card-Specific Notes" section contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.


GENERAL NOTES

Release Information

The Hour of Devastation set contains 199 cards (15 basic land, 70 common, 60 uncommon, 42 rare, and 12 mythic rare) that appear in booster packs, plus 10 cards available only in Hour of Devastation Planeswalker Decks. Some Hour of Devastation booster packs contain a Masterpiece Series card (see below).

Prerelease events: July 8–9, 2017
Draft Weekend: July 14–16, 2017
Game Day: August 5–6, 2017

The Hour of Devastation set becomes legal for sanctioned Constructed play on its official release date: Friday, July 14, 2017. At that time, the following card sets will be permitted in the Standard format: Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, Amonkhet, and Hour of Devastation.

Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Rules for a complete list of formats and permitted card sets.

Go to Wizards.com/Locator to find an event or store near you.


Masterpiece Series: Amonkhet Invocations

Now that God-Pharaoh Nicol Bolas has returned to Amonkhet, all his plans are coming to fruition, including the arrival of his three Gods of Destruction. Physically exemplary and magically unparalleled, these gods will usurp the Gods of the Trials and harrow the citizens of Naktamun. With the Amonkhet Invocations set, you can bring their might to your battles, casting age-old spells of awesome power!

  • There are 54 cards in the Amonkhet Invocations set. The first 30 of these cards appear in Amonkhet booster packs. The remaining 24 cards appear in Hour of Devastation booster packs. Amonkhet Invocations cards have their own expansion symbol.
  • Amonkhet Invocations cards appearing in booster packs are playable in any Limited event using those booster packs. In a Sealed Deck tournament, those cards are part of your card pool. In a Booster Draft tournament, you must draft those cards for them to be included in your card pool.
  • However, Amonkhet Invocations cards are not legal in any Constructed format the cards weren't legal in before. Appearing in Amonkhet or Hour of Devastation booster packs does not make them legal in Standard.
  • Premium foil English Amonkhet Invocations cards appear in booster packs of all languages.
  • Amonkhet Invocations cards are extremely rare. If you happen to open one, consider yourself quite fortunate!

Hour of Devastation Story Spotlight Cards

There are many important moments in the Hour of Devastation story, but the five most crucial—called "story spotlights"—are shown on cards. You can read more about these events in the official Magic fiction on the Hour of Devastation story page.

Story spotlight 1: Hour of Revelation
Story spotlight 2: Hour of Glory
Story spotlight 3: Hour of Promise
Story spotlight 4: Hour of Eternity
Story spotlight 5: Hour of Devastation

The story spotlight cards in this set feature a Planeswalker symbol icon in their text boxes. The icon has no effect on game play. The printed cards also include the mtgstory.com URL and a number indicating the sequence of the cards in the story.


New Keyword Ability: Eternalize

The God-Pharaoh has ensured that death on Amonkhet doesn't stop anyone from serving him. However, those who die a most glorious death earn an even greater honor: born by death, they shall rise eternal. The new eternalize ability allows the worthy dead to continue serving as one of Bolas's Eternals.

Proven Combatant
U
Creature — Human Warrior
1/1
Eternalize 4UU (4UU, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Human Warrior with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)

The official rules for eternalize are as follows:

702.128. Eternalize

702.128a Eternalize is an activated ability that functions while the card with eternalize is in a graveyard. "Eternalize [cost]" means "[Cost], Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of this card, except it's black, it's 4/4, it has no mana cost, and it's a Zombie in addition to its other types. Activate this ability only any time you could cast a sorcery."

  • For each card with eternalize, a corresponding game play supplement token can be found in some Hour of Devastation booster packs. These supplements are not required to play with cards with eternalize; you can use the same items to represent an eternalized token as you would any other token.
  • If a creature card with eternalize is put into your graveyard during your main phase, you'll have priority immediately afterward. You can activate its eternalize ability before any player can try to exile it, such as with Crook of Condemnation, if it's legal for you to do so.
  • Once you've activated an eternalize ability, the card is immediately exiled. Opponents can't try to stop the ability by exiling the card with an effect such as that of Crook of Condemnation.
  • The token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else, except the characteristics specifically modified by eternalize. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into your graveyard.
  • The token is a Zombie in addition to its other types and is black instead of its other colors. Its base power and toughness are 4/4. It has no mana cost, and thus its converted mana cost is 0. These are copiable values of the token that other effects may copy.
  • If the card copied by the token had any "when [this permanent] enters the battlefield" abilities, then the token also has those abilities and will trigger them when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.
  • Several cards have an eternalize cost that includes "Discard a card." You can't discard the card with eternalize to pay its own cost because the card has to be in your graveyard to begin activating its eternalize ability.

New Keyword Ability: Afflict

The warriors of Bolas's horde are caustic in every way, especially the ones with the new afflict ability. Afflict puts your opponents in a no-win scenario: they stand to lose life whether they block or not.

Khenra Eternal
1B
Creature — Zombie Jackal Warrior
2/2
Afflict 1 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 1 life.)

The official rules for afflict are as follows:

702.129. Afflict

702.129a Afflict is a triggered ability. "Afflict N" means "Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses N life."

702.129b If a creature has multiple instances of afflict, each triggers separately.

  • If multiple creatures block a creature with afflict, afflict triggers only once.
  • Afflict causes the defending player to lose life; it's not damage or combat damage.
  • If a creature is attacking a planeswalker, that planeswalker's controller is the defending player.
  • Afflict resolves before combat damage is dealt. If this loss of life brings a player to 0 life or less, that player loses the game immediately. A blocking creature with lifelink won't deal combat damage in time to save that player.

Returning Keyword Action: Exert

Amonkhet's hardiest warriors once struggled for glory in combat. Now, they struggle to survive as the merciless deserts scour the streets of Naktamun. The exert keyword action appears in the Hour of Devastation set also as a cost to activate abilities.

Khenra Scrapper
2R
Creature — Jackal Warrior
2/3
Menace
You may exert Khenra Scrapper as it attacks. When you do, it gets +2/+0 until end of turn. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

Hope Tender
1G
Creature — Human Druid
2/2
1, T: Untap target land.
1, T, Exert Hope Tender: Untap two target lands. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

  • All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can't do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can't be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared.
  • Some cards in the Hour of Devastation set let you exert a creature as a cost to activate one of its abilities. You can exert it to pay that cost even if you've already exerted it earlier in the turn. Exerting it multiple times will keep it tapped only during your next untap step.
  • If a creature has a targeted triggered ability that triggers when you exert it as it attacks, you can exert it as it attacks even if there isn't a legal target for that triggered ability.
  • Some cards have abilities that trigger whenever you exert any creature. These abilities trigger when you exert that creature or any other creature you control.
  • You can't exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that "tap and freeze" a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don't exert that creature.
  • If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert's effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything.
  • If you gain control of another player's creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player's untap step.

Returning Amonkhet Themes and Mechanics

The Hour of Devastation set features some returning mechanics from the Amonkhet set. For more information on split cards with aftermath, cycling, -1/-1 counters, and discard triggers, please see the Amonkhet Release Notes.


Cycle: The Gods of Destruction

Razaketh's blood rite has woken the three Gods of Destruction from their slumber, and now these monstrosities emerge from their necropolis to fulfill their sinister destiny.

The Scorpion God
3BR
Legendary Creature — God
6/5
Whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, draw a card.
1BR: Put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature.
When The Scorpion God dies, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

  • If this creature dies but leaves your graveyard before the next end step, it will remain in its new zone.
  • The "next end step" refers to the next end step that occurs, not the end step of the next turn. If this creature dies before a turn's end step (for example, during combat), it will be returned to its owner's hand at the beginning of that turn's end step.

Cycle: The Fall of the Gods of the Trials

The Trials have borne out Bolas's crop of Eternals as they were meant to do. The Gods of the Trials are now destined to be slaughtered by the Scorpion God, but they're not going down without a last burst of magical might. Each of these final acts causes such a mighty aftershock that your lands won't untap during your next untap step.

Bontu's Last Reckoning
1BB
Sorcery
Destroy all creatures. Lands you control don't untap during your next untap step.

  • No lands that you control will untap during your next untap step, even lands that aren't tapped as this spell resolves. This includes lands that enter the battlefield after this spell resolves.
  • If more than one spell says that lands you control don't untap during your next untap step, the effects will all wear off during that untap step. You'll untap lands you control during your untap step after that one.

Theme: The Deserts of Amonkhet

Without the protection of the Hekma, the citizens of the city are forced to venture out into the unhospitable wastes. Will you join them and seize the forgotten forces lying under the sands?

Ramunap Ruins
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
T, Pay 1 life: Add R to your mana pool.
2RR, T, Sacrifice a Desert: Ramunap Ruins deals 2 damage to each opponent.

  • Desert is a land subtype with no special meaning. It doesn't grant the land an intrinsic mana ability. Other cards may care about which lands are Deserts.
  • If a Desert has an ability with a cost of "Sacrifice a Desert," you can sacrifice that Desert to pay the cost for its own ability.

Not only do the Deserts reward you with their own power, some cards in the Hour of Devastation set get better if you control a Desert—or even if you simply have a Desert card in your graveyard!

Wretched Camel
1B
Creature — Zombie Camel
2/1
When Wretched Camel dies, if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, target player discards a card.

  • If an ability checks whether you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, having more than one doesn't matter. Controlling one is the same as controlling five. There is also no extra bonus for both controlling one and having one in your graveyard.
  • For abilities that trigger only if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, one condition must be true as the ability triggers and one must be true as the ability resolves. They don't have to be the same condition, though. For example, you could sacrifice your only Desert after the ability triggers but before it has resolved.

CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES

Abandoned Sarcophagus
3
Artifact
You may cast nonland cards with cycling from your graveyard.
If a card with cycling would be put into your graveyard from anywhere and it wasn't cycled, exile it instead.

  • A token permanent with cycling will go to your graveyard before ceasing to exist. It won't be exiled. Similarly, a nontoken permanent that lost cycling while it was on the battlefield will also go to your graveyard.
  • If you cycle an instant card, you may cast it from your graveyard right away before any player may take any other action. If you do, that spell will resolve before the cycling ability. If you cycle a noninstant card without flash, you can't cast it until after the cycling ability has resolved.
  • Abandoned Sarcophagus doesn't grant you permission to do anything with those cards except cast them. For example, you can't cycle nonland cards with cycling from your graveyard.

Accursed Horde
3B
Creature — Zombie
3/3
1B: Target attacking Zombie gains indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy it. If its toughness is 0 or less, it's still put into its owner's graveyard.)

  • Accursed Horde's ability can target itself while it's attacking.
  • The target Zombie gains indestructible for the rest of the turn, even after it stops being an attacking creature.

Act of Heroism
1W
Instant
Untap target creature. It gets +2/+2 until end of turn and can block an additional creature this turn.

  • You can cast Act of Heroism even if the target creature won't be able to block right away, perhaps because you're the attacking player.
  • Untapping an attacking creature doesn't remove it from combat.
  • Act of Heroism can target an untapped creature. It still gets +2/+2 and can block an additional creature.
  • The effects of Act of Heroism are cumulative. If multiples resolve targeting the same creature, that creature can block that many additional creatures this turn.

Ambuscade
2G
Instant
Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. It deals damage equal to its power to target creature an opponent controls.

  • If the creature you control leaves the battlefield before Ambuscade resolves, Ambuscade has no effect and no damage is dealt. If the creature an opponent controls leaves the battlefield instead, the creature you control gets +1/+0 even though it won't deal any damage.

Ammit Eternal
2B
Creature — Zombie Crocodile Demon
5/5
Afflict 3 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 3 life.)
Whenever an opponent casts a spell, put a -1/-1 counter on Ammit Eternal.
Whenever Ammit Eternal deals combat damage to a player, remove all -1/-1 counters from it.

  • Ammit Eternal's middle ability will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if that spell is countered.

Angel of Condemnation
2WW
Creature — Angel
3/3
Flying, vigilance
2W, T: Exile another target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of the next end step.
2W, T, Exert Angel of Condemnation: Exile another target creature until Angel of Condemnation leaves the battlefield. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

  • Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.
  • If a creature token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.
  • If Angel of Condemnation leaves the battlefield before its first activated ability resolves, the target creature is still exiled. That card returns to the battlefield even if Angel of Condemnation has left the battlefield before the next end step.
  • If Angel of Condemnation leaves the battlefield before its last ability resolves, the target creature won't be exiled.
  • The card exiled with Angel of Condemnation's last ability returns to the battlefield immediately after Angel of Condemnation leaves the battlefield. Nothing happens between the two events, including state-based actions.
  • Tapping Angel of Condemnation to activate either of its abilities while it's attacking doesn't remove it from combat.

Apocalypse Demon
4BB
Creature — Demon
*/*
Flying
Apocalypse Demon's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in your graveyard.
At the beginning of your upkeep, tap Apocalypse Demon unless you sacrifice another creature.

  • The ability that defines Apocalypse Demon's power and toughness works in all zones, not just the battlefield.

Appeal
G
Sorcery
Until end of turn, target creature gains trample and gets +X/+X, where X is the number of creatures you control.
//
Authority
1W
Sorcery
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Tap up to two target creatures your opponents control. Creatures you control gain vigilance until end of turn.

  • The value of X is determined only as Appeal begins to resolve. It won't change later in the turn if the number of creatures you control changes.
  • You may cast Authority without choosing any target creatures. Creatures you control will still gain vigilance until end of turn. However, if you choose any targets and each of those targets become illegal before Authority resolves, the spell will be countered and your creatures won't gain vigilance.

Avid Reclaimer (Planeswalker Deck only)
2G
Creature — Human Druid
2/2
T: Add G or U to your mana pool. If you control a Nissa planeswalker, you gain 2 life.

  • You can activate Avid Reclaimer's ability even if you don't have anything to spend that mana on. You'll still gain 2 life if you control a Nissa planeswalker.
  • Avid Reclaimer's ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. You'll immediately add mana to your mana pool and gain 2 life, if applicable.

Blur of Blades
1R
Instant
Put a -1/-1 counter on target creature. Blur of Blades deals 2 damage to that creature's controller.

  • If the targeted creature is an illegal target by the time Blur of Blades resolves, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. Blur of Blades won't deal damage to any player.

Champion of Wits
2U
Creature — Naga Wizard
2/1
When Champion of Wits enters the battlefield, you may draw cards equal to its power. If you do, discard two cards.
Eternalize 5UU (5UU, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Naga Wizard with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)

  • Use Champion of Wits's power as the first ability resolves to determine if you want to use the ability and how many cards you draw if you do. If you use the ability, you discard two cards regardless of how many cards you draw. If Champion of Wits leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, use its last known power.

Countervailing Winds
2U
Instant
Counter target spell unless its controller pays 1 for each card in your graveyard.
Cycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

  • Count the number of cards in your graveyard as Countervailing Winds resolves to determine how much mana the controller of the target spell must pay to avoid the spell being countered. Countervailing Winds is still on the stack at this time and won't count toward this number.

Crash Through
R
Sorcery
Creatures you control gain trample until end of turn.
Draw a card.

  • Crash Through affects only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain trample.

Crested Sunmare
3WW
Creature — Horse
5/5
Other Horses you control have indestructible.
At the beginning of each end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 5/5 white Horse creature token.

  • If a creature has been dealt damage, that damage remains marked on it until the cleanup step. If another Horse you control has been dealt lethal damage, and later in the turn Crested Sunmare leaves the battlefield, that Horse will be destroyed.
  • Crested Sunmare's triggered ability won't trigger unless you've gained life in the turn before the end step began. It can't be satisfied by another triggered ability causing you to gain life during that end step.
  • Crested Sunmare's triggered ability cares only whether you gained life in the turn, even if Crested Sunmare wasn't on the battlefield when that happened. It doesn't care how much you gained, whether you also lost life, or even whether you lost more life than you gained.

Dagger of the Worthy
2
Artifact — Equipment
Equipped creature gets +2/+0 and has afflict 1. (Whenever it becomes blocked, defending player loses 1 life.)
Equip 2 (2: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)

  • If a creature has multiple instances of afflict, each triggers separately.

Dauntless Aven
2W
Creature — Bird Warrior
2/1
Flying
Whenever Dauntless Aven attacks, untap target creature you control.

  • Untapping an attacking creature doesn't remove it from combat.
  • All attackers are chosen at once. You can't attack with Dauntless Aven, untap a tapped creature, and then attack with that creature.

Desert's Hold
2W
Enchantment — Aura
Enchant creature
When Desert's Hold enters the battlefield, if you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, you gain 3 life.
Enchanted creature can't attack or block, and its activated abilities can't be activated.

  • Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") are unaffected by the last ability of Desert's Hold.

Djeru, With Eyes Open
3WW
Legendary Creature — Human Warrior
4/3
Vigilance
When Djeru, With Eyes Open enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a planeswalker card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle your library.
If a source would deal damage to a planeswalker you control, prevent 1 of that damage.

  • If multiple sources would deal damage to one or more planeswalkers you control at once (for example, several attacking creatures), 1 damage from each of those sources to each of those planeswalkers is prevented.

Doomfall
2B
Sorcery
Choose one —
• Target opponent exiles a creature he or she controls.
• Target opponent reveals his or her hand. You choose a nonland card from it. Exile that card.

  • If you choose Doomfall's first mode, the target opponent chooses which creature to exile. That creature isn't targeted, so a creature with hexproof can be exiled this way.
  • If you choose Doomfall's second mode, you must exile a nonland card from that player's hand if able. If you can't, most likely because that player's hand contains only land cards, nothing happens. That player won't exile a creature he or she controls instead.

Driven
1G
Sorcery
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain trample and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card."
//
Despair
1B
Sorcery
Aftermath
Until end of turn, creatures you control gain menace and "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card."

  • If you resolve multiples of Driven or of Despair in one turn, your creatures have that many instances of the appropriate triggered ability. Each instance triggers separately.
  • Multiple instances of trample or menace are redundant.
  • Driven and Despair each affect only creatures you control at the time it resolves. Creatures you begin to control later in the turn won't gain the keyword ability or the triggered ability.

Dune Diviner
2G
Creature — Naga Cleric
2/3
1, Tap an untapped Desert you control: You gain 1 life.

  • You can't tap a single untapped Desert both to pay 1 and also to pay "Tap an untapped Desert you control."

Dunes of the Dead
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
When Dunes of the Dead is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.

  • Dunes of the Dead's second ability doesn't allow you to sacrifice it whenever you'd like. You must find another way to get Dunes of the Dead into the graveyard.
  • If you sacrifice Dunes of the Dead to pay the activation cost of an ability, you'll create the Zombie token before that activated ability resolves.

Earthshaker Khenra
1R
Creature — Jackal Warrior
2/1
Haste
When Earthshaker Khenra enters the battlefield, target creature with power less than or equal to Earthshaker Khenra's power can't block this turn.
Eternalize 4RR (4RR, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Jackal Warrior with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)

  • The target creature's power is checked when you target it with Earthshaker Khenra's ability and when that ability resolves. Once the ability resolves, if the creature's power increases or Earthshaker Khenra's power decreases, the target creature will still be unable to block.
  • Spells, activated abilities, and triggered abilities can't raise Earthshaker Khenra's power before you have to choose a target for its ability. Static abilities, such as that of Lord of the Accursed, will raise its power in time to let you target a larger creature.

Endless Sands
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
2, T: Exile target creature you control.
4, T, Sacrifice Endless Sands: Return each creature card exiled with Endless Sands to the battlefield under its owner's control.

  • The last ability of Endless Sands returns only creature cards exiled by that card. If Endless Sands leaves the battlefield before you activate that ability, the exiled creatures are lost in the dunes forever.
  • If you exile a creature that isn't a creature card with the second ability of Endless Sands (such as a token creature or a land that has become a creature), the third ability won't return that token or card from exile.

Eternal of Harsh Truths
2U
Creature — Zombie Cleric
1/3
Afflict 2 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 2 life.)
Whenever Eternal of Harsh Truths attacks and isn't blocked, draw a card.

  • An ability that triggers when something "attacks and isn't blocked" triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step.

Firebrand Archer
1R
Creature — Human Archer
2/1
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Firebrand Archer deals 1 damage to each opponent.

  • Firebrand Archer's ability will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if that spell is countered.
  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, Firebrand Archer's ability causes it to deal a total of 2 damage to the opposing team.

Fraying Sanity
2U
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of each end step, enchanted player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard, where X is the number of cards put into that graveyard from anywhere this turn.

  • Fraying Sanity's triggered ability counts the number of cards that were put into the enchanted player's graveyard during the turn, even if Fraying Sanity wasn't on the battlefield at the time those cards were put there, and even if those cards have left that graveyard.
  • The value of X is determined only as Fraying Sanity's triggered ability resolves. For example, if three Fraying Sanity Auras are attached to one player who had four cards put into his or her graveyard this turn, X will be four for the first ability to resolve, eight for the second, and sixteen for the third.

God-Pharaoh's Faithful
W
Creature — Human Wizard
0/4
Whenever you cast a blue, black, or red spell, you gain 1 life.

  • If you cast a spell that's two or more of these colors, you gain only 1 life.
  • The triggered ability of God-Pharaoh's Faithful will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if that spell is countered.

God-Pharaoh's Gift
7
Artifact
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may exile a creature card from your graveyard. If you do, create a token that's a copy of that card, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie. It gains haste until end of turn.

  • The ability of God-Pharaoh's Gift doesn't target the creature card you'll exile. You choose one as the ability resolves. No player may take actions between the time you choose a creature card to exile and the time you create the token.
  • The token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else, except the characteristics it specifically modifies. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into your graveyard.
  • The token is a Zombie instead of its other types (unlike Zombies created by an eternalize ability) and is black instead of its other colors. Its power and toughness are 4/4. These are copiable values of the token that other effects may copy.
  • Unlike the tokens created by an eternalize ability, this token has the mana cost and thus converted mana cost of the card it's copying.
  • If the card copied by the token had any "when [this permanent] enters the battlefield" abilities, then the token also has those abilities and will trigger them when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.

Grind
1B
Sorcery
Put a -1/-1 counter on each of up to two target creatures.
//
Dust
3W
Sorcery
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Exile any number of target creatures that have -1/-1 counters on them.

  • You can't target the same creature twice with Grind to give it two -1/-1 counters.
  • If one of Dust's target creatures loses its -1/-1 counters, leaves the battlefield, or otherwise becomes an illegal target before the spell resolves, it won't be exiled, but the remaining legal targets will be exiled.

Hazoret's Undying Fury
4RR
Sorcery
Shuffle your library, then exile the top four cards. You may cast any number of nonland cards with converted mana cost 5 or less from among them without paying their mana costs. Lands you control don't untap during your next untap step.

  • Each individual spell you cast this way must have converted mana cost 5 or less. Their total converted mana cost could be greater.
  • No player may take any actions between the time you shuffle your library and the time you exile the top four cards.
  • If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs, such as emerge costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, you must pay those to cast the card.
  • If the card has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
  • If any abilities trigger as you cast any of those cards, they won't be put on the stack until after you're done casting them. They'll resolve before any of those spells.
  • If you cast any of those cards, you do so as part of the resolution of Hazoret's Undying Fury. You can't wait to cast them later in the turn.
  • If a spell you cast this way targets another spell, it may target a spell you cast earlier during the resolution of Hazoret's Undying Fury. It may target Hazoret's Undying Fury as well, but Hazoret's Undying Fury will be put into your graveyard soon afterwards and the spell's target will become illegal.

Hollow One
5
Artifact Creature — Golem
4/4
Hollow One costs 2 less to cast for each card you've cycled or discarded this turn.
Cycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

  • Hollow One's cost is reduced even if the cards you've cycled or discarded aren't in your graveyard.
  • Once you've discarded three cards, Hollow One costs 0 to cast. It won't stop at 1 or cost negative amounts of mana.
  • Hollow One's first ability doesn't give you permission to discard cards. You'll need another effect that instructs or allows you to discard them.

Hostile Desert
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
2, Exile a land card from your graveyard: Hostile Desert becomes a 3/4 Elemental creature until end of turn. It's still a land.

  • If Hostile Desert becomes a creature the same turn it enters the battlefield, you can't attack with it or tap it for mana.

Hour of Devastation
3RR
Sorcery
All creatures lose indestructible until end of turn. Hour of Devastation deals 5 damage to each creature and each non-Bolas planeswalker.

  • Creatures with indestructible that enter the battlefield after Hour of Devastation resolves will still have indestructible.
  • Once Hour of Devastation begins to resolve, no player may take actions until it's done. Notably, players can't try to give a creature indestructible again to save it from the damage.

Hour of Eternity
XXUUU
Sorcery
Exile X target creature cards from your graveyard. For each card exiled this way, create a token that's a copy of that card, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie.

  • Each token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else, except the characteristics it specifically modifies. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into your graveyard.
  • The tokens are Zombies instead of their other types (unlike Zombies created by an eternalize ability) and are black instead of their other colors. Their power and toughness are 4/4. These are copiable values of the tokens that other effects may copy.
  • Unlike the tokens created by an eternalize ability, the tokens have the mana cost and thus converted mana cost of the cards they're copying.
  • If a card copied by one of the tokens had any "when [this permanent] enters the battlefield" abilities, then the token also has those abilities and will trigger them when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.

Hour of Glory
3B
Instant
Exile target creature. If that creature was a God, its controller reveals his or her hand and exiles all cards from it with the same name as that creature.

  • If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Hour of Glory resolves, the entire spell is countered. No player reveals his or her hand or exiles cards from it.

Hour of Promise
4G
Sorcery
Search your library for up to two land cards, put them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library. Then if you control three or more Deserts, create two 2/2 black Zombie creature tokens.

  • When Hour of Promise checks the number of Deserts you control, it includes any Deserts you found earlier with Hour of Promise.

Hour of Revelation
3WWW
Sorcery
Hour of Revelation costs 3 less to cast if there are ten or more nonland permanents on the battlefield.
Destroy all nonland permanents.

  • You determine the cost to cast Hour of Revelation before you pay any of that cost. For example, if the only nonland permanents on the battlefield are Tezzeret the Schemer and nine Etherium Cells he's given you, Hour of Revelation costs WWW to cast. You may sacrifice three Etherium Cells to pay this cost, even though there are no longer ten or more nonland permanents after you produce WWW.

Imaginary Threats
2UU
Instant
Creatures target opponent controls attack this turn if able. During that player's next untap step, creatures he or she controls don't untap.
Cycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

  • No creatures that player controls will untap during his or her next untap step, even creatures that don't attack. This includes creatures that enter the battlefield or become tapped after this spell resolves.
  • If the opponent exerts any creatures he or she controls, exert and the effect from Imaginary Threats stopping them from untapping both apply in the same untap step. Those creatures will untap as normal in the player's subsequent untap step.
  • If, during that player's declare attackers step, a creature that player controls is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.

Imminent Doom
2R
Enchantment
Imminent Doom enters the battlefield with a doom counter on it.
Whenever you cast a spell with converted mana cost equal to the number of doom counters on Imminent Doom, Imminent Doom deals that much damage to target creature or player. Then put a doom counter on Imminent Doom.

  • Imminent Doom's triggered ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if that spell is countered.
  • If a spell has X in its mana cost, include the value chosen for that X when determining the converted mana cost of that spell.
  • The amount of damage Imminent Doom's triggered ability deals is the number of counters it had on it as the ability triggered. For example, if you cast Shock and then respond to Imminent Doom's triggered ability with a second Shock, both abilities cause Imminent Doom to deal 1 damage and Imminent Doom will end up with three doom counters on it.

Kefnet's Last Word
2UU
Sorcery
Gain control of target artifact, creature, or enchantment. Lands you control don't untap during your next untap step.

  • The control-change effect of Kefnet's Last Word lasts indefinitely. It doesn't wear off during the cleanup step.
  • If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Kefnet's Last Word resolves, the entire spell is countered. Your lands will untap during your next untap step as normal.
  • Gaining control of a creature doesn't cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it. They'll remain attached, but an Aura's effect that affects "you" still affects its controller rather than you, the controller of an Equipment can move it during his or her next main phase, and so on.
  • In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well, and any effects that give the player control of permanents immediately end.

Leave
1W
Instant
Return any number of target permanents you own to your hand.
//
Chance
3R
Sorcery
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Discard any number of cards, then draw that many cards.

  • You are a permanent's owner if the card representing it began the game in your deck, or if it's a token that entered the battlefield under your control. Leave can target a permanent you own but don't control.

Lethal Sting
2B
Sorcery
As an additional cost to cast Lethal Sting, put a -1/-1 counter on a creature you control.
Destroy target creature.

  • If you don't control any creatures or can't put any -1/-1 counters on any creature you control, you can't cast Lethal Sting.

Life Goes On
G
Instant
You gain 4 life. If a creature died this turn, you gain 8 life instead.

  • You won't gain more than 8 life if more than one creature died this turn.
  • Life Goes On checks whether a creature has died during the turn only as it resolves.

The Locust God
4UR
Legendary Creature — God
4/4
Flying
Whenever you draw a card, create a 1/1 blue and red Insect creature token with flying and haste.
2UR: Draw a card, then discard a card.
When The Locust God dies, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

  • If a spell or ability causes you to put cards into your hand without specifically using the word "draw," The Locust God's first triggered ability won't trigger.

Magmaroth
3R
Creature — Elemental
5/5
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a -1/-1 counter on Magmaroth.
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, remove a -1/-1 counter from Magmaroth.

  • Magmaroth's second ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if that spell is countered.

Majestic Myriarch
4G
Creature — Chimera
*/*
Majestic Myriarch's power and toughness are each equal to twice the number of creatures you control.
At the beginning of each combat, Majestic Myriarch gains flying until end of turn if you control a creature with flying. The same is true for first strike, double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, reach, trample, and vigilance.

  • Majestic Myriarch has received minor errata to clarify its functionality. The corrected Oracle wording appears above.
  • Majestic Myriarch's first ability applies in all zones. While it's on the battlefield, it counts itself, so it'll be at least 2/2.
  • Majestic Myriarch's second ability triggers at the beginning of each combat, not just combat on your turn, whether or not any creatures you control have any of the listed abilities.
  • Which abilities Majestic Myriarch gains is determined as the ability resolves. They won't change even if every other creature that has the abilities leaves the battlefield or if creatures enter the battlefield or gain abilities.
  • If a creature gains one of the listed abilities before Majestic Mryiarch's triggered ability resolves, perhaps due to another ability that triggered at the beginning of combat, Majestic Myriarch will gain that ability.
  • Multiple instances of any of the abilities Majestic Myriarch can gain are redundant.

Manticore Eternal
3RR
Creature — Zombie Manticore
5/4
Afflict 3 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 3 life.)
Manticore Eternal attacks each combat if able.

  • If, during your declare attackers step, Manticore Eternal is tapped or is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, you aren't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.

Marauding Boneslasher
2B
Creature — Zombie Minotaur
3/3
Marauding Boneslasher can't block unless you control another Zombie.

  • Whether you control another Zombie is checked only as you declare blockers. Marauding Boneslasher won't stop blocking if you don't control one later.
  • The other Zombie doesn't have to block.

Mirage Mirror
3
Artifact
2: Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of target artifact, creature, enchantment, or land until end of turn.

  • Once Mirage Mirror's ability resolves, it no longer has that ability.
  • Mirage Mirror copies the printed values of the target permanent, plus any copy effects that have been applied to it. It won't copy counters on that permanent or effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. Notably, it won't copy effects that made the target permanent become a creature.
  • If Mirage Mirror copies a permanent that's copying something else, it will become whatever the target is copying.
  • If you activate Mirage Mirror's ability multiple times in a turn in response to itself, then each time one of those abilities resolves, it will overwrite whatever Mirage Mirror is copying. Mirage Mirror will wind up as a copy of the permanent targeted by the last ability to resolve. When the turn ends, all instances of the ability will wear off at the same time.
  • If an effect begins to apply to Mirage Mirror before it becomes a copy of another permanent, that effect will continue to apply. For example, if Mirage Mirror is activated twice in response to itself targeting first Rampaging Hippo then Frilled Sandwalla, the ability it has while it's a copy of Frilled Sandwalla can be activated and its effect will continue to apply while Mirage Mirror is a copy of Rampaging Hippo.
  • If Mirage Mirror becomes a creature the same turn it enters the battlefield, you can't attack with it or use any of its T abilities (if it gains any) unless it has haste.
  • If Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of a legendary permanent you control, you'll put one of them into your graveyard. The same is true if it becomes a copy of a planeswalker creature you control (such as Gideon of the Trials that's become a creature).
  • If Mirage Mirror becomes a copy of an Aura, it's put into its owner's graveyard unless it's somehow attached to an appropriate object or player already. If it becomes a copy of an Equipment and is attached to a creature, it'll become unattached when it becomes a non-Equipment artifact again.

Neheb, the Eternal
3RR
Legendary Creature — Zombie Minotaur Warrior
4/6
Afflict 3 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 3 life.)
At the beginning of your postcombat main phase, add R to your mana pool for each 1 life your opponents have lost this turn.

  • Damage dealt to a player causes that player to lose that much life.
  • Because it triggers at the beginning of a phase, Neheb's last ability isn't a mana ability. It uses the stack and can be countered by effects that interact with triggered abilities, such as that of Nimble Obstructionist.
  • You get a postcombat main phase even if no creatures attacked during a turn. Neheb's last ability will trigger.
  • If an opponent loses life but Neheb leaves the battlefield before your postcombat main phase begins, its last ability doesn't trigger.
  • Neheb's ability checks only how much life opponents lost during the turn, not by how much their life total decreased compared to the start of the turn. For example, if an opponent lost 2 life and then gained 8 life before your postcombat main phase, you'll add RR to your mana pool.
  • If an opponent loses life and subsequently loses the game before your postcombat main phase, Neheb's last ability counts that loss of life.
  • If you somehow have more than two main phases in a turn, each main phase after your first one is a postcombat main phase, and Neheb's last ability triggers at the beginning of each of them.

Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
4UBR
Planeswalker — Bolas
7
+2: Target opponent exiles cards from the top of his or her library until he or she exiles a nonland card. Until end of turn, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost.
+1: Each opponent exiles two cards from his or her hand.
−4: Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh deals 7 damage to target opponent or creature an opponent controls.
−12: Exile each nonland permanent your opponents control.

  • The cards exiled by Nicol Bolas's first and second abilities are exiled face up.
  • You may cast the nonland card exiled by Nicol Bolas's first ability that turn even if Nicol Bolas is no longer on the battlefield or under your control.
  • Casting the card exiled with Nicol Bolas's first ability follows the normal timing rules for casting that card. For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
  • If you don't cast the card exiled by Nicol Bolas's first ability that turn, it will remain exiled.
  • If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs, such as emerge costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, you must pay those to cast the card.
  • If the card has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
  • While resolving Nicol Bolas's second ability, each opponent chooses which cards to exile from his or her hand. Any opponent with two or fewer cards exiles his or her entire hand.
  • In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spell or permanent cards you control from Nicol Bolas's first ability are exiled.

Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver (Planeswalker Deck only)
5UBR
Planeswalker — Bolas
5
+3: Each opponent loses 3 life unless that player sacrifices a nonland permanent or discards a card.
−3: Destroy target creature. Draw a card.
−11: Nicol Bolas, the Deceiver deals 7 damage to each opponent. You draw seven cards.

  • While resolving Nicol Bolas's first ability, your opponent chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life. Your opponent can always choose to lose 3 life, even if he or she has cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.
  • In a multiplayer game, each opponent in turn order makes his or her choice for Nicol Bolas's first ability, then all of the actions occur simultaneously. Opponents will know choices made by earlier opponents when making their choices, although a card chosen to be discarded this way isn't revealed until it's discarded.
  • If the target of Nicol Bolas's second ability becomes illegal, the ability is countered and you won't draw a card. If that target is legal but can't be destroyed, most likely because it has indestructible, you still draw a card.
  • If Nicol Bolas's third ability causes each opponent to have 0 or less life, but it also causes you to try to draw more cards than you have in your library, the game ends in a draw.

Nimble Obstructionist
2U
Creature — Bird Wizard
3/1
Flash
Flying
Cycling 2U (2U, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
When you cycle Nimble Obstructionist, counter target activated or triggered ability you don't control.

  • Activated abilities are written in the form "Cost: Effect." Some keyword abilities, such as equip and eternalize, are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder texts.
  • Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities, such as prowess and afflict, are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at" in their reminder text.
  • If you counter a delayed triggered ability that triggers at the beginning of the "next" occurrence of a specified step or phase, that ability won't trigger again the following time that phase or step occurs.
  • Mana abilities can't be targeted. An activated mana ability is one that adds mana to a player's mana pool as it resolves, doesn't have a target, and isn't a loyalty ability. A triggered mana ability is one that adds mana to a player's mana pool and triggers on an activated mana ability.
  • Abilities that create replacement effects, such as a permanent entering the battlefield tapped or with counters on it, can't be targeted. Abilities that apply "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" are also replacement effects and can't be targeted.

Nissa, Genesis Mage (Planeswalker Deck only)
5GG
Planeswalker — Nissa
5
+2: Untap up to two target creatures and up to two target lands.
−3: Target creature gets +5/+5 until end of turn.
−10: Look at the top ten cards of your library. You may put any number of creature and/or land cards from among them onto the battlefield. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

  • You can activate Nissa's first ability with fewer than four targets. For example, you could target one creature and two lands, or no creatures and two lands. You could even choose no targets at all.
  • While resolving Nissa's last ability, all creatures and lands put onto the battlefield this way enter at the same time. If any have triggered abilities that trigger on something else entering the battlefield, they'll see each other.

Nissa's Defeat
2G
Sorcery
Destroy target Forest, green enchantment, or green planeswalker. If that permanent was a Nissa planeswalker, draw a card.

  • Most nonbasic lands that produce green mana aren't Forests. For example, Desert of the Indomitable isn't a Forest. Some nonbasic lands (such as Sheltered Thicket from the Amonkhet set) do have basic land types printed on the type line and may be Forests.

Nissa's Encouragement (Planeswalker Deck only)
4G
Sorcery
Search your library and graveyard for a card named Forest, a card named Brambleweft Behemoth, and a card named Nissa, Genesis Mage. Reveal those cards, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.

  • You can find any or all of the cards listed with Nissa's Encouragement. You could even find none, but that wouldn't be very encouraging.
  • Nissa's Encouragement can't be used to find a card with the land type Forest that isn't also named Forest (such as Sheltered Thicket from the Amonkhet set).

Obelisk Spider
1BG
Creature — Spider
1/4
Reach
Whenever Obelisk Spider deals combat damage to a creature, put a -1/-1 counter on that creature.
Whenever you put one or more -1/-1 counters on a creature, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.

  • Obelisk Spider's first triggered ability puts only one -1/-1 counter on the creature, no matter how much combat damage it dealt.
  • If Obelisk Spider deals combat damage to a creature but that creature isn't on the battlefield as Obelisk Spider's first triggered ability resolves, most likely because Obelisk Spider killed that creature already, that ability won't put a -1/-1 counter on it.
  • Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, the counter Obelisk Spider's first triggered ability puts on a creature may cause previously marked damage to become lethal.
  • If Obelisk Spider deals combat damage to a creature at the same time Obelisk Spider is dealt lethal damage, its first triggered ability will put a -1/-1 counter on the other creature. However, because Obelisk Spider has left the battlefield before that ability resolves, its last ability won't trigger.
  • If you put one or more -1/-1 counter on each of multiple creatures at the same time, Obelisk Spider's last ability triggers once for each of those creatures.
  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, Obelisk Spider's last ability causes the opposing team to lose 2 life and you gain 1 life.

Oketra's Last Mercy
1WW
Sorcery
Your life total becomes equal to your starting life total. Lands you control don't untap during your next untap step.

  • For your life total to become your starting life total (normally 20), you gain or lose the appropriate amount of life. For example, if your life total is 4 when Oketra's Last Mercy resolves, it will cause you to gain 16 life; alternatively, if your life total is 25 when it resolves, it will cause you to lose 5 life. Other cards that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.
  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, Oketra's Last Mercy causes the team's life total to become the team's starting life total (normally 30), but only you actually gain or lose life.

Overwhelming Splendor
6WW
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
Creatures enchanted player controls lose all abilities and have base power and toughness 1/1.
Enchanted player can't activate abilities that aren't mana abilities or loyalty abilities.

  • Overwhelming Splendor overwrites all previous effects that set a creature's base power and toughness to specific values. Any power- or toughness-setting effects that start to apply to a creature after Overwhelming Splendor becomes attached to its controller will overwrite this effect. For example, the enchanted player's Riddleform will become a 3/3 creature if player casts a noncreature spell.
  • Effects that modify a creature's power and/or toughness, such as the effect of Titanic Growth, will apply to the creatures no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for any counters that change their power and/or toughness.
  • If an effect grants a creature an ability after Overwhelming Splendor has become attached to its controller, that creature won't lose that ability.
  • If a noncreature permanent becomes a creature, it will lose all abilities it has. However, if the effect that makes that permanent a creature grants it an ability, it will continue to have that ability. For example, the enchanted player's Riddleform will have flying once it becomes a creature.
  • If a creature enters the battlefield under enchanted player's control, any "when [this creature] enters the battlefield" abilities of that creature won't trigger. However, any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities will be applied.
  • If Overwhelming Splendor leaves the battlefield at the same time as a creature enchanted player controls, any "when [this creature] [dies or leaves the battlefield]" abilities of that creature won't trigger.
  • Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip and eternalize) are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") of noncreature permanents are unaffected by the last ability of Overwhelming Splendor.
  • An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate. A loyalty ability is an ability of a planeswalker whose cost specifies how many loyalty counters to give or remove.
  • While the enchanted player can still activate mana abilities and loyalty abilities, creatures that player controls won't normally have any of those abilities to be activated.

Pride Sovereign
2G
Creature — Cat
2/2
Pride Sovereign gets +1/+1 for each other Cat you control.
W, T, Exert Pride Sovereign: Create two 1/1 white Cat creature tokens with lifelink. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

  • Because damage remains marked on a creature until it's removed as the turn ends, the damage Pride Sovereign takes during combat may become lethal if other Cats you control leave the battlefield later in the turn.

Puncturing Blow
2RR
Sorcery
Puncturing Blow deals 5 damage to target creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.

  • Puncturing Blow's replacement effect will exile the target creature if it would die this turn for any reason, not just due to lethal damage. It applies to the target creature even if Puncturing Blow deals no damage to it (due to a prevention effect) or Puncturing Blow deals damage to a different creature (due to a redirection effect).

Quarry Beetle
4G
Creature — Insect
4/5
When Quarry Beetle enters the battlefield, you may return target land card from your graveyard to the battlefield.

  • Quarry Beetle's ability doesn't count as playing a land. It can return a land card to the battlefield even if you've already played as many lands as able this turn.

Ramunap Excavator
2G
Creature — Naga Cleric
2/3
You may play land cards from your graveyard.

  • Ramunap Excavator doesn't change the times when you can play those land cards. You can still play only one land per turn, and only during your main phase when you have priority and the stack is empty.
  • Ramunap Excavator doesn't allow you to activate activated abilities (such as cycling) of land cards in your graveyard.

Ramunap Hydra
3G
Creature — Snake Hydra
3/3
Vigilance, reach, trample
Ramunap Hydra gets +1/+1 as long as you control a Desert.
Ramunap Hydra gets +1/+1 as long as there is a Desert card in your graveyard.

  • Unlike other cards in this set that care only whether you control a Desert or there is a Desert card in your graveyard, Ramunap Hydra's abilities reward you for meeting both conditions. If you control one or more Deserts and have one or more Desert cards in your graveyard, it'll get +2/+2.

Ramunap Ruins
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
T, Pay 1 life: Add R to your mana pool.
2RR, T, Sacrifice a Desert: Ramunap Ruins deals 2 damage to each opponent.

  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, Ramunap Ruins's last ability causes it to deal a total of 4 damage to the opposing team.

Reason
U
Sorcery
Scry 3.
//
Believe
4G
Sorcery
Aftermath
Look at the top card of your library. You may put it onto the battlefield if it's a creature card. If you don't, put it into your hand.

  • For Believe, you put the top card of your library into your hand if you don't put it onto the battlefield for any reason, whether it's not a creature card or whether you just didn't want to put it onto the battlefield.
  • If you don't put the top card of your library onto the battlefield, you don't reveal it before putting it into your hand.

Refuse
3R
Instant
Refuse deals damage to target spell's controller equal to that spell's converted mana cost.
//
Cooperate
2U
Instant
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Copy target instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

  • If a spell has X in its mana cost, include the value chosen for that X when determining the converted mana cost of that spell.
  • Cooperate can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets.
  • The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.
  • If you copy a spell, you control the copy. It will resolve before the original spell does.
  • The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
  • If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen.
  • If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Torment of Hailfire does), the copy will have the same value of X.
  • If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Chandra's Pyrohelix), the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can).
  • The controller of a copy can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy.

Resilient Khenra
1G
Creature — Jackal Wizard
2/2
When Resilient Khenra enters the battlefield, you may have target creature get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is Resilient Khenra's power.
Eternalize 4GG (4GG, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Jackal Wizard with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)

  • The value of X is determined only as Resilient Khenra's triggered ability resolves. Once that happens, the value of X won't change later in the turn even if Resilient Khenra's power changes.
  • If Resilient Khenra leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, use its power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine the value of X.
  • If Resilient Khenra's power is negative as its triggered ability resolves, X is considered to be 0. (This is a change from previous rules.)

Resolute Survivors
1RW
Creature — Human Warrior
3/3
You may exert Resolute Survivors as it attacks. (It won't untap during your next untap step.)
Whenever you exert a creature, Resolute Survivors deals 1 damage to each opponent and you gain 1 life.

  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, Resolute Survivors's last ability causes it to deal a total of 2 damage to the opposing team and you gain 1 life.

Rhonas's Stalwart
1G
Creature — Human Warrior
2/2
You may exert Rhonas's Stalwart as it attacks. When you do, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn and can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less this turn. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

  • Once a creature with power 3 or greater has blocked an exerted Rhonas's Stalwart, changing the power of the blocking creature won't cause Rhonas's Stalwart to become unblocked.

Riddleform
1U
Enchantment
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, you may have Riddleform become a 3/3 Sphinx creature with flying in addition to its other types until end of turn.
2U: Scry 1.

  • Riddleform's first ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger, but after targets for that spell are chosen. It will resolve even if that spell is countered. This means that if a spell affects each creature or each creature you control, it will affect Riddleform if you choose for Riddleform to become a creature, but a spell can't target Riddleform if that spell requires a "target creature."
  • If Riddleform becomes a creature the same turn it enters the battlefield, you can't attack with it or use any of its T abilities (if it gains any).

Ruin Rat
1B
Creature — Rat
1/1
Deathtouch
When Ruin Rat dies, exile target card from an opponent's graveyard.

  • If Ruin Rat dies at the same time as another creature, most likely because they were in combat together, its triggered ability can exile that other card.

Samut, the Tested
2RG
Planeswalker — Samut
4
+1: Up to one target creature gains double strike until end of turn.
−2: Samut, the Tested deals 2 damage divided as you choose among one or two target creatures and/or players.
−7: Search your library for up to two creature and/or planeswalker cards, put them onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.

  • You divide the damage as you activate Samut's second ability, not as it resolves. Each target must be assigned at least 1 damage. In other words, as you activate the ability, you choose whether to have it deal 2 damage to a single target, or deal 1 damage to each of two targets.
  • If Samut's second ability has two targets and one becomes an illegal target, the remaining target is dealt 1 damage, not 2.
  • While resolving Samut's last ability, all of the creatures and planeswalkers put onto the battlefield this way enter at the same time. If any have triggered abilities that trigger on something else entering the battlefield, they'll see each other.

Saving Grace
1W
Enchantment — Aura
Flash
Enchant creature you control
When Saving Grace enters the battlefield, all damage that would be dealt this turn to you and permanents you control is dealt to enchanted creature instead.
Enchanted creature gets +0/+3.

  • Saving Grace's ability has no effect on damage already dealt earlier in the turn.
  • If Saving Grace leaves the battlefield during the turn its triggered ability resolved, damage will continue to be redirected to the creature it enchanted before it left the battlefield. If the creature Saving Grace was last attached to isn't on the battlefield or isn't a creature at the time damage would be dealt, it won't be redirected.
  • More damage can be redirected to the enchanted creature than it has toughness, as long as that damage is all dealt at once (like combat damage is).
  • Saving Grace's redirection effect doesn't change the source of the damage or whether the damage is combat damage.
  • If you have more than one Saving Grace enter the battlefield in one turn, all damage that would be dealt at once to you and/or permanents you control is dealt to one of the enchanted creatures of your choice. It's not dealt to all of them, and you can't split the damage between them.
  • If noncombat damage would be dealt to a planeswalker you control, the planeswalker redirection effect and Saving Grace's redirection effect apply in whichever order you choose. However, no matter which order you choose to apply them in, that damage will be dealt to the enchanted creature instead.

The Scarab God
3UB
Legendary Creature — God
5/5
At the beginning of your upkeep, each opponent loses X life and you scry X, where X is the number of Zombies you control.
2UB: Exile target creature card from a graveyard. Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie.
When The Scarab God dies, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

  • The number of Zombies you control is counted as The Scarab God's first ability resolves. Players can try to change that number in response to the ability (perhaps by activating its second ability).
  • The token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else, except the characteristics it specifically modifies. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into its owner's graveyard.
  • The token is a Zombie instead of its other types (unlike Zombies created by an eternalize ability) and is black instead of its other colors. Its power and toughness are 4/4. These are copiable values of the token that other effects may copy.
  • Unlike the tokens created by an eternalize ability, this token has the mana cost and thus converted mana cost of the card it's copying.
  • If the card copied by the token had any "when [this permanent] enters the battlefield" abilities, then the token also has those abilities and will trigger them when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.
  • In a Two-Headed Giant game, The Scarab God's first ability causes the opposing team to lose life equal to twice the number of Zombies you control, although you scry only equal to the number of Zombies you control.

Scavenger Grounds
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
2, T, Sacrifice a Desert: Exile all cards from all graveyards.

  • The sacrificed Desert will be in your graveyard to be exiled by the last ability of Scavenger Grounds.

The Scorpion God
3BR
Legendary Creature — God
6/5
Whenever a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies, draw a card.
1BR: Put a -1/-1 counter on another target creature.
When The Scorpion God dies, return it to its owner's hand at the beginning of the next end step.

  • You'll draw only one card when a creature with more than one -1/-1 counter on it dies.
  • If a creature with a -1/-1 counter on it dies at the same time as The Scorpion God does, you'll draw a card. The same is true if The Scorpion God dies with a -1/-1 counter on it.

Sifter Wurm
5GG
Creature — Wurm
7/7
Trample
When Sifter Wurm enters the battlefield, scry 3, then reveal the top card of your library. You gain life equal to that card's converted mana cost.

  • Once Sifter Wurm's triggered ability begins to resolve, no player may take other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to change your library after you scry but before you reveal the top card of your library.
  • For cards in your library with X in their mana costs, X is considered to be 0.
  • The converted mana cost of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves.

Solemnity
2W
Enchantment
Players can't get counters.
Counters can't be put on artifacts, creatures, enchantments, or lands.

  • Solemnity doesn't remove any counters players or permanents already have.
  • Solemnity stops counters from being put on an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land as it enters the battlefield, as well as stopping counters from being put on them later.
  • If the cost of an ability or an additional cost of a spell requires putting counters on an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land, that cost can't be paid. If a resolving spell or ability says that a player may put counters on one of those objects, that player can't choose to do so.
  • If a replacement effect allows a player to modify or replace an event by putting counters on an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land, that player may apply that replacement effect. Counters won't be put on the object, but if the original event is entirely replaced (such as by applying Soul-Scar Mage's replacement effect), the original event won't happen.
  • If an artifact, creature, enchantment, or land would enter the battlefield with counters on it at the same time that Solemnity enters the battlefield, Solemnity doesn't stop it from getting those counters.

Struggle
2R
Instant
Struggle deals damage to target creature equal to the number of lands you control.
//
Survive
1G
Sorcery
Aftermath (Cast this spell only from your graveyard. Then exile it.)
Each player shuffles his or her graveyard into his or her library.

  • If a player has no cards in his or her graveyard when Survive resolves, that player just shuffles his or her library.

Sunscourge Champion
2W
Creature — Human Wizard
2/3
When Sunscourge Champion enters the battlefield, you gain life equal to its power.
Eternalize—2WW, Discard a card. (2WW, Discard a card, Exile this card from your graveyard: Create a token that's a copy of it, except it's a 4/4 black Zombie Human Wizard with no mana cost. Eternalize only as a sorcery.)

  • The amount of life you gain is determined as Sunscourge Champion's triggered ability resolves. Players may respond to the ability by attempting to change its power.
  • If Sunscourge Champion leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, use its power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much life to gain. If that number is negative, you don't gain any life and you don't lose any life.

Survivors' Encampment
Land — Desert
T: Add C to your mana pool.
T, Tap an untapped creature you control: Add one mana of any color to your mana pool.

  • To activate the last ability, you may tap any untapped creature you control, including one you haven't controlled continuously since the beginning of your most recent turn. (Note that tapping the creature doesn't use T [the tap symbol].)

Swarm Intelligence
6U
Enchantment
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy.

  • Swarm Intelligence can copy any instant or sorcery spell, not just one with targets.
  • Swarm Intelligence can copy the spell even if it's countered before Swarm Intelligence's triggered ability resolves.
  • The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell (such as Swarm Intelligence's own ability) won't trigger.
  • The copy will have the same targets as the spell it's copying unless you choose new ones. You may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If, for one of the targets, you can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
  • If the spell that's copied is modal (that is, it says "Choose one —" or the like), the copy will have the same mode. A different mode can't be chosen.
  • If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast (like Torment of Hailfire does), the copy will have the same value of X.
  • If the spell has damage divided as it was cast (like Chandra's Pyrohelix), the division can't be changed (although the targets receiving that damage still can).
  • The controller of a copy can't choose to pay any alternative or additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any alternative or additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy.

Tenacious Hunter
2GG
Creature — Crocodile
4/4
As long as a creature has a -1/-1 counter on it, Tenacious Hunter has vigilance and deathtouch.

  • A creature with a -1/-1 counter on it controlled by any player satisfies Tenacious Hunter's ability.
  • If Tenacious Hunter loses vigilance after attacking, it will remain untapped.

Torment of Hailfire
XBB
Sorcery
Repeat the following process X times. Each opponent loses 3 life unless that player sacrifices a nonland permanent or discards a card.

  • If X is 0, Torment of Hailfire resolves with no effect.
  • While resolving Torment of Hailfire, your opponent chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life, then repeats this process if it hasn't been done X times yet. Your opponent can always choose to lose 3 life, even if he or she has cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.
  • Each repetition through this process is done separately. If an opponent sacrifices a creature with an ability that triggers when another creature dies, for example, it will see creatures that are sacrificed before it, but not those are sacrificed after it.
  • State-based actions aren't checked in between repetitions of this process, so the game state may be a little unusual while making the choice. For example, a player may sacrifice a creature and then later sacrifice an Aura that was attached to that creature.
  • In a multiplayer game, each opponent in turn order makes his or her choice once, then all of the actions occur simultaneously, then they repeat this process if it hasn't been done X times yet. Opponents will know choices made by earlier opponents when making their choices, although a card chosen to be discarded this way isn't revealed until it's discarded.
  • >In a Two-Headed Giant game, Torment of Hailfire causes both opponents to sacrifice a nonland permanent, discard a card, or lose 3 life X times. Your opponents can choose the same torment or different ones each time.

Torment of Scarabs
3B
Enchantment — Aura Curse
Enchant player
At the beginning of enchanted player's upkeep, that player loses 3 life unless he or she sacrifices a nonland permanent or discards a card.

  • While resolving the triggered ability of Torment of Scarabs, the enchanted player chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life. That player can always choose to lose 3 life, even if he or she has cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.

Torment of Venom
2BB
Instant
Put three -1/-1 counters on target creature. Its controller loses 3 life unless he or she sacrifices another nonland permanent or discards a card.

  • If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Torment of Venom resolves, the entire spell is countered. The creature's controller won't be tormented.
  • Because state-based actions aren't performed while Torment of Venom is resolving, the target creature is still on the battlefield while its controller is tormented. If that creature has an Aura attached to it, that Aura can be sacrificed.
  • While resolving Torment of Venom, the creature's controller chooses a card to be discarded without revealing it, chooses a nonland permanent to be sacrificed, or chooses to do neither. Then that player discards that card, sacrifices that permanent, or loses 3 life. That player can always choose to lose 3 life, even if he or she has cards to discard or nonland permanents to sacrifice.

Tragic Lesson
2U
Instant
Draw two cards. Then discard a card unless you return a land you control to its owner's hand.

  • You don't choose which land to return to its owner's hand or whether to discard a card instead until you see the two cards you draw.

Uncage the Menagerie
XGG
Sorcery
Search your library for up to X creature cards with different names that each have converted mana cost X, reveal them, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.

  • If you cast Uncage the Menagerie with X as 0, you'll search your library and shuffle it, but you won't be able to find any cards.
  • For cards in your library with X in their mana costs, X is considered to be 0.

Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
4UU
Legendary Creature — Sphinx
4/4
Flying
Sphinx spells you cast cost 2 less to cast.
Whenever Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign or another Sphinx enters the battlefield under your control, reveal the top four cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.

  • To determine the total cost of a Sphinx spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The converted mana cost of the creature remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.
  • Unesh's cost-reduction ability doesn't reduce the cost to cast itself.
  • You (not your opponent) choose which pile to put into your hand and which to put into your graveyard.
  • A pile can have no cards in it. In this case, you'll choose whether to put all the revealed cards into your hand or into your graveyard.
  • In multiplayer games, you choose an opponent to separate the cards when the ability resolves. This doesn't target that opponent. Because the cards are revealed, all players may see the cards and offer opinions.

Unraveling Mummy
1WB
Creature — Zombie
2/3
1W: Target attacking Zombie gains lifelink until end of turn.
1B: Target attacking Zombie gains deathtouch until end of turn.

  • Unraveling Mummy's abilities can target itself while it's attacking.
  • The target Zombie will still have lifelink or deathtouch even after combat when it stops being an attacking creature.
  • Multiple instances of lifelink and deathtouch are redundant.

Vile Manifestation
1B
Creature — Horror
0/4
Vile Manifestation gets +1/+0 for each card with cycling in your graveyard.
Cycling 2 (2, Discard this card: Draw a card.)

  • Vile Manifestation's first ability counts only the cards with cycling abilities in your graveyard. It doesn't care whether or not they were cycled to get there.
  • Vile Manifestation's first ability applies only while it's on the battlefield. In all other zones, its power is 0.

Vizier of the Anointed
3U
Creature — Human Cleric
2/4
When Vizier of the Anointed enters the battlefield, you may search your library for a creature card with eternalize or embalm, put that card into your graveyard, then shuffle your library.
Whenever you activate an eternalize or embalm ability, draw a card.

  • If you activate an eternalize or embalm ability, you'll draw a card before that ability resolves, but after you've paid all of the costs for that ability. If an eternalize ability requires a discard to activate, you'll need to have another card available to discard.

Wasp of the Bitter End (Planeswalker Deck only)
1B
Creature — Insect Horror
2/1
Flying
Whenever you cast a Bolas planeswalker spell, you may sacrifice Wasp of the Bitter End. If you do, destroy target creature.

  • You choose a target for Wasp of the Bitter End's triggered ability right after casting a Bolas planeswalker spell, but you don't choose whether to sacrifice Wasp of the Bitter End or not until that ability resolves. If the creature becomes an illegal target, the entire ability is countered and you can't sacrifice Wasp of the Bitter End.

Wildfire Eternal
3R
Creature — Zombie Jackal Cleric
1/4
Afflict 4 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 4 life.)
Whenever Wildfire Eternal attacks and isn't blocked, you may cast an instant or sorcery card from your hand without paying its mana cost.

  • An ability that triggers when something "attacks and isn't blocked" triggers in the declare blockers step after blockers are declared if (1) that creature is attacking and (2) no creatures are declared to block it. It will trigger even if that creature was put onto the battlefield attacking rather than having been declared as an attacker in the declare attackers step.
  • Wildfire Eternal's second ability resolves before combat damage is dealt, and you must cast a spell at that time if you wish to cast one without paying its mana cost. You can cast a sorcery during the declare blockers step this way.
  • If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, those must be paid to cast the card.
  • If the card has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.

Magic: The Gathering, Magic, Hour of Devastation, Battle for Zendikar, Oath of the Gatewatch, Shadows over Innistrad, Eldritch Moon, Kaladesh, Aether Revolt, and Amonkhet are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the USA and other countries. ©2017 Wizards.

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