Cipher is the mechanic associated with House Dimir from the recent Return to Ravnica block: spells with Cipher allow you to ‘encode’ them onto a creature, and cast a copy of the spell for free every time the creature connects with an opponent. Heroic is one of the mechanics from the more-recent Theros set, which triggers any time you cast a spell targeting your Heroic creature. How do the two interact?

Well, some of the Cipher spells target a creature. Obviously, when you cast those aimed at your own Hero, it’ll trigger (for example, if you use Hidden Strings to untap your Agent of the Fates, or if you use Stolen Identity to make a copy of it. However, that’s not all that will make Heroic fire off! While encoding the spell doesn’t target (so on your initial casting of the Cipher spell, it’s only going to trigger your creature once), the copies that it makes in exile are cast, unlike most other copies. Since these copies are cast, they are capable of triggering Heroic further. So if you encode a creature-targeting spell onto one of your creatures, you can churn out a Heroic trigger as often as you can deal combat damage to your opponent!

Today’s Rules Tip written by Trevor Nunez