Spirit of the Labyrinth is pretty straightforward, but can be a bit confusing when it comes to multiple draws and replacement effects like Blood Scrivener's ability. Learn some interesting rules stuff in today's explanation!
Category: Static Abilities
Removing or adding first strike or double strike mid-combat.
Losing first strike or double strike after dealing damage doesn't let a creature deal regular damage in the next step... because that just wouldn't make sense!
Cube week! Mishra’s Factory can block Daxos, then pump itself.
We're running a Cube week for the new year! Up for today: Don't let your Daxos be gobbled up by a Mishra's Factory that can block as a 2/2, then damage as a 3/3!
Abilities, Characteristics, Control / Controller, State-Based Actions, Static Abilities, Type Changing
Mind Control and Gods: Not a Great Idea
So your opponent is staring you down with an active , or maybe his is online and giving you the business. Your board is fairly barren, but you’ve got a nice little in your hand, and you’re ready to turn that threat into an answer! Well, you shouldn’t. Devotion is a static ability on the […]
Melira Can’t Stop Herself From Entering With -1/-1 Counters
is a central piece in the Melira-Pod combo, letting you sacrifice Persist creatures left and right and having them come back nonstop (and healthy as a to boot) because of her nifty ability that just hates -1/-1 counters. She shuts down Infect and Wither too, and plays well with creatures that enter with -1/-1 counters […]
To stop Underworld Connections with Pithing Needle, you should probably name Swamp.
Underworld Connections doesn't actually have any activated abilities, so naming that card with Pithing Needle won't do anything good. Instead, name the land that Underworld Connections is enchanting, because that's what gains the activated ability!
How “Protection from a chosen player” works
Protection from a player? What does that even mean?? We explain that for you because of the new unique card True-Name Nemesis!
Brave the Elements, Gods Willing, and Auras
Back when Zendikar block was still in standard, was one of my favorite cards. We may have that back, but we also have , which grants protection to just one of your creatures, but that creature needn’t be white (plus you get to Scry 1). Now, we’re also in a Standard heavy with Auras and […]
Bestow and Cost Modification
All right, the dust from Theros has more or less settled, and everyone’s got a pretty good feel for the mechanics. But there are some nitpicky things that might not come up often, that you’re unsure how to handle. For example, when does a spell cast for its Bestow cost ‘count’ as the appropriate kind […]