The new Magic: The Gathering set, Zendikar Rising, features the return of the game’s sneakiest creature type: rogues! Just like in D&D, rogues in Magic are known for their stealth; they may be small, but they’re often difficult to block in combat. Build a deck full of rogues, and the damage can add up quickly.
But that’s not all! When a rogue successfully deals combat damage to a player, you’ll often reap big rewards. To learn more, let’s take a look at rogues’ signature keyword ability: prowl.
What is Prowl?
Prowl is an alternate casting cost for spells with the “rogue” type. It was first introduced in Morningtide, a set in the tribal-focused Lorwyn block, and it recently reappeared on Zendikar Rising Commander Deck card Enigma Thief.
If you dealt combat damage with a creature that shares a type with a spell with prowl, you’ll have the option of casting it for its prowl cost instead of its regular mana cost. In most cases, the prowl cost is lower than the card’s mana cost, and casting a card for its prowl cost can sometimes trigger additional abilities that benefit you.
Note: You don’t have to cast a card for its prowl cost if you don’t want to. Like kicker — the ability we covered last week — prowl is intended to provide added flexibility to your spells, so use that flexibility to your advantage!
LEARN MORE
Check out the rest of our keyword ability primers:
Banding
Companion
Cycling
Deathtouch
Equip
First Strike & Double Strike
Flash
Flying & Reach
Haste
Hexproof
Indestructible
Kicker
Lifelink
Mutate
Phasing
Trample
Vigilance