Sometimes, you need a spell to go off more than once. That’s where replicate comes in! I’ll explain as we figure out… What is Replicate? Replicate appears on instants and sorceries, and it allows you to copy those spells as many times as you want. As an additional cost to cast the spell, you may pay the replicate cost any …
Training – MTG Keywords Explained
Innistrad: Crimson Vow is out now, and we’re here to break down some of the set’s new mechanics. Sometimes you learn best from a good example, and training is a mechanic that captures that flavor quite well. What is Training? Whenever a creature with training attacks, if there is another attacking creature that has greater power than it, the creature …
Cleave – MTG Keywords Explained
Innistrad: Crimson Vow is out now, and we’re here to break down the set’s new mechanics. This new keyword may seem complex, but once you get it down, you’ll appreciate the flexibility. What is Cleave? All cleave cards have an amount of rules text that appears in square brackets. If you pay the normal mana cost for the spell, you …
Exploit – MTG Keywords Explained
With Innistrad: Crimson Vow coming up, we’re delving into the set’s mechanics, including an old favorite that first appeared in Dragons of Tarkir. Exploit perfectly encapsulated the Silumgar clan’s ruthlessness, and it complements the necromancers of Innistrad nicely. What is Exploit? Exploit appears on creatures as an “enter the battlefield” ability. Whenever a creature with exploit ETBs, you may choose …
Haunt – MTG Keywords Explained
Halloween may be behind us, but we’re covering another spooky MTG mechanic today: haunt! What is Haunt? Haunt appears on creatures, instants, and sorceries. For creatures, haunt triggers when the card goes to the graveyard from the battlefield; for instants and sorceries, it triggers after they resolve. When Haunt triggers, you exile the card with haunt from the graveyard “attached” …
Bloodthirst – MTG Keywords Explained
Just in time for spooky season, we’re covering a mechanic that will make your creatures scary-big: bloodthirst! What is Bloodthirst? Bloodthirst works a little differently than most combat-focused mechanics. Instead of rewarding you for dealing damage with a specific creature, bloodthirst makes your creatures bigger if other creatures have dealt damage first. Bloodthist is always written as “Bloodthirst X.” If …
Combo Crash Course: Splinter Twin
For many Magic players, combo decks offer the most exciting and interesting way to play the game. They appeal to us on many levels: the cheeky thrill of “getting away with something”, the intellectual satisfaction of winning at one stroke, as though cutting the Gordian knot. Combos also embody the creativity and discovery inherent to CCGs, giving players the chance …
Transmute – MTG Keywords Explained
Ever wish you could exchange a card in your hand for another card in your deck? Now you can with transmute! What is Transmute? The transmute ability comes into play whenever you have a card with transmute in your hand. At sorcery speed (in your main phase with nothing on the stack), you may pay the transmute cost and discard …
Dredge – MTG Keywords Explained
Today, we’ll review the most controversial graveyard mechanic in Magic: The Gathering: Dredge! What is Dredge? Dredge may be a powerful mechanic, but it’s actually pretty simple in practice. If a card with dredge is in your graveyard, and you would draw a card for any reason, you may instead return the card with dredge to your hand by putting …
30 Essential Cards for Your Commander Collection
When you first get into Commander, the format can be extremely overwhelming. Aside from the sheer volume of different commanders available, the number of playable cards feels innumerable. Some cards see more play than most, however, due to their universal usefulness. There are even a few that are so prominent, some players would go so far as to call them …