Aboleth Spawn is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
Flash WardProbing Telepathy — Whenever a creature entering under an opponent's control causes a triggered ability of that creature to trigger, you may copy that ability. You may choose new targets for the copy.
Complete guide
Aboleth Spawn is a specialized blue creature that turns your opponents' best utility creatures against them. With Flash and Ward 2, it can surprise your enemies and stick around to benefit from every 'enters-the-battlefield' ability they attempt to resolve.
How Probing Telepathy Works
Aboleth Spawn has a triggered ability that watches for other creatures entering the battlefield under an opponent's control. Specifically, it looks for triggered abilities of the entering creature itself. These are typically identified by words like 'when', 'whenever', or 'at'. When such a creature enters and its own ability triggers, Aboleth Spawn puts a new trigger on the stack that allows you to copy that ability.
The Stack and Resolution
When an opponent's creature enters, their trigger goes on the stack first. Then, Aboleth Spawn's ability triggers and goes on the stack above it. When Aboleth Spawn's ability resolves, you create a copy of the opponent's ability. This copy is placed at the top of the stack, meaning your copy will always resolve before the opponent's original ability does. You can choose new targets for your copy if the ability requires them.
Important Limitations
Aboleth Spawn only copies abilities of the creature that is actually entering the battlefield. It does not copy 'static' effects, such as a creature entering with counters or entering as a copy of something else. Additionally, if the ability is modal (offering a choice of bullets), your copy will use the exact same mode your opponent chose; you cannot pick a different one.
Strategic Timing
Because Aboleth Spawn has Flash, you can cast it in response to a creature spell on the stack. However, to copy a trigger, Aboleth Spawn must already be on the battlefield when the opponent's creature actually enters. It is best used as a preventative measure or a surprise response to a massive utility creature being cast.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf your opponent plays Solemn Simulacrum while you control Aboleth Spawn, the Golem's 'enters' ability triggers. Aboleth Spawn then triggers. You get to search your library for a basic land and put it onto the battlefield tapped first. Then, your opponent gets to do the same with their original trigger. Note that if the Golem dies, you do not get to copy the 'dies' trigger, as Aboleth Spawn only cares about creatures entering.
Roaming ThroneRoaming Throne has a static ability ('As this creature enters') where the opponent chooses a creature type. Aboleth Spawn cannot copy this choice because it is not a triggered ability. However, if the opponent already controls Aboleth Spawn and plays a creature that triggers, and Roaming Throne causes that creature to trigger twice, Aboleth Spawn will see both triggers and allow you to copy each of them individually.
If an opponent tries to target Aboleth Spawn with a removal spell, they must pay an additional {2} due to Ward. This makes it difficult for opponents to remove the Spawn before their own creatures enter the battlefield, ensuring you get at least one chance to copy a powerful ability.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Aboleth Spawn
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Triggered abilities use the words "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition],[effect]."
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Effects that modify how a creature enters the battlefield are not triggered abilities and are not affected by Aboleth Spawn's ability. These include (but aren't limited to) entering the battlefield as a copy of another permanent, entering the battlefield with counters, and entering the battlefield tapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Aboleth Spawn's ability will always go on the stack on top of the entering creature's triggered ability that caused it to trigger. The copy it creates will be created on the stack on top of the entering creature's triggered ability and the copy will resolve before that ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Aboleth Spawn's ability cares only about triggered abilities of the creature that's entering, not abilities of other permanents that trigger when that creature enters the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
The copy will have the same targets as the ability 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).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If the ability is modal (that is, it has a bulleted list of choices), the copy will have the same mode(s). You can't choose new ones.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Aboleth Spawn
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