Absolving Lammasu 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
Flying When this creature enters, all suspected creatures are no longer suspected. When this creature dies, you gain 3 life and suspect up to one target creature an opponent controls. (A suspected creature has menace and can't block.)
Complete guide
Absolving Lammasu is a versatile white creature that brings peace to your board while causing trouble for your enemies. By clearing suspicions when it arrives and punishing opponents when it falls, it dictates the flow of combat with ease. This flying Golem-like protector ensures that your defense is restored while your opponent's guard is dropped.
What it Does
Absolving Lammasu features two triggered abilities. First, when it enters the battlefield, it removes the 'suspected' status from every creature currently on the board. Second, when it dies, it provides a life point cushion and allows you to mark an opponent's creature as suspected, giving that creature menace and preventing it from blocking indefinitely.
How it Resolves Step by Step
When Absolving Lammasu enters, its first ability goes on the stack and, upon resolution, immediately removes the suspected state from all creatures; they lose menace and regaining the ability to block. When it dies, its second ability triggers. You choose up to one target creature an opponent controls. If the target is legal as the ability resolves, you gain 3 life and that creature becomes suspected. If the target becomes illegal, the entire ability fails and you do not gain any life.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that 'suspected' is a keyword ability that can be removed by effects that take away abilities. While a suspected creature losing its abilities will lose menace and the blocking restriction, it remains 'suspected' until it leaves the battlefield or an effect specifically clears the status. Also, remember that 'suspected' is not a copiable value; a clone of a suspected creature will not be suspected itself.
When to Play It
Play Absolving Lammasu when your own creatures have been suspected and you need them to block again. Its death trigger is best saved for your opponent's most dangerous blocker, ensuring your follow-up attacks can push through for lethal damage.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Lammasu' chosen as the creature type, Absolving Lammasu's abilities trigger twice. When it enters, it clears suspicions twice (though the second time does nothing). When it dies, you can target two different creatures to suspect and gain a total of 6 life.
Solemn SimulacrumIn a deck utilizing death triggers, you can block with both creatures. As Absolving Lammasu dies, you gain 3 life and suspect an opponent's creature, while Solemn Simulacrum lets you draw a card. This allows you to stabilize your life total and set up an unblockable path for your next turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Absolving Lammasu
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You don't have to choose a target for Absolving Lammasu's last ability. However, if you do, and that permanent is an illegal target at the time the ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won't gain life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
When an effect suspects a creature, it becomes suspected. It gains menace and "This creature can't block" for as long as it's suspected. It stays suspected until it leaves the battlefield or another effect causes it to no longer be suspected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a suspected creature loses all abilities, it will lose menace and "This creature can't block", but it won't stop being suspected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Being suspected isn't a copiable value. If a permanent becomes a copy of a suspected creature, it won't be suspected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature is already suspected, suspecting it again won't have any effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
There's no limit to the number of creatures that can be suspected simultaneously. Suspecting a new creature doesn't cause other creatures to stop being suspected.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Absolving Lammasu
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