Alluring ScentHow it works & interactions with other cards

Forcing the Block

When you cast Alluring Scent, you target a creature you control (or even one you don't). For the remainder of the turn, every creature the defending player controls that is legally able to block that creature must do so. This effect doesn't allow creatures to ignore restrictions like flying or reach; if a creature cannot legally block the target, it simply doesn't block. However, if a block is possible, the 'must' requirement overrides the player's choice to let the creature through.

Resolution Step-by-Step

First, cast Alluring Scent during your main phase and choose your target creature. Once it resolves, the effect is active for the turn. When you move to combat and declare the target creature as an attacker, the game checks all potential blockers during the Declare Blockers step. Any creature that satisfies all blocking requirements (is untapped, has the right keywords, and isn't prevented by other effects) is forced to be assigned as a blocker to your targeted creature.

Common Mistakes

A common error is forgetting that Alluring Scent does not grant the target creature any special protection or the ability to be blocked by more than one creature if it has a restriction. While the spell forces all available creatures to block, it cannot force a tapped creature to block, nor can it force a creature with 'This creature can't block' to enter combat. It only applies to creatures that are 'able' to block at the moment blockers are declared.

When to Play It

This card is best used when you have a high-toughness creature or one with Deathtouch that can survive or trade favorably with multiple blockers. It effectively acts as a board wipe or a distraction. By drawing all blockers to one point, your other attacking creatures will have no blockers assigned to them, allowing you to deal lethal damage directly to the opponent's life total.

Interaction examples

Ramping into the Scent

Cultivate

Early in the game, you use Cultivate to ensure you have the required two Green mana sources and plenty of lands. Once you have a dominant creature on the board, you cast Alluring Scent to force your opponent's utility creatures into a combat they cannot win, effectively using your mana advantage to dismantle their board state.

Fixing for the Kill

Farseek

In a multi-color deck, you use Farseek to find a Forest or a dual land to satisfy the {1}{G}{G} cost of Alluring Scent. After stabilizing your mana, you target your largest creature with Alluring Scent. This forces the opponent to sacrifice their entire defensive line to stop that one creature, leaving them wide open for future attacks.