Angel of the Dire Hour 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 Flying When this creature enters, if you cast it from your hand, exile all attacking creatures.
Complete guide
Angel of the Dire Hour is a powerful defensive tool that can completely shift the momentum of a game in a single turn. With the ability to appear out of nowhere, this Angel provides a clean answer to even the most aggressive board states. Understanding the timing of its entry is crucial to maximizing its impact on the battlefield.
A Celestial Board Wipe
Angel of the Dire Hour features a devastating enters-the-battlefield trigger that exiles all attacking creatures. Because it has Flash, you can play it during your opponent's combat phase to remove their threats permanently. Note that this ability only triggers if the Angel was cast from your hand; putting it onto the battlefield through other means will not trigger the exile effect.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you must cast the spell from your hand, usually during the Declare Attackers, Declare Blockers, or Combat Damage steps. Second, the Angel enters the battlefield, and its ability checks if it was cast from hand. If successful, the ability goes on the stack. Finally, when the ability resolves, every creature currently designated as 'attacking' is moved to the exile zone.
Common Timing Mistakes
A common error is waiting until the Main Phase 2 to cast the Angel. Once the combat phase ends, creatures are no longer considered 'attacking,' and the ability will do nothing. Additionally, if an effect puts the card directly into play without you paying its costs or specifically 'casting' it, the exile trigger will not occur at all.
When to Strike
The best time to cast Angel of the Dire Hour is during the Declare Blockers step. This allows you to see how your opponent attacks before deciding to wipe their board. You can even wait until the End of Combat step if you want to let damage happen first—perhaps to trigger your own 'when this creature deals damage' effects—while still exiling the attackers before they stop being valid targets.
Interaction examples
Avacyn, Angel of HopeIf your opponent attacks with Avacyn, Angel of Hope, traditional destruction spells will fail because she is indestructible. However, by casting Angel of the Dire Hour during the combat phase, you can exile her. Exiling does not destroy, so Avacyn's protection does not save her from being removed from the game.
Sun TitanEven if a creature has Vigilance, like Sun Titan, it is still considered an 'attacking creature' from the moment it is declared as an attacker until the end of the combat phase. If you cast Angel of the Dire Hour after your opponent attacks with Sun Titan, the Titan will be exiled despite being untapped.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Angel of the Dire Hour
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Creatures that were declared as attackers or entered the battlefield attacking continue to be attacking creatures until the combat phase ends. It’s possible to exile all attacking creatures after they’ve dealt combat damage if you cast Angel of the Dire Hour during the combat damage step or end of combat step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast Angel of the Dire Hour outside of combat, its triggered ability will trigger but have no effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability instructs you to put Angel of the Dire Hour onto the battlefield from your hand, that means you won’t have cast it, so its triggered ability won’t trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Angel of the Dire Hour
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.