Assassin's Trophy 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
Destroy target permanent an opponent controls. Its controller may search their library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Complete guide
Assassin's Trophy is one of the most versatile removal spells in Magic: The Gathering, offering a low-cost solution to almost any threat on the board. While it grants your opponent a resource in exchange for their permanent, its ability to hit lands, planeswalkers, and creatures alike makes it a staple in Golgari decks.
Universal Removal
The primary function of Assassin's Trophy is to destroy target permanent an opponent controls. Unlike many other removal spells, it does not have restrictions on the type of permanent; you can target anything from a pesky enchantment to a problematic nonbasic land. However, as part of the resolution, the permanent's controller has the option to search their library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield untapped.
Resolution and Indestructible
A key interaction involves the keyword 'indestructible'. If you target a permanent that is indestructible, Assassin's Trophy will attempt to destroy it and fail. Because the target was still legal when the spell resolved, the opponent still gets to search for a basic land, even though their permanent stayed on the battlefield. Conversely, if the target becomes illegal before resolution (for example, by gaining hexproof or leaving the battlefield), the entire spell fails, and no land search occurs.
Strategic Timing
Since Assassin's Trophy gives your opponent a basic land, it is often best played when the tempo swing of losing their permanent outweighs the benefit of them gaining an extra mana source. Using it on an opponent's turn during their upkeep or end step is common. If your opponent has no basic lands left in their library, they simply shuffle (if they chose to search) and get nothing, making it even stronger in the late game.
Interaction examples
Heroic InterventionIf you cast Assassin's Trophy targeting an opponent's creature and they respond with Heroic Intervention, the creature gains indestructible. When Assassin's Trophy resolves, it sees a legal target but cannot destroy it. The creature survives, but the opponent still searches for a basic land because the spell resolved successfully.
Beast WithinBoth spells can target any permanent. While Beast Within leaves the opponent with a 3/3 Beast token immediately, Assassin's Trophy provides a basic land. Assassin's Trophy is more efficient at two mana but can accelerate the opponent's mana base, whereas Beast Within is a three-mana spell that provides a physical threat they can attack or block with.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Assassin's Trophy
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the target permanent is a legal target but isn't destroyed, most likely because it has indestructible, its controller may search their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Assassin's Trophy tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player searches their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the permanent's controller doesn't search their library, they don't shuffle their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the target permanent is a legal target but isn't destroyed, most likely because it has indestructible, its controller may search their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If the permanent's controller doesn't search their library, they don't shuffle their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If the target permanent is an illegal target by the time Assassin's Trophy tries to resolve, the spell doesn't resolve. No player searches their library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Assassin's Trophy
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.