Aura ShardsHow it works & interactions with other cards

Natural Destruction

Aura Shards features a triggered ability that triggers whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control. This includes not just creature spells you cast, but also tokens and creatures put directly onto the battlefield by other effects. Because the ability uses the word 'may', you are never forced to destroy your own permanents if your opponents have none, but you must still choose a legal target if you wish to use the effect.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, a creature enters the battlefield under your control. This causes the Aura Shards ability to trigger and go on the stack. Second, you choose a target artifact or enchantment to destroy. Players then have a chance to respond. Finally, as the ability resolves, you decide whether or not to destroy the target. If the target is no longer legal when the ability tries to resolve, the entire ability fails and no action is taken.

Strategic Timing

Since Aura Shards triggers on any creature entry, it is most effective in decks that can produce multiple creatures in a single turn. It excels at dismantling 'pillow fort' strategies or artifact-heavy ramp decks. Remember that the trigger happens after the creature is already on the battlefield, so the creature itself can be used for other costs or effects immediately after the destruction occurs.

Interaction examples

Dismantling the Tithe

Smothering Tithe

If your opponent controls Smothering Tithe, you can cast a creature spell. When that creature enters the battlefield, Aura Shards triggers. You target the Smothering Tithe. Upon resolution, the enchantment is destroyed, preventing your opponent from generating any more Treasure tokens from your card draws.

Double Value Entry

Garruk's Uprising

Suppose you have both Aura Shards and Garruk's Uprising on the battlefield. You cast a creature with power 4 or greater. Two triggers go on the stack: the 'draw a card' trigger from the Uprising and the 'destroy' trigger from Aura Shards. You can choose the order. This allows you to destroy a problematic artifact like a Cursed Totem before the draw trigger resolves if necessary.

Token Production

Smothering Tithe

Even though Smothering Tithe creates Treasure tokens, which are artifacts, Aura Shards only triggers when a 'creature' enters. Creating a Treasure token will not trigger Aura Shards. However, if an opponent's Smothering Tithe creates a Treasure, you can trigger Aura Shards by playing your own creature to destroy that Treasure token immediately.