Behind the Scenes 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
Creatures you control have skulk. (They can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.): Creatures you control get +1/+1 until end of turn.
Complete guide
Behind the Scenes is a unique Orzhov-colored enchantment that allows your small creatures to slip past enemy lines with ease. By granting your entire board the skulk keyword, it ensures that your opponents' massive blockers stay sidelined while your army chips away at their life total.
Understanding Skulk
Behind the Scenes provides a static ability that gives all creatures you control skulk. This means a creature you control cannot be blocked by any creature with a power value greater than its own. Additionally, it features an activated ability costing four generic and one white mana to buff your team with +1/+1 until end of turn, allowing you to transition from evasion to finishing the game.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you enter the declare blockers step, the game checks the power of your attacking creatures against potential blockers. If a creature you control has skulk, any blocker with higher power is simply ineligible to be declared as a blocker. This check only occurs once; if a blocker is legally declared, changing the power of either creature afterward will not undo the block.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is using the activated ability before blockers are declared. If you increase your creatures' power, they may become eligible to be blocked by larger creatures they previously would have evaded. Conversely, if a creature's power is reduced to zero or less, its skulk still functions, but it will deal no combat damage and won't trigger 'deals combat damage' abilities.
When to Play
This card is best utilized in aggressive decks with many low-power creatures. Since it affects all creatures you control, it creates a persistent threat that forces your opponent to have specific small blockers. The white activation should be saved for after blockers are declared to maximize damage or used during the opponent's turn to bolster your defenses.
Interaction examples
Smothering TitheWhile Smothering Tithe is on the battlefield, your opponents drawing cards generates Treasure tokens. You can sacrifice five of these Treasures to pay for the activated ability of Behind the Scenes, giving your creatures +1/+1 without tapping any lands.
Phyrexian ArenaWith Phyrexian Arena providing extra card draw each turn, you are more likely to find small, efficient creatures to benefit from Behind the Scenes. If you draw into multiple creatures, the skulk ability immediately applies to them as they enter the battlefield, allowing for a wide, unblockable board state while your card advantage grows.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Behind the Scenes
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Skulk matters only as blockers are chosen. Modifying either creature’s power after blockers are chosen won’t cause the attacking creature to become unblocked.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you cause a creature to have 0 power or less, use the actual value (which may be negative) to determine whether it can block or be blocked. A creature with skulk and 0 or less power most likely won’t be blocked, but it won’t deal combat damage and won’t trigger any abilities that trigger when combat damage is dealt.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Behind the Scenes
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.