Braids, Arisen Nightmare 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
At the beginning of your end step, you may sacrifice an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. If you do, each opponent may sacrifice a permanent of their choice that shares a card type with it. For each opponent who doesn't, that player loses 2 life and you draw a card.
Complete guide
Braids, Arisen Nightmare is a powerhouse in sacrifice-themed decks, offering a consistent way to pressure your opponents' life totals while refueling your hand. This legendary creature forces your rivals into a difficult choice: lose their own resources or grant you a significant advantage. Understanding how to maximize her end-step trigger is key to dominating the table.
Sacrifice for Value
At the beginning of your end step, you may choose to sacrifice one of five specific card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. You make this choice as the ability resolves, meaning you don't have to decide which card to sacrifice (or even if you want to sacrifice anything at all) until the trigger is actually resolving. Once you sacrifice a permanent, the ability checks its card types to set the stakes for your opponents.
The Opponent's Dilemma
After you sacrifice a permanent, each opponent must decide whether to sacrifice a permanent they control that shares at least one card type with yours. If you sacrifice an artifact creature, your opponents have the flexibility to sacrifice either an artifact OR a creature. If an opponent cannot or chooses not to sacrifice a matching permanent, they immediately lose 2 life and you draw a card. Note that you draw a card for each opponent who chooses not to sacrifice, potentially netting you three cards in a four-player game.
Strategic Timing
Because this trigger happens during your end step, it is one of the last things that occurs on your turn. This makes it an excellent way to dispose of permanents that have already served their purpose or have 'death' triggers. If an opponent has an empty board of a certain type—such as no enchantments—sacrificing an enchantment is a guaranteed way to force the life loss and card draw.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumAt your end step, you choose to sacrifice Solemn Simulacrum to Braids's ability. Because Solemn Simulacrum is both an artifact and a creature, each opponent must sacrifice either an artifact or a creature to prevent you from drawing. Regardless of their choice, Solemn Simulacrum's own 'dies' trigger will go on the stack, allowing you to draw one card from the Golem and potentially more cards from Braids if your opponents fail to match the sacrifice.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Nightmare', Braids's end-step ability triggers twice. During the resolution of the first trigger, you may sacrifice a permanent to force your opponents to match it or give you a card. Then, the second trigger resolves, allowing you to sacrifice another permanent (or nothing at all). This interaction can quickly drain the table's resources and fill your hand.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Braids, Arisen Nightmare
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the permanent that you sacrifice as you resolve Braids's triggered ability has more than one card type, each opponent may choose to sacrifice any permanent they control that shares any card type with it. For example, if the permanent you sacrifice is an artifact creature, one opponent might choose to sacrifice an artifact and another opponent might choose to sacrifice a creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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