BushwhackHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding the Modal Choice

As you cast Bushwhack, you must choose one of its two modes. The first mode is a classic search effect that finds a basic land card from your library and puts it into your hand. The second mode is a fight effect, allowing a creature you control to deal damage equal to its power to a creature you don't control, and vice versa.

Resolving the Spell Step-by-Step

If you choose the first mode, you search your library, reveal the basic land, put it into your hand, and then shuffle. If you choose the second mode, you must target two creatures: one you control and one you don't. During resolution, both creatures deal damage simultaneously. If either target becomes illegal before the spell resolves, the fight does not happen and no damage is dealt. If both targets become illegal, the spell is removed from the stack and does nothing.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that Bushwhack is a sorcery, meaning you cannot use it as a combat trick during your opponent's turn. Additionally, unlike some other land-search spells, Bushwhack only searches for 'basic' lands. You cannot use it to find non-basic lands even if they have basic land types like Forest or Plains.

When to Play Bushwhack

Early in the game, use Bushwhack to ensure you hit your land drops or to find a specific color of mana your hand is missing. Later in the game, when your mana base is established, it serves as cheap removal to clear blockers or eliminate high-value targets controlled by your opponents.

Interaction examples

Mana Fixing Early Game

Farseek

If your opening hand has only one land and Bushwhack, you can cast it on turn one to find a Basic Forest. This ensures you have the mana to cast Farseek on turn two, which can then pull a non-basic land like a Stomping Ground onto the battlefield tapped.

Aggressive Removal

Nature's Lore

After using Nature's Lore to ramp into a large creature, you can cast Bushwhack for its second mode. By targeting your newly played high-power creature and an opponent's utility creature, you can remove their threat for a single mana while keeping your creature on the board.