Coma VeilHow it works & interactions with other cards

What Coma Veil Does

Coma Veil is an Aura that can enchant either an artifact or a creature. Its primary function is a static ability: the enchanted permanent does not untap during its controller's untap step. It does not tap the permanent itself when it enters the battlefield, nor does it stop the permanent from using activated abilities that don't require tapping.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When you cast Coma Veil, you choose a target artifact or creature. If the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield attached to that permanent. From that moment forward, as long as the Aura remains attached, the enchanted permanent is skipped whenever its controller would normally untap their permanents at the start of their turn. If the permanent is already untapped when Coma Veil is cast, it will remain untapped until something else causes it to tap, at which point it will stay tapped indefinitely.

Common Mistakes

A frequent misconception is that Coma Veil immediately taps the target; it does not. If you enchant an untapped creature, that creature can still block or attack until it is tapped by an effect or cost. Additionally, players often forget that this affects artifacts too. If an artifact has a powerful tap ability, Coma Veil will prevent that ability from being reused once the artifact is tapped.

When to Play It

Coma Veil is best used against 'voltron' style decks or decks relying on high-cost artifacts. Because it doesn't leave the battlefield, it is an excellent answer to commanders or engines that are difficult to destroy but require untapping to be effective. It is also a great defensive tool in Limited formats to neutralize a single large blocker or attacker.

Interaction examples

Locking Down Utility Artifacts

Bident of Thassa

If your opponent controls Bident of Thassa and activates its ability to force your creatures to attack, the Bident becomes tapped. If you then cast Coma Veil on the Bident of Thassa, it will not untap during the opponent's next untap step. This effectively prevents them from using the forced-attack activation again until they find a way to remove the Aura or untap the artifact through other means.

Targeting Untapped Permanents

Kindred Discovery

You can legally cast Coma Veil targeting an untapped Kindred Discovery because it is an Enchantment Artifact. Even though the artifact is currently untapped, the Aura attaches successfully. The static ability of Kindred Discovery will still function, but if another effect (like an opponent's spell) causes Kindred Discovery to become tapped, Coma Veil will then prevent it from ever untapping naturally.