Cryptic Cruiser 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
Devoid (This card has no color.), Put a card an opponent owns from exile into that player's graveyard: Tap target creature.
Complete guide
Cryptic Cruiser is a versatile Eldrazi Processor that excels at controlling the battlefield by tapping down threats. As a colorless creature thanks to Devoid, it bypasses protection from colors while turning your opponent's exiled cards into a valuable resource. Mastering its ability requires understanding the movement of cards between zones and the unique nature of Eldrazi processing.
Understanding Devoid
Even though Cryptic Cruiser requires blue mana to cast, the Devoid keyword means it has no color at all times and in all zones. It is a colorless object, meaning it cannot be targeted by spells that target only colored creatures and is not affected by cards that provide bonuses to specific colors. If an effect later tries to give it a color, it will lose its colorlessness in favor of that new color, but otherwise, it remains purely colorless regardless of the mana used to summon it.
Processing Step-by-Step
To activate the tap ability, you must first pay two generic and one blue mana. As part of the activation cost, you must also choose a card owned by an opponent that is currently in the exile zone and move it to their graveyard. Finally, you choose a legal target creature to tap. If the chosen exiled card is face-down, you cannot look at it; instead, you must choose a group of face-down cards (based on how they were exiled) and select one at random to process.
Common Mistakes
Players often forget that you can only process cards owned by an opponent, not your own exiled cards. Additionally, if a replacement effect like Anafenza, the Foremost is on the battlefield, the card you try to 'process' will attempt to go to the graveyard but will be sent right back to exile. Interestingly, you can still activate the ability in this scenario because the card technically becomes a new object in exile, satisfying the requirement of being 'put' into the graveyard even if it never stays there.
Strategic Timing
The best time to use Cryptic Cruiser is during your opponent's Beginning of Combat step. By tapping their most dangerous attacker before they declare attackers, you can effectively neutralize their turn. Since the ability uses the stack, you can also respond to spells or other abilities, provided you have the mana and the 'fuel' in the exile zone to pay the cost.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf your opponent controls a Solemn Simulacrum and you have a card of theirs already in exile, you can pay {2}{U} and move their exiled card to their graveyard. You target Solemn Simulacrum with the ability. Upon resolution, the Simulacrum is tapped, preventing it from attacking or being used as a blocker during your next turn.
Roaming ThroneIf your opponent has a Roaming Throne on the battlefield, you can use Cryptic Cruiser to tap it. However, because Roaming Throne has Ward {2}, you must pay an additional {2} generic mana when the ward ability triggers or your tap ability will be countered. Note that Roaming Throne's double-trigger ability does not affect Cryptic Cruiser, as the Cruiser's tap effect is an activated ability, not a triggered one.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cryptic Cruiser
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Cards with devoid use frames that are variations of the transparent frame traditionally used for Eldrazi. The top part of the card features some color over a background based on the texture of the hedrons that once imprisoned the Eldrazi. This coloration is intended to aid deckbuilding and game play.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A card with devoid is just colorless. It’s not colorless and the colors of mana in its mana cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Other cards and abilities can give a card with devoid color. If that happens, it’s just the new color, not that color and colorless.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Devoid works in all zones, not just on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a card loses devoid, it will still be colorless. This is because effects that change an object’s color (like the one created by devoid) are considered before the object loses devoid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability requires that you put more than one exiled card into the graveyard, you may choose cards owned by different opponents. Each card chosen will be put into its owner’s graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If a replacement effect will cause cards that would be put into a graveyard from anywhere to be exiled instead (such as the one created by Anafenza, the Foremost), you can still put an exiled card into its opponent’s graveyard. The card becomes a new object and remains in exile. In this situation, you can’t use a single exiled card if required to put more than one exiled card into the graveyard. Conversely, you could use the same card in this situation if two separate spells or abilities each required you to put a single exiled card into its owner’s graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t look at face-down cards in exile unless an effect allows you to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Face-down cards in exile are grouped using two criteria: what caused them to be exiled face down and when they were exiled face down. If you want to put a face-down card in exile into its owner’s graveyard, you must first choose one of these groups and then choose a card from within that group at random. For example, say an artifact causes your opponent to exile their hand of three cards face down. Then on a later turn, that artifact causes your opponent to exile another two cards face down. If you use Wasteland Strangler to put one of those cards into their graveyard, you would pick the first or second pile and put a card chosen at random from that pile into the graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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