Death Kiss 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
Whenever a creature an opponent controls attacks one of your opponents, double its power until end of turn.: Monstrosity X. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put X +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.) When this creature becomes monstrous, goad up to X target creatures your opponents control.
Complete guide
Death Kiss is a high-stakes Beholder that turns your opponents' skirmishes into lethal encounters. By rewarding other players for attacking each other and goading the pacifists, it ensures the battlefield remains a chaotic bloodbath.
Power in Political Aggression
The primary ability of Death Kiss triggers whenever a creature controlled by an opponent attacks another opponent. When this resolves, that creature gains a bonus to its power equal to its current power at that moment, effectively doubling it until end of turn. This effect happens during the declare attackers step, meaning the creature will deal its newly doubled damage during the combat damage step.
Unleashing Monstrosity
For {X}{X}{R}, you can make Death Kiss monstrous. This is a one-time upgrade that places X +1/+1 counters on it. Once it becomes monstrous, it triggers a secondary ability to goad up to X target creatures your opponents control. Goaded creatures are forced to attack if able, and they must attack a player other than you if possible, perfectly setting up more power-doubling triggers.
Resolution and Timing
When the monstrosity ability resolves, the game checks if Death Kiss is still on the battlefield and not already monstrous. If it is, it gains the counters and the 'monstrous' status. The goad ability then triggers as a separate object on the stack. Note that doubling power provides a flat +X/+0 bonus based on the creature's power at the time of resolution; if the creature's power changes later in the turn, the bonus from Death Kiss remains the same.
Interaction examples
Goldspan DragonAn opponent attacks another opponent with Goldspan Dragon. Two triggers go on the stack: the Dragon's Treasure creation and Death Kiss's power doubling. After both resolve, the opponent has a new Treasure and a 10/4 flying Dragon heading toward your other rival. If you later make Death Kiss monstrous using the Treasures for mana, you can goad the Dragon to ensure it keeps attacking your opponents.
Etali, Primal StormWhen an opponent attacks another opponent with Etali, Primal Storm, Death Kiss triggers and resolves, giving Etali +6/+0. The Elder Dinosaur is now a 12/6. Even if Etali's owner casts a spell from exile that buffs Etali further, the +6/+0 from Death Kiss stays locked in because it calculated the bonus specifically when its trigger resolved.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Death Kiss
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To double a creature's power, it gets +X/+0, where X is its power as that ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Once a creature becomes monstrous, it can't become monstrous again. If the creature is already monstrous when the monstrosity ability resolves, nothing happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Monstrous isn't an ability that a creature has. It's just something true about that creature. If the creature stops being a creature or loses its abilities, it will continue to be monstrous.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers when a creature becomes monstrous won't trigger if that creature isn't on the battlefield when its monstrosity ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Death Kiss
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