DecimateHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding the Targets

To cast Decimate, you must be able to choose four legal targets: one artifact, one creature, one enchantment, and one land. If any of these four types are not present on the battlefield, you cannot cast the spell at all. It is important to note that you can target the same permanent for multiple requirements if it shares types, such as an artifact creature or an enchantment creature, but you must still provide a target for all four categories listed on the card.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, you announce Decimate and choose all four targets simultaneously. If the spell is successfully cast and begins to resolve, it checks if the targets are still legal. As long as at least one of the targets remains legal, Decimate will resolve and destroy all remaining legal targets. If all four targets become illegal (for example, if they are sacrificed or gain hexproof in response), the entire spell will fail to resolve and be put into the graveyard without doing anything.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A frequent error is trying to cast Decimate when there are no enchantments or artifacts on the board. Unlike spells that say 'up to,' Decimate is mandatory; you cannot skip a category. Additionally, remember that you can target your own permanents if necessary. If your opponent has the only enchantment and they remove it in response to your spell, the rest of your targets will still be destroyed as long as they remain legal.

Strategic Timing

Because Decimate requires a land as a target, it is often used to set an opponent back on mana while also removing their board presence. It is best played mid-game when the board has developed enough to provide legal targets for all four categories. Watch out for opponents with sacrifice outlets, as they may try to remove one of your targets to disrupt your plans, though the spell only fully fails if every single target is removed.

Interaction examples

Managing Targets with Legate Lanius

Legate Lanius, Caesar's Ace

If your opponent controls Legate Lanius, Caesar's Ace, an artifact, an enchantment, and a land, you can cast Decimate targeting all four. When Decimate resolves, Legate Lanius is destroyed along with the other three permanents. Because the destruction happens simultaneously, Legate Lanius's second ability will not trigger for the other permanents being destroyed, as they are not being sacrificed.

Recovering After a Big Play

Cultivate

After you cast Decimate to destroy an opponent's land, creature, artifact, and enchantment, they may be struggling for resources. You can follow up with Cultivate to pull further ahead in the mana race. This ensures that while your opponent has lost a land to Decimate, you are continuing to ramp your own resource base to cast even larger threats.

Doubling Up on Resource Growth

Kodama's Reach

In a game where you have used Decimate to cripple an opponent's board, using Kodama's Reach allows you to thin your deck and guarantee your land drops. If Decimate destroyed a key utility land of your opponent, the combination of land destruction and your own land search creates a massive gap in available mana between you and your opponent.