Den of the Bugbear 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
If you control two or more other lands, this land enters tapped.: Add
.
Complete guide
Den of the Bugbear is a versatile utility land from the Adventures in the Forgotten Realms set that provides late-game pressure. As one of the cycle of 'creature lands,' it serves as a reliable mana source early on and a threatening attacker once your hand is empty.
Land and Creature Synergy
This land enters the battlefield untapped if you control zero or one other lands, making it an excellent play on your first two turns. Once you pay its activation cost, it becomes a 3/2 Goblin creature while retaining its land type. Importantly, it gains a triggered ability that generates a 1/1 Goblin token every time it is declared as an attacker.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you pay the mana cost of three generic and one red mana to activate the ability. Upon resolution, the land transforms into a creature. When you move to the combat phase and declare it as an attacker, its new triggered ability goes on the stack. When that trigger resolves, you place a 1/1 red Goblin token onto the battlefield already tapped and attacking, bypasssing the need to declare the token itself as an attacker.
Timing and Summoning Sickness
A common mistake involves the timing of the transformation. Even though it is a land, if it entered the battlefield this turn, it will have summoning sickness once it becomes a creature. You must have controlled the permanent continuously since the start of your turn to attack with it or tap it for mana after it becomes a creature.
Strategic Multi-Activations
If you have excess mana, you can activate the ability multiple times. According to official rulings, each activation grants an additional instance of the token-generating triggered ability. This means if you activate it twice, one attack will result in two 1/1 tokens entering the battlefield.
Interaction examples
Den of the Bugbear
Command TowerIf you control one Command Tower and play Den of the Bugbear, it enters the battlefield untapped because you control fewer than two other lands. However, if you already control a Command Tower and an Exotic Orchard, the Den will enter tapped.
GoblinYou activate Den of the Bugbear and declare it as an attacker. The ability triggers, creating a 1/1 Goblin token. Even if the opponent destroys the Den of the Bugbear later in the turn, the 1/1 Goblin token remains on the battlefield as a permanent creature.
Exotic OrchardIf an effect causes Den of the Bugbear and Exotic Orchard to enter the battlefield at the same time, the Den does not 'see' the Orchard. It only checks lands already on the battlefield, so it will enter untapped even if the Orchard is your second land.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Den of the Bugbear
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Den of the Bugbear enters the battlefield at the same time as one or more other lands, it doesn't take those lands into consideration when determining how many other lands you control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you turn Den of the Bugbear into a creature but haven't controlled it continuously since your most recent turn began, you won't be able to activate its mana ability or attack with it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If Den of the Bugbear's last ability is activated multiple times in one turn, it will have multiple instances of the triggered ability that it grants. For example, if you activate it twice and attack, you will create two 1/1 red Goblin creature tokens that are tapped and attacking.
Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Den of the Bugbear
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.