Descendant of Storms 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 this creature attacks, you may pay. If you do, it endures 1. (Put a +1/+1 counter on it or create a 1/1 white Spirit creature token.)
Complete guide
Descendant of Storms is a versatile one-mana creature that allows you to expand your board or strengthen your army as the game progresses. Its ability to endure provides strategic flexibility, turning a simple soldier into a scaling threat or a source of flying reinforcements.
What It Does
Descendant of Storms has a triggered ability that fires whenever it attacks. By paying an optional cost of one generic and one white mana, you invoke the 'endure' mechanic. This keyword allows you to choose between placing a +1/+1 counter on the creature itself or creating a 1/1 white Spirit creature token.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you declare Descendant of Storms as an attacker, the ability is put onto the stack. You do not pay the mana yet. As the ability resolves, you decide whether to pay the cost. If you pay, you then choose which endure option to take. Note that you cannot pay the cost multiple times for a single attack to get both effects; you get exactly one choice per trigger.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that you must choose the effect before your opponent responds. In reality, the choice to place a counter or create a token happens during resolution. Also, if Descendant of Storms is removed from the battlefield in response to the trigger, you can still pay the mana, but you will be forced to create the Spirit token since you cannot place counters on a permanent that is no longer there.
When to Play It
This card is excellent in aggressive decks that need to maintain pressure. Early in the game, it serves as a cheap attacker. Later, it acts as a mana sink that builds a wide board of fliers or a tall creature that can survive larger blockers.
Interaction examples
Ornithopter of ParadiseYou have Descendant of Storms and Ornithopter of Paradise on the battlefield. You attack with the Soldier and tap the Thopter for one white mana. You pay the cost of the trigger and choose to put a +1/+1 counter on Descendant of Storms, making it a 2/2 permanent threat.
Esper SentinelWith Esper Sentinel on board, you attack with Descendant of Storms and pay for the endure trigger. By choosing to put a +1/+1 counter on Descendant of Storms, you strengthen your board, or you can choose to create a Spirit token. While this doesn't directly buff the Sentinel, having more creatures allows you to keep attacking while the Sentinel stays back to tax your opponent's spells.
SpiritOn your turn, you attack an opponent who has a large ground blocker. You pay the endure cost and choose to create a 1/1 white Spirit token. Even if Descendant of Storms is blocked and defeated, you have successfully added a flying creature to your board to bypass their defenses on the next turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Descendant of Storms
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t pay the cost for the triggered ability more than once each time it triggers.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You choose whether to put +1/+1 counters on the creature or create a Spirit token as the ability that includes the endure instruction is resolving. No player may take actions between the time you choose and the time that counters are added or tokens are created.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If you can’t put +1/+1 counters on the creature for any reason as an endure ability resolves (for example, if the creature is no longer on the battlefield), you’ll just create a Spirit token.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a noncreature permanent is instructed to endure, the effect is the same. You can put +1/+1 counters on that permanent or create a Spirit token.
Card named in this ruling
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Descendant of Storms
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