Detritivore 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
Detritivore's power and toughness are each equal to the number of nonbasic land cards in your opponents' graveyards. Suspend X—. X can't be 0. (Rather than cast this card from your hand, you may pay
Complete guide
Detritivore is a unique Lhurgoyf that punishes opponents who rely heavily on nonbasic lands. By utilizing its Suspend ability, you can methodically dismantle your opponent's mana base before the creature even enters the battlefield.
What Detritivore Does
Detritivore's power and toughness are dynamic, scaling with the number of nonbasic land cards in all opponents' graveyards. While in your hand, you can pay a variable amount of mana (X plus 3R) to exile it with X time counters. The key to its strength lies in its triggered ability: every time a time counter is removed while it is suspended, you get to destroy a target nonbasic land.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you Suspend Detritivore, you pay the cost and exile it; this action does not use the stack. At the beginning of each of your upkeeps, the Suspend trigger goes on the stack to remove a time counter. Once that counter is removed, Detritivore's own ability triggers, allowing you to target and destroy a nonbasic land. When the final counter is removed, two triggers happen: the land-destruction ability and the ability to cast Detritivore for free. You choose the order these resolve on the stack.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is forgetting that the land-destruction trigger is mandatory. If your opponents control no nonbasic lands, you must target a nonbasic land you control if one is available. Additionally, remember that power and toughness only count nonbasic lands in opponents' graveyards, not your own. Finally, if the casting trigger is countered when the last counter is removed, Detritivore remains in exile forever and is no longer considered 'suspended.'
When to Play It
Detritivore is most effective in slower, controlling matchups where you can afford to wait several turns for it to resolve. It is a powerhouse against 'Greedy' mana bases that lack basic lands. By choosing a high value for X, you can systematically lock an opponent out of their colors or utility lands while growing Detritivore's future stats with every land you destroy.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you Suspend Detritivore for X=3, you plan to destroy three lands. While waiting, you play Solemn Simulacrum to ensure you have enough basic lands on your own battlefield, protecting your mana base in case your opponent finds a way to force you to target your own lands with Detritivore's mandatory ability.
Roaming ThroneIf you name 'Lhurgoyf' as Roaming Throne enters, Detritivore's abilities will trigger an additional time. However, this only applies while Detritivore is a permanent on the battlefield. Because the land-destruction ability triggers while Detritivore is a suspended card in exile, Roaming Throne does not double those specific triggers.
Suppose your opponent has four nonbasic lands in their graveyard (perhaps from Evolving Wilds or previous destruction). If Detritivore resolves, it enters as a 4/4 creature. If its own Suspend ability just destroyed a fifth nonbasic land, it will be a 5/5 immediately upon hitting the battlefield, and it gains haste from the Suspend keyword.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Detritivore
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If this is suspended, then when the last time counter is removed from it, both its triggered ability and the "you may cast this spell" part of the suspend ability will trigger. They can be put on the stack in either order.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Suspend is a keyword that represents three abilities. The first is a static ability that allows you to exile the card from your hand with the specified number of time counters (the number before the dash) on it by paying its suspend cost (listed after the dash). The second is a triggered ability that removes a time counter from the suspended card at the beginning of each of your upkeeps. The third is a triggered ability that gives you the option to cast the card when the last time counter is removed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You can exile a card in your hand using suspend any time you could cast that card. Consider its card type, any effects that modify when you could cast it (such as flash) and any other effects that stop you from casting it (such as from Meddling Mage's ability) to determine if and when you can do this. Whether you could actually complete all steps in casting the card is irrelevant. For example, you can exile a card with suspend that has no mana cost or that requires a target even if no legal targets are available at that time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Cards exiled with suspend are exiled face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Exiling a card with suspend isn't casting that card. This action doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If the spell requires any targets, those targets are chosen when the spell is finally cast, not when it's exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a "suspended card," that means a card that (1) has suspend, (2) is in exile, and (3) has one or more time counters on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If the first triggered ability of suspend (the one that removes time counters) is countered, no time counter is removed. The ability will trigger again at the beginning of the card's owner's next upkeep.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
When the last time counter is removed, the second triggered ability of suspend (the one that lets you cast the card) triggers. It doesn't matter why the last time counter was removed or what effect removed it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If the second triggered ability is countered, the card can't be cast. It remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Due to a recent rules change to suspend, you are no longer required to cast the suspended card as the second triggered ability of suspend resolves. Instead, as the second triggered ability resolves, you may cast the card. Timing permissions based on the card's type are ignored. If you don't cast the card, it remains exiled with no time counters on it, and it's no longer suspended.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," such as with suspend, you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those if you want to cast the card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If the card has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
The mana value of a spell cast without paying its mana cost is determined by its mana cost, even though that cost wasn't paid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
A creature cast using suspend will enter the battlefield with haste. It will have haste until another player gains control of it. (In some rare cases, another player may gain control of the creature spell itself. If this happens, the creature won't enter the battlefield with haste.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #16· Wizards of the Coast
The triggered ability is mandatory. If no other player has any nonbasic lands on the battlefield, you must target one of your own.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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