Dispatch 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
Tap target creature. Metalcraft — If you control three or more artifacts, exile that creature.
Complete guide
Dispatch is a powerful white instant that rewards players for surrounding themselves with machinery. At its worst, it's a temporary stall, but in an artifact-heavy deck, it becomes one of the most efficient removal spells in Magic history.
The Power of Metalcraft
The primary function of Dispatch is determined by your artifact count. It always targets a creature, but the result depends on whether you have Metalcraft. If you have fewer than three artifacts, the creature is simply tapped. If you have three or more, the creature is exiled permanently.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you cast Dispatch, you choose a target creature. Upon resolution, the game checks your artifact count. If you meet the Metalcraft requirement of three artifacts, you first tap the creature and then immediately exile it. Note that the check for Metalcraft happens only when the spell resolves, not when it is cast.
When to Dispatch
Because it only costs one white mana, Dispatch is best used in decks featuring many artifacts like equipment or artifact creatures. It is an excellent defensive tool to stop an attacker or an offensive tool to remove a blocker forever, provided your board state is sufficiently mechanical.
Common Mistakes
A common error is thinking you must have three artifacts to cast the spell; you don't, but it will only tap the creature. Another mistake is losing your artifacts in response to the spell. If an opponent destroys your artifacts while Dispatch is on the stack and you drop below three, the creature will only be tapped, not exiled.
Interaction examples
Swords to PlowsharesWhile Swords to Plowshares exiles a creature at the cost of giving the opponent life, Dispatch with Metalcraft exiles the creature with no benefit provided to the opponent. If you have three artifacts, Dispatch is strictly more efficient as it leaves the opponent with nothing.
Path to ExilePath to Exile is a staple because it exiles for one mana, but it lets the opponent search for a land. If you control three artifacts, Dispatch provides the same exile effect without ramping your opponent's mana base, making it the superior choice for artifact-centric strategies.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Dispatch
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you control three or more artifacts when Dispatch resolves, you'll tap the creature, then exile it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Dispatch
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.