DroughtHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Drought imposes a mandatory additional cost on both spells and activated abilities. For every black mana symbol appearing in a spell's mana cost or an ability's activation cost, the player must sacrifice a Swamp. This applies to each individual symbol; for example, a spell costing two black mana requires sacrificing two Swamps in addition to paying the mana. It also features a cumulative-style upkeep cost of two white mana to keep the enchantment on the battlefield.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When a player announces they are casting a black spell or activating an ability with black mana symbols, follow these steps: First, determine the total cost by adding the additional sacrifice requirement to the mana cost. Second, the player must have enough Swamps to satisfy the cost; if they cannot sacrifice the required number of Swamps, the action is illegal and the game state is reversed. Finally, the player sacrifices the Swamps and pays the mana simultaneously as part of the total cost before the spell or ability is officially cast or activated.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error involves confusion over what constitutes an activated ability. Drought only affects abilities formatted as 'Cost: Effect.' It does not affect triggered abilities, such as those that begin with 'When,' 'Whenever,' or 'At.' Additionally, players often forget that hybrid mana symbols containing black count as black mana symbols, even if the player intends to pay for them with a different color of mana. Lastly, remember that Drought itself has a triggered upkeep cost; if you don't pay two white mana during your upkeep, it must be sacrificed immediately.

When to Play It

Drought is best utilized in dedicated white control decks that can easily afford the upkeep cost. It is a sideboard staple against decks reliant on Swamps, effectively locking them out of the game. Even against decks with only a splash of black, it can prevent key utility creatures from using their abilities or stop high-impact black spells from resolving.

Interaction examples

Maintaining the Tax

Smothering Tithe

If you have Smothering Tithe and Drought on the battlefield, Drought will not affect the triggered ability of Smothering Tithe because it does not contain a colon. However, you must still pay two white mana during your upkeep to keep Drought active. The Treasure tokens generated by Smothering Tithe can help you pay for Drought's upkeep cost, but they cannot be sacrificed to satisfy the 'Sacrifice a Swamp' requirement imposed on black spells.

Layering Defenses

Ghostly Prison

With both Ghostly Prison and Drought in play, an opponent playing a black creature deck faces a nightmare. To attack you, they must pay two mana per creature due to Ghostly Prison. To even cast those black creatures in the first place, Drought forces them to sacrifice a Swamp for every black mana symbol in the creature's cost. This combination effectively attacks both the opponent's mana pool and their land base simultaneously.