Emergency RegenerationHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

When Emergency Regeneration resolves, every artifact you control on the battlefield gains two specific keywords until the end of the turn: hexproof and indestructible. Hexproof prevents your opponents from targeting your artifacts with spells or abilities, while indestructible ensures they cannot be destroyed by damage or effects that say 'destroy'. Note that this only affects artifacts you control at the moment the spell resolves; any artifacts entering the battlefield later in the turn will not have these benefits.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you cast Emergency Regeneration in response to an opponent's spell or during your own turn. Once it resolves, the game checks which permanents you control are currently artifacts. It then applies a continuous effect to those specific permanents, granting them hexproof and indestructible. This effect lasts until the 'cleanup step' at the very end of the current turn.

Common Mistakes

A common error is thinking this spell protects artifacts from 'exile' effects that do not target. While hexproof stops targeted exile spells like Swords to Plowshares, it does not stop 'sacrifice' effects or mass exile effects like Farewell. Additionally, remember that if a permanent loses its artifact type after the spell resolves, it still keeps the keywords until end of turn, but if it wasn't an artifact when the spell resolved, it gets nothing.

When to Play It

The best time to cast this spell is in response to a removal spell like Path to Exile or a board wipe like Shatterstorm. By waiting until the last possible second, you force your opponent to waste their resources while keeping your board intact. It can also be used offensively during combat to allow your artifact creatures to survive unfavorable blocks.

Interaction examples

Blocking Targeted Exile

Swords to Plowshares

If your opponent casts Swords to Plowshares targeting your artifact creature, you can cast Emergency Regeneration in response. Because your creature gains hexproof, it becomes an illegal target for the opponent's spell. When Swords to Plowshares tries to resolve, it will be removed from the stack with no effect, and you will not gain any life.

Survival Against Path to Exile

Path to Exile

Similar to other targeted spells, if Path to Exile is cast aiming at your artifact, responding with Emergency Regeneration gives that artifact hexproof. The Path to Exile fails to resolve because its target is no longer legal. You keep your artifact and your opponent fails to exile it, meaning you also do not search for a land.