Empty City Ruse 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
Target opponent skips all combat phases of their next turn.
Complete guide
Empty City Ruse is a powerful white sorcery that allows you to stall your opponent's aggression for a very low mana cost. By targeting an opponent, you ensure their next turn is devoid of combat, buying you the precious time needed to set up your own win conditions.
What it Does
Empty City Ruse targets a specific opponent and creates a replacement effect that applies during their next turn. This effect causes that player to skip every combat phase they would normally have. Because the card specifies 'all combat phases', it even accounts for additional combat steps granted by other spells or abilities.
How it Resolves
First, you cast Empty City Ruse by paying one white mana and choosing a target opponent. Upon resolution, the game creates a continuous effect tied to that player's next turn. When that player reaches the point in their turn where a combat phase would begin, the game simply skips that entire phase, moving the player directly from their first main phase to their second main phase (or to the end step if no second main phase exists).
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that this spell prevents creatures from attacking via a restriction; in reality, it removes the phase entirely. This means 'at the beginning of combat' triggers will never fire because that point in time never occurs. Additionally, remember that this is a sorcery, so you must cast it during your own main phase to affect your opponent's upcoming turn.
When to Play It
Empty City Ruse is most effective when you are facing an aggressive deck that relies on a massive combat swing to win. It is particularly useful if you need one more turn to find a specific card or if you are preparing to wipe the board on a subsequent turn.
Interaction examples
Open the ArmoryIf you are under heavy pressure, you can cast Open the Armory to find a defensive Aura like Pacifism. However, if you already have the defenses you need and just need to stop a full army, you can use your mana to cast Empty City Ruse instead, ensuring no creatures can swing at you next turn regardless of how many the opponent has.
Steelshaper's GiftIn a deck focused on powerful artifacts, you might use Steelshaper's Gift to find a game-winning Equipment. Since equipping can be mana-intensive, casting Empty City Ruse on the same turn ensures you won't be defeated by a counter-attack before you have the chance to equip and strike back on your next move.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Empty City Ruse
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
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Meta decks with Empty City Ruse
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.