Fade AwayHow it works & interactions with other cards

How it Works

When Fade Away resolves, every player must address each creature they control individually. For each creature, the controller has two choices: pay {1} or sacrifice a permanent. This applies to you as well! You are not limited to sacrificing only creatures; you can sacrifice lands, artifacts, or enchantments to satisfy the requirement if you cannot or do not want to pay the mana.

Resolution Step by Step

First, each player counts the total number of creatures they currently control. Starting with the active player (whose turn it is) and proceeding in turn order, each player announces how they will handle the cost for each of their creatures—deciding which will be paid for and which permanents will be sacrificed. Although choices are announced sequentially, all sacrifices occur simultaneously. You may activate mana abilities during this process to pay the {1} costs. Crucially, because the sacrifices happen all at once, you cannot sacrifice a creature to 'pay' for itself to avoid the tax on other creatures.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is thinking you can sacrifice a creature to reduce the total cost before the spell finishes. Since the number of payments required is locked in based on the creatures you control at the start of resolution, sacrificing a creature as the 'permanent' choice for its own tax doesn't lower the tax for your other creatures. Another mistake is forgetting that this affects the caster too; make sure you have enough mana or expendable permanents before casting it.

When to Play It

Fade Away is most effective when your opponent has tapped out to play multiple creatures. It forces them to lose their board or their lands. It is also a powerful answer to decks that generate many tokens, as the tax quickly exceeds the amount of mana a player can feasibly produce.

Interaction examples

Basic Board Control

You cast Fade Away while your opponent controls three 1/1 Soldier tokens and two lands. If they have no mana available, they must sacrifice three permanents. They can choose to sacrifice the three tokens, two lands and one token, or any other combination of three permanents they control.

Searching for Answers

Fabricate

If you are facing an overwhelming army, you might use Fabricate to search for a mana-producing artifact like a Sol Ring to ensure you have the mana to pay for your own creatures before casting Fade Away, ensuring your board survives while your opponent's does not.

Managing Resources

Windfall

After casting Windfall to fill everyone's hands and potentially draw into more mana, you can cast Fade Away. This is effective if Windfall gave your opponent more creatures to play; you can then use Fade Away to punish them for overextending while you utilize your new hand to pay your own costs.