Fall of the Gavel 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
Counter target spell. You gain 5 life.
Complete guide
Fall of the Gavel is a versatile Azorius instant that provides both a powerful defensive maneuver and a significant life point cushion. By combining a hard counter with a life gain effect, it allows you to stabilize the board state while stopping your opponent's most dangerous plays.
What It Does
Fall of the Gavel is a five-mana counterspell that targets any spell currently on the stack. Upon successful resolution, the targeted spell is removed from the stack and put into its owner's graveyard, and you immediately gain 5 life.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you must choose a legal target spell on the stack and pay the mana cost of {3}{W}{U}. When the spell attempts to resolve, it checks if the target is still legal. If the target is still there, the spell is countered, and the controller of Fall of the Gavel gains 5 life. If the target spell has left the stack before resolution, Fall of the Gavel is removed from the stack with no effect.
Common Mistakes
The most frequent error involves the life gain component. Because the life gain is part of the spell's resolution, you only gain the life if the spell actually resolves. If the spell you were trying to counter is removed by another effect (like another player countering it first), Fall of the Gavel will not resolve, and you will not gain the 5 life.
When to Play It
This card is best utilized in control decks that need to survive into the late game. While five mana is a high cost for a counterspell, the 5 life gain is substantial enough to move you out of the 'danger zone' against aggressive decks while simultaneously stopping their finishing blow.
Interaction examples
Akroma's WillYour opponent casts Akroma's Will to give their creatures protection and double strike for a lethal swing. You cast Fall of the Gavel targeting Akroma's Will. When Fall of the Gavel resolves, Akroma's Will is countered and your opponent's creatures remain vulnerable, plus you gain 5 life to further secure your survival.
Force of WillYou cast Fall of the Gavel on an opponent's spell. In response, the opponent casts Force of Will targeting Fall of the Gavel. Force of Will resolves first, countering your Fall of the Gavel. Because your spell was countered and never resolved, you do not gain any life and the original spell your opponent cast will still happen.
If you cast Fall of the Gavel on a spell, and another player also casts Force of Will on that same spell, the Force of Will resolves first and counters the target. When Fall of the Gavel tries to resolve, its target is gone. The spell is removed from the stack due to having an illegal target, and you gain 0 life.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Fall of the Gavel
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You must be able to target a spell to cast Fall of the Gavel.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the target spell is an illegal target when Fall of the Gavel tries to resolve (perhaps because it’s been countered by another spell), Fall of the Gavel won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won’t gain 5 life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Fall of the Gavel
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.