Fear of SurveillanceHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

As a Nightmare Enchantment Creature, Fear of Surveillance functions both as a creature that can fight and an enchantment that may interact with other 'enchantments matter' effects. Its Vigilance keyword allows it to attack without tapping, meaning it remains available as a blocker during your opponent's next turn. Most importantly, it features an attack trigger: whenever it is declared as an attacker, you Surveil 1, allowing you to filter the top card of your library.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you enter the Declare Attackers step, you choose Fear of Surveillance as an attacking creature. Because it has Vigilance, you do not tap it. Immediately after attackers are declared, the Surveil trigger is put onto the stack. This happens before your opponent can declare blockers. You then look at the top card of your library; you may choose to leave it on top or put it into your graveyard. Once the trigger resolves, the game proceeds to the Declare Blockers step.

Common Mistakes

A common mistake is forgetting that Surveil occurs during the attack, not when damage is dealt. If your opponent has a way to remove the creature, they must do so before it attacks to prevent the Surveil trigger. Additionally, remember that as an Enchantment Creature, it is vulnerable to both creature removal and enchantment removal spells, such as effects that target artifacts or enchantments specifically.

When to Play It

Fear of Surveillance is best played in the early game to establish a board presence while fixing your future draws. It excels in decks that care about the graveyard, as it provides a free way to put cards there every turn. Because it has Vigilance, it is also a safe choice when you need to pressure your opponent's life total while keeping a defender back to protect your own.

Interaction examples

Early Game Pressure and Mana Fixing

Ornithopter of Paradise

If you have Ornithopter of Paradise on the battlefield, you can use its mana ability to help cast Fear of Surveillance early. Once both are out, you can attack with Fear of Surveillance to Surveil, looking for specific lands or spells, while keeping the Ornithopter of Paradise untapped to produce mana for a second spell during your post-combat main phase.

Taxing the Opponent's Responses

Esper Sentinel

When you attack with Fear of Surveillance, the Surveil trigger goes on the stack. If your opponent tries to cast a noncreature spell to destroy Fear of Surveillance in response, Esper Sentinel's ability will trigger. This forces the opponent to pay extra mana or let you draw a card, making their attempt to stop your Surveil value very costly.