FlattenHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Flatten is a targeted removal spell that applies a -4/-4 penalty to a single creature until the end of the turn. Unlike spells that 'destroy' a creature, Flatten reduces its power and toughness. If a creature's toughness reaches 0 or less due to this effect, the creature is put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. This makes it particularly effective against creatures with Indestructible, as they can still die from having 0 toughness.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you cast Flatten, you must choose a legal target creature. Upon resolution, the game checks if the target is still legal. If it is, the creature immediately receives the -4/-4 modification. This penalty lasts until the cleanup step of the current turn. If the creature had 4 or less toughness, it will die immediately after the spell finishes resolving. If it survives, it will deal less damage in combat and be easier to finish off with other sources of damage or effects.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is trying to use Flatten on a creature with Protection from Black or Shroud, which are illegal targets. Additionally, players often forget that -4/-4 is not the same as damage; the creature's toughness is actually lowered. This means that if a creature has an effect that prevents damage, Flatten will ignore that protection entirely. However, if the target gains Hexproof in response to the spell being cast, Flatten will fail to resolve.

When to Play It

Flatten is best used during the combat phase or at the end of your opponent's turn. Using it during combat can turn a favorable block into a lethal one for your opponent, or save your own creatures by weakening an attacker. Because it is an instant, you can hold up mana and wait to see if your opponent commits more resources to a single creature before you shrink it down to size.

Interaction examples

Stacking Removal Types

Fell the Profane // Fell Mire

If an opponent attempts to protect a large creature from destruction effects, you can use Flatten to lower its stats first. If the creature survives the -4/-4, you can then follow up with Fell the Profane // Fell Mire to destroy it. Alternatively, if a creature has Indestructible, Fell the Profane // Fell Mire will not work, making Flatten the primary way to remove it by reducing its toughness to 0.

Managing Resources

Deadly Rollick

In a scenario where you are facing multiple threats, you might use Flatten to handle a creature with 4 toughness while saving your Deadly Rollick for a larger threat or a creature that needs to be exiled. If you control your commander, you can cast Deadly Rollick for free, allowing you to cast Flatten on the same turn to clear two problematic creatures from the board simultaneously.