Forbidden RitualHow it works & interactions with other cards

How It Works

Forbidden Ritual is a repeatable process contained within a single spell resolution. When you cast it, you choose one target opponent. As the spell resolves, you may sacrifice a nontoken permanent you control. If you do, that opponent must choose one of three options: lose 2 life, sacrifice any permanent they control, or discard a card from their hand. You can keep repeating this sacrifice loop as many times as you have nontoken permanents to give up.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you choose the target opponent during the casting phase. Once the spell begins resolving, you decide whether to sacrifice a nontoken permanent. If you decline, the spell ends. If you sacrifice one, the opponent makes their choice. After their choice is processed, the 'repeat this process' clause kicks in. You may choose to sacrifice another nontoken permanent to start the cycle again. Note that you cannot change the target opponent during these repetitions; you must stick with the one chosen during casting.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is attempting to sacrifice tokens to fuel the ritual. The card explicitly requires 'nontoken' permanents, so your 1/1 Soldier or Zombie tokens won't work. Additionally, remember that all sacrifices and choices happen during resolution. Your opponent cannot respond between the repetitions; they must wait until the entire spell has finished resolving and you have finished your loop before they can cast new spells or activate abilities.

Strategic Timing

This card is most effective when you have a surplus of lands or cheap permanents and your opponent is low on resources. Because it allows for repeated sacrifices, it can serve as a finisher or a way to strip the last few cards from an opponent's hand. It is best used when the board state is stable, allowing you to convert your less useful permanents into direct pressure.

Interaction examples

Clearing the Path

Victimize

If you have several low-impact creatures, you can use Forbidden Ritual to force an opponent to sacrifice their only blockers or discard their answers. After the Ritual resolves and the board is clear, you can follow up with Victimize, sacrificing your last small creature to bring back two heavy hitters from your graveyard to an undefended battlefield.

Maximizing Resource Pressure

Toxic Deluge

First, cast Toxic Deluge to wipe the board of small creatures, including your opponent's tokens. With the board cleared of 'chump' sacrifices, cast Forbidden Ritual. Since the opponent has fewer permanents, each sacrifice you make is more likely to force them to discard cards or lose life, as they have no unimportant permanents left to sacrifice.