Grab the Reins 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
Choose one — • Until end of turn, you gain control of target creature and it gains haste. • Sacrifice a creature. Grab the Reins deals damage equal to that creature's power to any target. Entwine(Choose both if you pay the entwine cost.)
Complete guide
Grab the Reins is a versatile red instant that allows you to temporarily command your opponent's best creature or hurl a threat directly at a target for lethal damage. By utilizing the Entwine mechanic, you can combine these effects to steal a creature and immediately sacrifice it for a devastating blow. This card offers incredible flexibility in combat, functioning as both a removal spell and a finishing move.
Understanding the Modes
Grab the Reins offers two distinct choices. The first mode targets a creature to give you control and haste until the end of the turn. The second mode requires you to sacrifice a creature to deal damage to any target equal to that creature's power. If you pay the Entwine cost of {2}{R}, you perform both actions in the order they are listed on the card.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you cast the spell, you choose your mode(s) and targets. If you choose the sacrifice mode, you must choose the target for the damage immediately, but you do not choose which creature to sacrifice until the spell actually resolves. During resolution, if Entwined, you first gain control of the target creature. Then, you choose a creature you control to sacrifice. Finally, the spell deals damage to its target based on the sacrificed creature's power.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is thinking you can attack with a stolen creature before sacrificing it when using Entwine. Because the spell resolves as a single event, you do not receive priority between gaining control and sacrificing. Additionally, if you choose the sacrifice mode and all your creatures are removed from the battlefield in response, the spell will resolve but deal no damage as there was nothing to sacrifice.
Strategic Timing
Since Grab the Reins is an instant, it is an excellent response to an opponent's attack. You can steal a blocker to disrupt their combat math or sacrifice a creature that was already targeted by a removal spell like Chaos Warp to ensure you still get value from it before it leaves the battlefield.
Interaction examples
You cast Grab the Reins with Entwine, targeting an opponent's 5/5 creature. Upon resolution, you gain control of it, and then immediately sacrifice it to deal 5 damage to the opponent. The creature is gone, and they took damage from their own ally.
Deflecting SwatIf you cast Grab the Reins targeting a creature to steal, your opponent might cast Deflecting Swat to change the target to one of their other creatures. However, if you chose the sacrifice mode, they can change the target of the damage, but they cannot force you to sacrifice a specific creature, as that choice is made only when the spell resolves.
Chaos WarpIf your opponent casts Chaos Warp on your largest creature, you can respond by casting Grab the Reins using the sacrifice mode. You sacrifice the creature to deal damage to a target before Chaos Warp resolves. When Chaos Warp tries to resolve, its target is gone, and the spell fizzles, though you successfully converted your dying creature into direct damage.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Grab the Reins
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you pay the entwine cost, you can sacrifice the creature you gain control of with Grab the Reins.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you choose the “sacrifice a creature” mode, you choose the target of the damage on announcement, but don’t choose what to sacrifice until resolution. You must sacrifice a creature when Grab the Reins resolves, even if you don’t want to. If you don’t control any creatures at that time, Grab the Reins deals no damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast this with Entwine, you don’t get priority in the middle of resolution. You can’t steal something, do anything (like attack with it), and then sacrifice it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Grab the Reins + Serra Avatar
- 1Cast Grab the Reins by paying
, sacrificing Serra Avatar and dealing damage equal to Serra Avatar's power to target opponent with a life total equal to or less than your life total. - 2The opponent loses the game due to having 0 or less life.
Grab the Reins + Soul of Eternity
- 1Cast Grab the Reins by paying , sacrificing Soul of Eternity and dealing damage equal to Soul of Eternity's power to target opponent with a life total equal to or less than your life total.
- 2The opponent loses the game due to having 0 or less life.
Grab the Reins + Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer
- 1Cast Grab the Reins by paying , sacrificing Angelic Enforcer and dealing damage equal to Angelic Enforcer's power to target opponent with a life total equal to or less than your life total.
- 2The opponent loses the game due to having 0 or less life.
Body of Research + Grab the Reins
- 1Cast Body of Reaserch by paying
, creating a 0/0 Fractal creature token with a number of +1/+1 counters equal to your library size. - 2Cast Grab the Reins by paying and sacrificing the Fractal, dealing damage equal to the Fractal's power to an opponent.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Grab the Reins
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.