Hollowmurk SiegeHow it works & interactions with other cards

Choosing Your Path

As Hollowmurk Siege enters the battlefield, you must choose either Sultai or Abzan. This is not a triggered ability and does not use the stack, meaning your opponent cannot react to the choice itself once the spell resolves. If the enchantment enters the battlefield in a way that bypasses being cast, such as through a return-to-battlefield effect, you still make the choice as it enters.

The Sultai Connection

If you choose Sultai, the enchantment tracks counters being placed on your creatures. This triggers when a +1/+1 counter is added via an effect, or even if a creature enters the battlefield with counters already on it. However, keep in mind this ability is limited to once per turn, ensuring you get one solid card draw during your own turn or potentially an opponent's turn if you can place counters at instant speed.

The Abzan Offensive

Choosing Abzan turns the enchantment into a combat engine. Whenever you declare an attack, the ability triggers and targets one of your attacking creatures. That creature receives a permanent +1/+1 counter and gains menace until the end of the turn. This makes it significantly harder for your opponent to block effectively, as they will need at least two creatures to stop your buffed attacker.

Strategic Considerations

It is important to remember that if Hollowmurk Siege is copied by another permanent that was already on the battlefield, the copy will not have a choice associated with it and therefore will have no functional abilities. Additionally, if you have multiple copies of this enchantment, each one tracks its own 'once per turn' limit for the Sultai ability independently.

Interaction examples

Sultai Card Draw

With Hollowmurk Siege on the battlefield and Sultai chosen, you cast a spell that puts a +1/+1 counter on your creature. The Sultai ability triggers immediately, allowing you to draw a card. If you attempt to put another counter on a creature later that same turn, the ability will not trigger again.

Abzan Combat Pressure

During your turn, you move to the combat phase and declare two creatures as attackers. The Abzan ability triggers. You choose one of those attacking creatures as the target. That creature gets a +1/+1 counter and menace. Now, your opponent must commit two blockers to that specific creature if they want to block it at all.

Interaction with Other Enchantments

Phyrexian ArenaGarruk's Uprising

You have Phyrexian Arena and Garruk's Uprising in play, providing consistent card draw and trample. By playing Hollowmurk Siege and choosing Abzan, you add menace to your trample creatures. This combination makes your attackers incredibly difficult to block, as they require two blockers and any excess damage still pushes through to the opponent.