How to Start a RiotHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

How to Start a Riot has two primary effects that happen in the order they are printed on the card. First, you choose one target creature to gain menace, meaning it requires at least two blockers to be legally stopped in combat. Second, all creatures controlled by a target player—usually yourself, though you can target an opponent if needed—receive a +2/+0 power buff until the end of the turn.

Resolution Step by Step

When you cast the spell, you must choose two targets: one creature and one player. Upon resolution, the targeted creature immediately gains the menace keyword. Following that, the game identifies every creature currently controlled by the targeted player and applies the +2/+0 bonus to them. Note that this bonus only applies to creatures on the battlefield at the moment the spell resolves; any creatures entering the battlefield later in the turn will not receive the boost.

Common Mistakes

A common point of confusion is how the menace target interacts with the player target. You can target your own creature with menace even if you are also the targeted player receiving the +2/+0; that specific creature will end up with both menace and the power increase. Additionally, because this is an Instant, players often forget it is a Lesson. This means you can use the 'Learn' mechanic from other cards to put this card directly into your hand from outside the game.

When to Play It

The best time to cast How to Start a Riot is during your Beginning of Combat step or after blockers are declared if you only need the power boost. However, if you need the menace to make a creature difficult to block, you must cast it before the Declare Blockers step. Since it is an instant, you can also use it as a combat trick to help your creatures survive trades or to punish an opponent who thinks they have calculated their blocks correctly.

Interaction examples

Managing Targets with Redirection

Deflecting Swat

If you cast How to Start a Riot targeting your creature and yourself, an opponent could cast Deflecting Swat. Since the spell has two targets (a creature and a player), the opponent can change the creature target to one of their own and change the player target to themselves, stealing your entire buff.

Responding to Removal

Chaos Warp

If you cast How to Start a Riot targeting your only creature, and an opponent responds by casting Chaos Warp on that creature, the creature target becomes illegal. However, as long as the player target is still legal, the spell will still resolve. The player's creatures will still get +2/+0, even though the menace effect fails because its target is gone.