Kick in the Door 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
Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. That creature gains haste until end of turn and can't be blocked by Walls this turn. Venture into the dungeon. (Enter the first room or advance to the next room.)
Complete guide
Kick in the Door is a versatile red sorcery that rewards aggression while progressing your exploration through the underdark. It combines immediate creature buffs with the powerful Venture into the dungeon mechanic for just one mana.
Breaking Down the Door
When you cast this spell, you target one creature you control or even one an opponent controls, though you usually want your own. The spell provides three distinct benefits to that creature: a permanent +1/+1 counter, haste until the end of the turn, and an evasion ability that prevents Walls from blocking it. Finally, the spell instructs you to Venture into the dungeon, which is the key to unlocking long-term value.
Stepping into the Dungeon
Venturing happens as the final part of the spell's resolution. If you are not currently in a dungeon, you choose one of the three available dungeon cards—Dungeon of the Mad Mage, Lost Mine of Phandelver, or Tomb of Annihilation—from outside the game and place it in the command zone, moving your marker to the first room. If you are already in a dungeon, you move your marker forward along the arrows to the next room. The room's ability triggers immediately after you move into it.
Common Mistakes
A common error is forgetting that Kick in the Door requires a legal target for the creature buff to be cast. If the target creature becomes illegal before the spell resolves (for example, if it is destroyed in response), the entire spell fails, and you will not get to Venture into the dungeon. Additionally, remember that you cannot move backward or sideways in a dungeon; you must always follow the paths leading downward toward the final room.
When to Play It
This spell is most effective in the early game to enable a fast attack or in the mid-game when you are one room away from completing a high-value dungeon. Because it grants haste, it is an excellent follow-up to casting a creature, allowing you to attack immediately while simultaneously advancing your dungeon progress.
Interaction examples
Lost Mine of PhandelverYou cast Kick in the Door targeting a creature you just played. As it resolves, the creature gets a +1/+1 counter and haste. You then Venture. Since you aren't in a dungeon, you choose Lost Mine of Phandelver. You move into the 'Cave Entrance' room, which triggers a Scry 1 effect.
Dungeon of the Mad MageIf you are already in the 'Deep Mines' room of the Dungeon of the Mad Mage, resolving Kick in the Door allows you to move to the final room, 'Mad Wizard's Lair.' This triggers the ability to draw three cards and cast one for free. Once this ability resolves, the dungeon is completed and removed from the game.
Tomb of AnnihilationYou use Kick in the Door to advance into the 'Oubliette' room of the Tomb of Annihilation. Even though the spell gave your creature a bonus, the dungeon room ability now triggers, forcing you to discard a card and sacrifice a creature, an artifact, and a land to proceed toward the final room.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Kick in the Door
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To venture into the dungeon, a player moves their venture marker into the next room of the dungeon they are currently in. If they aren't currently in a dungeon, that player instead chooses a dungeon card from outside the game, puts it into the command zone, and moves their venture marker onto the first room.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Moving into a dungeon room will cause its room ability to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Once you resolve the last room ability of a dungeon, that dungeon is now completed and is removed from the game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
A player may only have one dungeon in the command zone at a time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
The player venturing into the dungeon chooses which dungeon they will venture into. They may choose a dungeon that they have already completed this game.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Dungeon cards are not part of a player's deck or sideboard. In both constructed and limited formats, players can use any dungeon card when they venture into the dungeon.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
You can only move forward (well, downward) in a dungeon, never backwards or sideways.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Dungeons are removed from the game as a state-based action.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If you somehow venture into the dungeon while a room's ability is on the stack, you will continue on in the dungeon. If you're already in the last room, complete that dungeon and start a new one.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Choosing the dungeon or room to venture into is part of resolving the venture into the dungeon keyword action. Once that choice is made, players may not respond until after the appropriate room ability has triggered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Kick in the Door
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