Kickoff Celebrations 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
Start your engines! (If you have no speed, it starts at 1. It increases once on each of your turns when an opponent loses life. Max speed is 4.) When this enchantment enters, you may discard a card. If you do, draw two cards. Max speed — Sacrifice this enchantment: Creatures and Vehicles you control gain haste until end of turn.
Complete guide
Rev up your game with Kickoff Celebrations, a versatile enchantment that keeps your momentum rolling. This card helps you cycle through your deck while providing a powerful late-game haste enabler through the new speed mechanic. Whether you are looking to dig for answers or prepare for a massive alpha strike, this card is your ticket to the fast lane.
Starting Your Engines
As soon as Kickoff Celebrations enters the battlefield, you start your engines. If you currently have no speed, it immediately becomes 1. This is a state-based action that happens because you control a permanent with the 'Start your engines!' ability. Once your speed is at 1, it can increase up to a maximum of 4 whenever an opponent loses life on your turn. Note that this increase only happens once per turn.
Drawing and Discarding
The first thing that happens when the enchantment resolves is its enter-the-battlefield trigger. You have the option to discard a card; if you do, you draw two cards. This is an 'if you do' ability, meaning you must successfully discard a card to get the two new ones. If your hand is empty, you cannot discard and therefore cannot draw. This helps fill your graveyard for other synergies while replacing itself in your hand.
Reaching Max Speed
Once your speed reaches 4, you have 'Max speed.' This unlocks the final ability of Kickoff Celebrations: you may sacrifice the enchantment to grant all your creatures and Vehicles haste until the end of the turn. This is an activated ability that can be used at any time as long as you have reached speed 4, even on the same turn you reached it.
Strategic Timing
Because Kickoff Celebrations triggers speed increases when opponents lose life, it pairs perfectly with aggressive strategies. If you lose control of the enchantment, you do not lose your speed; it stays at whatever value you reached. This allows you to play multiple copies or other speed-related cards to maintain your progress toward the maximum speed of 4.
Interaction examples
Underworld BreachWhen you play Kickoff Celebrations, use its triggered ability to discard a nonland card like a powerful creature or spell. With Underworld Breach on the battlefield, that discarded card now has escape, allowing you to cast it from your graveyard later. This interaction turns the discard 'penalty' of the celebrations into a strategic setup for a recursive combo.
Impact TremorsIf you have Impact Tremors in play, every creature that enters under your control deals 1 damage to each opponent. On your turn, if you control Kickoff Celebrations and play a creature, the damage from Impact Tremors will cause your opponent to lose life. This immediately triggers the 'Start Your Engines!' speed increase, moving you closer to max speed without needing to attack.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Kickoff Celebrations
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Start your engines! isn’t a triggered ability. Increasing your speed to 1 is something that happens as a state-based action as soon as you control a permanent with the ability. Notably, this includes gaining control of a permanent with the ability that another player controls.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Your speed doesn’t change until a spell or ability says so, such as the inherent triggered ability that cares about opponents losing life during your turn. Notably, losing control of permanents with start your engines! doesn’t affect your speed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Each player tracks their speed (or lack thereof) separately. Increasing your speed has no effect on whether another player has speed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect needs to know what a player’s speed is and that player doesn’t have a speed, their speed is considered 0.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
A player “has max speed” if their speed is 4.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
“Max speed — [ability]” means “As long as you have max speed, this object has [ability].” If the granted ability functions in a zone other than the battlefield, the max speed ability does too.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Kickoff Celebrations
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