Koma, World-EaterHow it works & interactions with other cards

Unstoppable Entry and Defense

Koma, World-Eater comes with three layers of inherent protection. First, it cannot be countered, meaning traditional 'counterspell' effects will fail to stop it from entering the battlefield. Second, it possesses Ward {4}, requiring any opponent who targets it with a spell or ability to pay an additional four mana or see their effect countered. Lastly, its Trample ability ensures that small blockers cannot fully stop its path to the opponent's life total.

Resolving the Combat Trigger

When Koma, World-Eater successfully deals combat damage to a player, its triggered ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you create four 3/3 blue Serpent creature tokens named Koma's Coil. These tokens do not have any abilities themselves, but they represent a massive 12 power added to your board from a single successful attack. Because the trigger relies on dealing combat damage to a player, effects that prevent damage or blocking will stop the tokens from being created.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is assuming that spells like 'Cancel' cannot target Koma while it is on the stack. An opponent can still target Koma with a counterspell; however, when that spell resolves, Koma will not be moved to the graveyard. Note that any secondary effects of that counterspell (such as 'draw a card') will still happen. Additionally, remember that Ward is a triggered ability; if an opponent cannot pay the {4} mana, their spell is countered by the game rules.

Strategy and Timing

Because Koma costs seven mana, you want to ensure the board state allows for an attack as soon as possible. It is often best to play Koma when the opponent has exhausted their mana, making the Ward {4} cost impossible to pay. Once you have generated the Koma's Coil tokens, you can use them to overwhelm the opponent's blockers on the following turn or as fuel for other sacrifice or buff effects.

Interaction examples

Bypassing the Stack

Koma, World-EaterHullbreaker Horror

If you cast Koma, World-Eater and your opponent controls Hullbreaker Horror, they cannot counter Koma, but they can use the Horror's triggered ability to return Koma to your hand while it is still a spell. Since 'returning to hand' is not the same as 'countering,' Koma's protection does not apply to this specific interaction.

The Overwhelming Tide

Koma, World-EaterCraterhoof BehemothKoma's Coil

After Koma, World-Eater deals damage and creates four Koma's Coil tokens, you have significantly increased your creature count. If you follow up by casting Craterhoof Behemoth, those four tokens (plus Koma and the Behemoth itself) will contribute to the +X/+X bonus, likely resulting in a game-ending attack with massive tramping Serpents.