Labyrinth of Skophos 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
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Complete guide
Labyrinth of Skophos is a versatile utility land that provides both mana and a powerful tactical tool for controlling the battlefield. By allowing you to remove creatures from combat at key moments, it can save your life or disrupt your opponent's best-laid plans. This card proves that sometimes the most dangerous part of the map isn't the monsters, but the walls themselves.
What It Does
Labyrinth of Skophos serves two purposes: it taps for colorless mana and features a specialized activated ability. For four mana and a tap, you can target any creature currently attacking or blocking and remove it from combat. This effect doesn't destroy or exile the creature; it simply takes it out of the current fight, preventing it from dealing or receiving combat damage.
Resolving the Ability
When you activate the second ability, you must target a creature that is currently in an attacking or blocking state. Upon resolution, that creature is immediately removed from combat. Note that the creature remains tapped if it was already tapped to attack. If you remove a blocker, the creature it was blocking stays 'blocked' for the rest of the turn, meaning it won't deal damage to you unless it has trample.
Timing and Strategy
You can use this ability during any part of the combat phase after attackers or blockers have been declared. A common mistake is thinking the creature untaps when removed; it does not. Another nuance involves the 'End of Combat' step: creatures remain 'attacking' or 'blocking' until the phase ends, so you can still use the Labyrinth after damage has been dealt to trigger specific synergies before the turn moves to the second main phase.
Interaction examples
Skophos Maze-WardenIf your opponent attacks with a creature, you can activate Labyrinth of Skophos to remove that creature from combat. This targets the creature, which triggers Skophos Maze-Warden's ability. You may then have Skophos Maze-Warden fight that creature immediately. This allows you to potentially destroy a threat that you just prevented from hitting you.
Suppose you attack with a creature and your opponent blocks with something much stronger. Before the combat damage step, you can activate Labyrinth of Skophos targeting your own attacking creature. Your creature is removed from combat and survives, while the opponent's creature remains in combat but has nothing left to deal damage to.
Command Tower
Exotic OrchardTo pay for the Labyrinth's ability, you can tap Command Tower and Exotic Orchard for colored mana while using the Labyrinth's own first ability to provide the colorless portion. This illustrates how the card functions as part of a mana base while holding its utility in reserve for when combat gets dangerous.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Labyrinth of Skophos
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A creature removed from combat by Labyrinth of Skophos remains tapped if it was tapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If a blocking creature is removed from combat, the creature it blocked remains blocked. Unless that creature has trample, it won't deal combat damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Once creatures attack or block, they remain attacking or blocking creatures through the end of combat step unless removed from combat (by Labyrinth of Skophos or a similar effect).
No other card is named in this ruling.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Labyrinth of Skophos.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Labyrinth of Skophos
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.