Laughing Mad 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
As an additional cost to cast this spell, discard a card. Draw two cards. Flashback(You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost and any additional costs. Then exile it.)
Complete guide
Laughing Mad is a red instant that provides card advantage through the classic 'rummaging' mechanic. By trading one card from your hand for two new ones, it helps you dig through your deck while offering a second chance at value via Flashback.
Understanding the Costs
To cast Laughing Mad, you must pay its mana cost of 2R and also discard a card as an additional cost. If you cast it from your graveyard using Flashback, you pay 3R instead of the mana cost, but you still must discard a card to satisfy the additional cost requirement. Note that even if the spell is countered, the discarded card remains in the graveyard and the mana is spent.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, you place Laughing Mad on the stack and pay all costs. If no players respond, the spell resolves and you draw two cards. If the spell was cast from your hand, it goes to your graveyard after resolving. If it was cast using Flashback, the card is moved to the exile zone instead of the graveyard as it leaves the stack.
Common Mistakes
A common point of confusion is whether you must discard a card when using Flashback. Yes, additional costs are always required regardless of whether you pay the mana cost or an alternative cost like Flashback. Additionally, remember that the mana value of Laughing Mad is always 3, even when you pay the 4 mana Flashback cost.
When to Play It
As an instant, Laughing Mad is best used at the end of an opponent's turn to keep your options open. Because it requires a discard, it is particularly effective in decks that benefit from putting specific cards into the graveyard for later use or reanimation.
Interaction examples
Deflecting SwatIf you cast Laughing Mad and your opponent tries to counter it, you can cast Deflecting Swat for free if you control your commander. While Deflecting Swat usually changes targets, if the opponent used a target-changing spell on your Laughing Mad, you could redirect their spell to ensure your card draw resolves safely.
Chaos WarpYou can cast Laughing Mad during your opponent's end step to look for an answer to a problematic permanent. If one of the two cards you draw is Chaos Warp, you now have the mana available on your own turn to shuffle that permanent away before it can cause more damage.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Laughing Mad
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
"Flashback [cost]" means "You may cast this card from your graveyard if the resulting spell is an instant or sorcery spell by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost" and "If the flashback cost was paid, exile this card instead of putting it anywhere else any time it would leave the stack."
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A spell cast using flashback will always be exiled afterward, whether it resolves, is countered, or leaves the stack in some other way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You must still follow any timing restrictions and permissions, including those based on the card's type. For instance, you can cast a sorcery using flashback only when you could normally cast a sorcery.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If a card with flashback is put into your graveyard during your turn, you can cast it if it's legal to do so before any other player can take any actions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
You can cast a spell using flashback even if it was somehow put into your graveyard without having been cast.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a flashback cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell is determined only by its mana cost, no matter what the total cost to cast the spell was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Laughing Mad
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.