Leyline of Anticipation 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
If this card is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield. You may cast spells as though they had flash.
Complete guide
Leyline of Anticipation is a powerful blue enchantment that completely rewrites the timing rules of Magic: The Gathering. By allowing you to cast spells at any time you could cast an instant, it transforms your strategy into a reactive powerhouse. If you are lucky enough to have it in your starting hand, you can even start the game with it already in play for free.
What It Does
Leyline of Anticipation has two primary effects. First, its pre-game ability allows you to put it onto the battlefield from your opening hand before the first turn begins. Second, while it is on the battlefield, you may cast spells as though they had flash. This means you can cast creatures, sorceries, artifacts, and enchantments during your opponent's turn or in response to their actions.
How It Resolves Step by Step
1. Opening Hand: After all players have finished taking mulligans, if Leyline of Anticipation is in your hand, you may announce you are putting it onto the battlefield. This happens in turn order starting with the first player. 2. Flash Effect: Once the enchantment is on the battlefield, the game rules check the 'flash' permission. 3. Casting Spells: When you want to cast a non-instant spell, you follow the normal casting process, but you now have the timing permission to do so whenever you have priority, just like an instant.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception is that Leyline of Anticipation changes the card type to 'Instant'; it does not. A Sorcery cast this way is still a Sorcery for effects that care about card types. Additionally, this card does not allow you to play Lands on your opponent's turn, as the card specifically grants the ability to 'cast spells,' and playing a land is not casting a spell.
When to Play It
This card is best utilized in control or combo decks that benefit from keeping mana open. By waiting until the last possible moment to cast your spells, you force your opponents to play into your hidden information while you maintain the flexibility to react to their threats.
Interaction examples
Rhystic StudyIf your opponent casts a major threat, you can cast Rhystic Study in response using the flash permission from Leyline of Anticipation. Because the stack resolves from top to bottom, Rhystic Study will enter the battlefield before your opponent's spell finishes resolving, though it won't trigger for the spell already on the stack.
PropagandaDuring your opponent's Beginning of Combat step, you can cast Propaganda. Since you have priority before attackers are declared, the Propaganda will resolve and be on the battlefield in time to force your opponent to pay {2} for each creature they wish to attack you with.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Leyline of Anticipation
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A player's "opening hand" is the hand of cards the player has after all players have taken mulligans. If players have any cards in hand that allow actions to be taken with them from a player's opening hand, the starting player takes all such actions first in any order, followed by each other player in turn order. Then the first turn begins.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity + Drowner of Truth // Drowned Jungle + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1Cast any other Eldrazi except Drowner of Truth by paying its mana cost, triggering Ulalek.
- 2Holding priority, cast Drowner of Truth by paying
. - 3Drowner of Truth and Ulalek trigger.
- 4Resolve the Ulalek trigger, causing you to pay to copy all spells you control and then copy all activated and triggered abilities you control, ensuring to put Drowner of Truth's trigger on top of Ulalek's trigger.
- 5Resolve the copy of Drowner of Truth's trigger, creating two 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens.
- 6Activate the Eldrazi Spawns by sacrificing them, adding .
- 7Resolve the copy of Ulalek's trigger, causing you to pay to copy all spells you control and then copy all activated and triggered abilities you control, ensuring to put Drowner of Truth's trigger on top of Ulalek's trigger.
- 8Repeat from step 5.
Approach of the Second Sun + Memory Lapse + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1During the opponent's end step immediately before your turn, cast Approach of the Second Sun by paying
using Leyline of Anticipation. - 2In response, cast Memory Lapse by paying its mana cost, putting Approach of the Sun on top of your library.
- 3In your draw step, draw Approach of the Second Sun.
- 4Cast Approach of the Second Sun by paying , winning the game.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Seething Song + Storm-Kiln Artist + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1Cast Seething Song by paying
. - 2Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding
. - 4Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Seething Song.
- 5Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Seething Song copy, adding .
- 7Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding
. - 8Cast Rootha by paying .
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Brass's Bounty + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1Cast Brass's Bounty by paying .
- 2Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Brass's Bounty.
- 3Resolve the Brass's Bounty copy, creating at least six Treasure tokens.
- 4Activate five Treasure tokens by tapping and sacrificing them, adding
. - 5Cast Rootha by paying .
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Turnabout + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1Activate all mana-producing lands you control by tapping them, adding at least .
- 2Cast Turnabout by paying .
- 3Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Turnabout.
- 4Resolve the copy of Turnabout, untapping all lands you control.
- 5Activate all mana-producing lands you control by tapping them, adding at least .
- 6Cast Rootha by paying .
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Apocalypse + Barren Glory + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1During the end step before your turn, cast Barren Glory by paying .
- 2Holding priority, cast Apocalypse by paying , exiling all permanents and causing you to discard your hand.
- 3Resolve Barren Glory.
- 4At the beginning of your upkeep, Barren Glory triggers, causing you to win the game.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Jeska's Will + Storm-Kiln Artist + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1Cast Jeska's Will by paying .
- 2Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Jeska's Will.
- 5Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Jeska's Will copy, adding at least .
- 7Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 8Cast Rootha by paying .
Approach of the Second Sun + Endless Detour + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1During the opponent's end step immediately before your turn, cast Approach of the Second Sun by paying using Leyline of Anticipation.
- 2In response, cast Endless Detour by paying its mana cost, putting Approach of the Sun on top of your library.
- 3In your draw step, draw Approach of the Second Sun.
- 4Cast Approach of the Second Sun by paying , winning the game.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Leyline of Anticipation
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.