Lose Calm 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
Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Untap that creature. It gains haste and menace until end of turn. (A creature with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Complete guide
Lose Calm is a classic red 'threaten' effect that lets you turn an opponent's greatest strength into their biggest liability. By temporarily taking control of a creature and giving it evasion, you can swing the tide of battle in a single turn. It is particularly effective for breaking stalemates where a single powerful blocker is holding back your entire army.
What It Does
Lose Calm allows you to target any creature on the battlefield, regardless of who controls it or its current status. Once the spell resolves, you gain control of that creature, it becomes untapped, and it gains two crucial keywords: haste and menace. This ensures that the creature is ready to attack immediately and is significantly harder for your opponents to block.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, you choose a target creature as you cast the spell. Upon resolution, control of the creature shifts to you until the cleanup step of the current turn. Next, the creature is untapped, even if it was already untapped. Finally, the creature gains haste, allowing it to ignore summoning sickness, and menace, meaning it requires at least two blockers to be legally blocked during the declare blockers step.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that gaining control of a creature also gives you control of its attachments. While you control the creature, its Auras and Equipment remain under the control of their original owners. Additionally, remember that the 'haste' and 'menace' effects, along with the control change, all expire simultaneously at the end of the turn, at which point the creature returns to its previous controller in its current state.
When to Play It
This card is best utilized during your pre-combat main phase to maximize the benefit of the haste and menace keywords. It is especially potent when your opponent has a lone, powerful blocker; because of menace, they will be unable to block the stolen creature at all if they have no other untapped creatures, guaranteed to let the damage through.
Interaction examples
Mana GeyserIf your opponents have many tapped lands, you can cast Mana Geyser to generate a large amount of red mana. You can then use that mana to cast Lose Calm, taking your opponent's best creature, and still have mana left over to cast other spells or activate the stolen creature's abilities.
Jeska's WillIf you control your commander, you can cast Jeska's Will to exile the top three cards of your library and add mana. If Lose Calm is among those exiled cards, you can use the mana generated by Jeska's Will to cast Lose Calm immediately, surprising your opponent with a creature they thought was safe in their own territory.
While usually used on opponents, you can cast Lose Calm on a creature you already control. This is useful if your creature is tapped and you need an unexpected blocker, or if you simply want to grant it menace and haste for a final lethal swing.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Lose Calm
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Lose Calm can target any creature, including one that’s untapped or one you already control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Gaining control of a creature doesn’t cause you to gain control of any Auras or Equipment attached to it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Lose Calm
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.