MacCready, Lamplight Mayor 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
Whenever a creature you control with power 2 or less attacks, it gains skulk until end of turn. (It can't be blocked by creatures with greater power.) Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater attacks you, its controller loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
Complete guide
Direct from Little Lamplight, MacCready, Lamplight Mayor is a two-mana commander that dictates the pace of combat. He rewards you for attacking with small creatures while punishing opponents who try to hit back with heavy hitters.
Granting Skulk to the Small
MacCready's first ability triggers whenever you declare a creature with power 2 or less as an attacker. When this resolves, that creature gains skulk until the end of the turn, meaning it cannot be blocked by any creature with a higher power than itself. This check only happens at the moment the attack is declared; if the creature's power increases later in the turn, it keeps skulk.
Punishing the Powerful
The second ability is a defensive deterrent. Whenever a creature with power 4 or greater is declared as an attacker against you, MacCready triggers to drain 2 life from that player. This triggers once for each qualifying creature, providing a significant life total swing even before blockers are declared.
Timing and Power Checks
Both abilities check the power of the creature at the exact moment it is declared as an attacker. For the skulk ability, once it triggers, the creature will gain skulk even if its power is boosted above 2 in response. Similarly, for the life drain, the controller loses life even if their creature is shrunk or removed from the battlefield before the ability resolves.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming skulk prevents all blocks. Skulk only checks the power of the potential blocker relative to the attacker. If your power-2 creature has skulk, a power-2 creature can still block it, but a power-3 creature cannot. Also, remember that MacCready's life drain only triggers if the creature attacks 'you', not if it attacks a planeswalker you control or a battle.
Interaction examples
Esper SentinelWhen you attack with Esper Sentinel, MacCready's first ability triggers because the Sentinel has 1 power. Once the ability resolves, Esper Sentinel gains skulk. Your opponent cannot block it with any creature that has power 2 or greater, making it much more likely to deal combat damage.
Blood ArtistIf you attack with Blood Artist, it gains skulk because its power is 0. If your opponent then attacks you back with a creature that has 4 power, MacCready's second ability triggers. The opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life, adding to the incremental life drain already provided by your Blood Artist.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : MacCready, Lamplight Mayor
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The power of your attacking creature is checked only when MacCready’s first ability triggers. Once it triggers, the creature will gain skulk until end of turn when the ability resolves, regardless of whether or not its power is still 2 or less at that time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Similarly, the power of the creature attacking you is checked only when MacCready’s second ability triggers. Once it triggers, the creature’s controller will lose 2 life and you’ll gain 2 life when the ability resolves, regardless of whether or not its power is still 4 or greater at that time or whether or not it’s still on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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