Master of the Wild Hunt — ruling 1

Only a Wolf creature tapped as part of the ability's effect can be dealt damage by the target creature.

Master of the Wild Hunt — ruling 2

If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Master of the Wild Hunt's ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. You won't tap your Wolves, and nothing will deal or be dealt damage.

Master of the Wild Hunt — ruling 3

All Wolves you control are tapped as part of the activated ability's effect, not as a cost. Players may respond by attempting to tap or untap Wolves, or to create or remove them.

Master of the Wild Hunt — ruling 4

The controller of the target creature doesn't divide that creature's damage as the ability is activated (since the Wolves that will receive that damage aren't targeted), so that player does so as the ability resolves. There is no time to react between the time a Wolf is chosen, the time damage is dealt to it, and the time it's destroyed for having been dealt lethal damage. If you want to put a regeneration shield on one of those Wolves, or target it with a damage-prevention spell, or anything else, you must do so before the ability resolves (and before you know which Wolves will be chosen and how much damage will be dealt to them).

Master of the Wild Hunt : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Master of the Wild Hunt 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

At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token. : Tap all untapped Wolf creatures you control. Each Wolf tapped this way deals damage equal to its power to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power divided as its controller chooses among any number of those Wolves.

Complete guide

Master of the Wild Hunt is a powerful creature that allows you to build a pack of Wolves and send them on the offensive. This Human Shaman provides both a steady stream of tokens and a unique way to clear the board of opposing threats. By mastering the timing of its activated ability, you can efficiently manage your opponent's creatures while growing your army every upkeep.

A Growing Pack

The first ability of Master of the Wild Hunt is a triggered ability that occurs at the beginning of your upkeep. You do not need to pay any mana or tap the Master; as long as he is on the battlefield, you will create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token every turn. This ensures you always have allies ready for the hunt.

Resolving the Hunt

When you activate the Master's second ability, you choose a target creature. Note that tapping your Wolves is part of the effect, not the cost. Upon resolution, all your untapped Wolves are tapped. Each one deals damage to the target. Then, the target creature fights back: its controller chooses how to divide its total power as damage among the Wolves that were just tapped. This happens all at once, meaning you cannot wait to see how damage is divided before deciding to protect a specific Wolf.

Strategic Considerations

If the target creature is removed or becomes illegal before the ability resolves, the entire ability fails. Your Wolves will not be tapped, and no damage will be dealt. Also, remember that only Wolves tapped by this specific activation can be dealt damage by the target creature. If a Wolf was already tapped for another reason, it stays out of the fray entirely.

Interaction examples

Taming the Golem

Solemn Simulacrum Wolf

Wolf

You have Master of the Wild Hunt and one Wolf token. You activate the Master's ability targeting an opponent's Solemn Simulacrum. On resolution, your Wolf is tapped and deals 2 damage to the Golem. The Golem's controller then assigns its 2 power as damage to your Wolf. Both the Wolf and the Golem are destroyed.

Taking Down a Shaman

Eternal Witness Wolf

Wolf

With two Wolf tokens on the field, you target an opponent's Eternal Witness. Both Wolves tap and deal a combined 4 damage to the Witness. The Witness has only 2 power, which its controller assigns to one of your Wolves. The Eternal Witness dies, and one of your Wolves takes 2 damage and dies, while the other remains unharmed.

The Solo Hunt

Wolf

During your upkeep, the Master creates a Wolf token. If you have no other creatures, you can tap the Master to have that single Wolf deal its 2 damage to a small creature. If the target has 0 or 1 power, your Wolf survives the encounter entirely.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Master of the Wild Hunt

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1March 16, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
Only a Wolf creature tapped as part of the ability's effect can be dealt damage by the target creature.
Card named in this ruling
Wolf
#2March 16, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Master of the Wild Hunt's ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. You won't tap your Wolves, and nothing will deal or be dealt damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3March 16, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
All Wolves you control are tapped as part of the activated ability's effect, not as a cost. Players may respond by attempting to tap or untap Wolves, or to create or remove them.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4March 16, 2018· Wizards of the Coast
The controller of the target creature doesn't divide that creature's damage as the ability is activated (since the Wolves that will receive that damage aren't targeted), so that player does so as the ability resolves. There is no time to react between the time a Wolf is chosen, the time damage is dealt to it, and the time it's destroyed for having been dealt lethal damage. If you want to put a regeneration shield on one of those Wolves, or target it with a damage-prevention spell, or anything else, you must do so before the ability resolves (and before you know which Wolves will be chosen and how much damage will be dealt to them).
Card named in this ruling
Wolf