Meltstrider's ResolveHow it works & interactions with other cards

Enhancing and Fighting

When Meltstrider's Resolve enters the battlefield, its triggered ability allows you to choose up to one creature an opponent controls to fight the enchanted creature. Because it specifies 'up to one', you can choose to target nothing if your opponent's creatures are too large. While on the battlefield, it provides a consistent +0/+2 toughness boost and makes your creature harder to double-block, requiring a single blocker at most.

The Resolution Process

Step 1: Cast Meltstrider's Resolve targeting a creature you control. Step 2: Upon resolution, the Aura enters the battlefield and its 'enters' ability triggers; you choose a target creature an opponent controls at this time. Step 3: If both creatures are still legal targets when the trigger resolves, they deal damage to each other simultaneously based on their current power. If the Aura is destroyed before the trigger resolves, the creature no longer has the +0/+2 bonus during the fight.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that the 'can't be blocked by more than one creature' ability does not grant evasion against single blockers; your opponent can still block with one creature. Additionally, if the creature you control leaves the battlefield before the entrance trigger resolves, the fight will not happen because the enchanted creature is no longer present to deal or receive damage.

Tactical Timing

Play this card when you have a creature with high power but low toughness that needs protection, or when you need to remove a utility creature an opponent is hiding behind. The toughness boost often allows your creature to survive a fight it would otherwise perish in.

Interaction examples

Construct Combat

Urza's Saga

If you use Urza's Saga to create a 0/0 Construct token, you can enchant it with Meltstrider's Resolve. The Construct gains +0/+2, ensuring it stays alive even if you control no other artifacts. When they fight, the Construct uses its current power (which scales with your artifacts) to deal damage while benefiting from the extra toughness provided by the Aura.

Scaling Toughness

Hardened Scales

While Hardened Scales affects +1/+1 counters, it does not interact with the static +0/+2 bonus from Meltstrider's Resolve. However, if your creature already has +1/+1 counters being increased by Hardened Scales, Meltstrider's Resolve provides a layer of 'can't be multi-blocked' protection to ensure your massive creature isn't simply swarmed by multiple small tokens.