MindshriekerHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Flying Finisher

Mindshrieker features a repeatable activated ability that costs two generic mana. Every time you activate it, you choose a target player to mill one card; Mindshrieker then gains a bonus to its power and toughness equal to that card's mana value. Because this ability doesn't require tapping, you can use it as many times as you have mana available.

Resolution Step-by-Step

When you activate the ability, you first choose a target player. Upon resolution, that player puts the top card of their library into their graveyard. The game then checks the mana value of that specific card. Mindshrieker immediately gains +X/+X until the end of the turn, where X is that mana value. If the card has no mana value (like a land), the bonus is +0/+0.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that Mindshrieker's bonus is based on the mana value, not the card's power or toughness. If you mill a land card, its mana value is 0, meaning Mindshrieker gets no bonus from that specific activation. Also, remember that if the target player's library is empty, the ability will resolve but no card will be milled, resulting in no stat bonus.

Strategic Timing

The best time to use Mindshrieker's ability is during the declare blockers step or at the end of your opponent's turn. By waiting until after blockers are declared, you can force your opponent to make difficult decisions before they know exactly how large Mindshrieker will become.

Interaction examples

Milling a Low-Cost Artifact

Ornithopter of Paradise

If you activate Mindshrieker targeting a player and they mill Ornithopter of Paradise, the game sees its mana value is 2. Mindshrieker will get +2/+2, becoming a 3/3 flyer until the end of the turn.

Generating More Power

Foundry Inspector

By targeting a player who mills Foundry Inspector, Mindshrieker looks at the mana value in the top right corner of the milled card. Foundry Inspector costs 3 mana, so Mindshrieker receives +3/+3, elevating its stats to 4/4.