Momo, Playful Pet — ruling 1

Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.

Momo, Playful Pet — ruling 2

If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie (an Artifact Creature — Food Golem) to activate Bosco, Just a Bear's ability (an ability with "Sacrifice a Food" in its cost). You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate Bosco, Just a Bear's ability.

Momo, Playful Pet — ruling 3

Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens.

Momo, Playful Pet — ruling 4

Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type.

Momo, Playful Pet : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Momo, Playful Pet 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

Flying, vigilance When Momo leaves the battlefield, choose one — • Create a Food token. (It's an artifact with ", , Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.") • Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. • Scry 2.

Complete guide

Meet Momo, Playful Pet, a versatile one-drop that ensures your resources don't disappear when he leaves the party. This legendary Lemur Bat Ally packs flying and vigilance, making him a potent early-game threat that provides value regardless of how he exits the battlefield.

Utility on Departure

Momo features a 'leaves-the-battlefield' triggered ability. This means the ability triggers whether Momo is destroyed, exiled, returned to your hand, or even tucked into your library. Upon leaving, you choose one of three modes: generating a Food token for health, buffing a teammate with a +1/+1 counter, or smoothing out your future draws with Scry 2.

Resolution Step-by-Step

When Momo leaves the battlefield, his ability is put onto the stack. First, you choose which of the three modes you are using. If you choose the second mode, you must select a 'target creature you control' at this time. If the target is no longer legal when the ability tries to resolve, the entire ability fails and you won't get the counter. For the Food or Scry modes, you simply perform the action as the ability resolves.

Common Pitfalls

Remember that Food is an artifact type, not a creature type. While Momo creates a Food token, he himself is not a Food. Additionally, if you choose to put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature and that creature is removed in response, you do not get to change your mind and create a Food token or Scry instead; the choice is locked in when the ability is triggered.

Strategic Deployment

Momo is best played early to apply pressure with vigilance, allowing him to attack and still stand ready to block. Because his value is tied to leaving the battlefield, he is an excellent candidate for sacrifice decks or as a deterrent against your opponent's removal spells.

Interaction examples

Boosting the Sentinel

Esper Sentinel

If Momo, Playful Pet is destroyed while you have Esper Sentinel on the battlefield, you can choose the second mode of Momo's trigger. By placing a +1/+1 counter on Esper Sentinel, you increase its power, which in turn increases the tax your opponent must pay to prevent you from drawing cards.

Smoothing the Flight

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your opponent casts a board wipe that destroys both Momo, Playful Pet and Ornithopter of Paradise, Momo's ability still triggers. Since there are no creatures left to target for a counter, you can choose to Scry 2 to help find your next threat or create a Food token to recover life later in the game.

The Food Engine

Food

When Momo, Playful Pet leaves the battlefield, you can choose to create a Food token. This token is a standalone artifact. You can later pay two mana and tap it to sacrifice it, gaining 3 life, which can be crucial for surviving aggressive matchups.

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

How it works : Momo, Playful Pet

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1October 2, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2October 2, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie (an Artifact Creature — Food Golem) to activate Bosco, Just a Bear's ability (an ability with "Sacrifice a Food" in its cost). You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate Bosco, Just a Bear's ability.
Card named in this ruling
Food
#3October 2, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that create Food tokens may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Food tokens.
Card named in this ruling
Food
#4October 2, 2025· Wizards of the Coast
Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type.
Card named in this ruling
Food