Nahiri's Warcrafting 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
Nahiri's Warcrafting deals 5 damage to target creature, planeswalker, or battle. Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the excess damage dealt this way. You may exile one of those cards. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. You may play the exiled card this turn.
Complete guide
Nahiri's Warcrafting is a versatile removal spell that rewards you for overkill by providing card advantage. Whether you are clearing a path through a creature or taking down a planeswalker, the more power you bring, the more options you gain. It is a fantastic tool for red decks looking to maintain momentum while answering threats.
Calculating Excess Damage
The core mechanic of this spell relies on 'excess damage.' For a creature, excess is any damage beyond its current toughness (minus any damage it has already taken). For a planeswalker, it is damage exceeding the number of loyalty counters it has. For a battle, it is damage exceeding its defense counters. If the target is destroyed or removed by 5 damage, you look at cards from the top of your library equal to that surplus.
The Resolution Process
First, the spell deals 5 damage to its target. Immediately after, you count the excess damage. You then look at that many cards from the top of your library and choose one to exile. The remaining cards are shuffled and put on the bottom of your library in a random order. You have until the end of the current turn to play the exiled card, following all normal timing rules and paying all necessary costs.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is forgetting that 'playing' a card requires you to pay its mana cost; Nahiri's Warcrafting does not make the spell free. Additionally, you cannot play an exiled land if you have already used your land drop for the turn. Finally, if the target is no longer legal when the spell tries to resolve (for example, if it was sacrificed), the spell is removed from the stack and no cards are exiled at all.
When to Play It
Use this spell when your opponent has a small but high-value target. Targeting a creature with 1 toughness allows you to look at 4 cards, giving you a high probability of finding exactly what you need to finish the game. It is best used during your pre-combat main phase so you have the mana and the timing window to cast whatever you exile.
Interaction examples
If you cast Nahiri's Warcrafting on a creature with 2 toughness, you deal 3 excess damage. You look at the top three cards of your library, exile one, and can play it this turn. The other two go to the bottom in a random order.
Jeska's WillCast Jeska's Will first to generate a large amount of red mana. Use three of that mana to cast Nahiri's Warcrafting on a small creature. The excess damage allows you to exile a card, which you can then cast immediately using the remaining mana from Jeska's Will.
Wheel of FortuneTarget a planeswalker with only 1 loyalty counter using Nahiri's Warcrafting. You deal 4 excess damage. Look at the top four cards and exile Wheel of Fortune. Because you can play the card this turn, you may cast Wheel of Fortune to discard your empty hand and draw seven fresh cards.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Nahiri's Warcrafting
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A creature has been dealt excess damage if Nahiri's Warcrafting deals more damage to it than the minimum amount of damage required to be lethal damage. In most cases, this means damage greater than the creature's toughness, but consider any damage that was already dealt to it that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
For a planeswalker, excess damage means damage in excess of the planeswalker's loyalty (the number of loyalty counters it has on it). For a battle, excess damage means damage in excess of the battle's defense (the number of defense counters it has on it).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Playing the exiled card follows the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its cost, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if it's a creature card, you can cast it by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play an exiled land card only if you haven't played a land yet that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you don't play the card, it will remain exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Nahiri's Warcrafting
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.