Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 1

Annihilator abilities trigger and resolve during the declare attackers step. The defending player chooses and sacrifices the required number of permanents before they declare blockers. Any creatures sacrificed this way won't be able to block.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 2

If a creature with annihilator is attacking a planeswalker, and the defending player chooses to sacrifice that planeswalker, the attacking creature continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it simply won't deal combat damage to anything.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 4

If an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent, it doesn't matter which graveyard it goes to. The last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will trigger.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 5

If the card leaves the graveyard before the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace resolves, the opponent will still have the option to pay 3 life. Regardless of their choice, you can't put the card onto the battlefield, even if it returns to the graveyard before the ability resolves.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 6

If a replacement effect, such as that of Rest in Peace, causes a sacrificed nontoken permanent to be put into a different public zone than a graveyard, the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will still trigger and you will still put the card onto the battlefield under your control if its original controller doesn't pay 3 life.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 7

If an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent as part of paying the cost of a spell or ability, the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will trigger and go on the stack on top of that spell or ability. The ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will resolve before that spell or ability.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace — ruling 8

If you put an Aura on the battlefield using the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace, you choose what the Aura will enchant just before it enters the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn't target the player or permanent it will enchant, so permanents or players with hexproof may be chosen; however, the chosen recipient must be able to legally be enchanted by the Aura, so a player or permanent with protection from one of the Aura's qualities can't be chosen this way. If there's nothing legal for the Aura to enchant, it stays in the graveyard.

Nazgûl Battle-Mace : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Nazgûl Battle-Mace 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

Equipped creature has menace, deathtouch, annihilator 1, and "Whenever an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent, put that card onto the battlefield under your control unless that player pays 3 life." (Whenever a creature with annihilator 1 attacks, defending player sacrifices a permanent of their choice.) Equip

Complete guide

The Nazgûl Battle-Mace is a devastating artifact that turns your equipped creature into a relentless engine of destruction and theft. By combining lethal keywords with a powerful reanimation trigger, it ensures that your opponent's losses become your immediate gains.

A Masterclass in Keywords

This Equipment grants four distinct keywords. Menace makes the creature difficult to block, while Deathtouch ensures any block is lethal. Annihilator 1 forces the defending player to sacrifice a permanent as soon as you attack. Most importantly, it grants a triggered ability: whenever an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent for any reason, they must pay 3 life or you put that card onto the battlefield under your control.

Step-by-Step Resolution

1. Declare Attackers: When the equipped creature is declared as an attacker, the Annihilator 1 ability triggers. 2. Sacrifice: The defending player chooses and sacrifices a permanent. This happens before blockers are declared. 3. Stealing the Permanent: The Battle-Mace's granted ability triggers. The opponent chooses to either pay 3 life or let you take the card. 4. Placement: If they don't pay, the card enters the battlefield under your control. If the card was an Aura, you choose a legal object for it to enchant as it enters without targeting it.

Timing and Interactions

The theft ability isn't limited to Annihilator; it triggers if an opponent sacrifices a permanent to pay for a spell or due to another effect. If an effect like Rest in Peace is active, the ability still triggers even if the card goes to exile instead of the graveyard. Note that if the card leaves the public zone (like the graveyard) before the trigger resolves, you cannot return it to the battlefield even if the opponent refuses to pay the life.

When to Deploy the Mace

Equip this when you have a creature that can safely attack to pressure the board. It is particularly effective against decks that rely on sacrifice outlets or expensive nonland permanents. Because the Annihilator trigger happens in the declare attackers step, it can remove potential blockers before they even have a chance to stand in your way.

Interaction examples

Recycling the Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum

If your opponent sacrifices their Solemn Simulacrum to an effect while you have a creature equipped with Nazgûl Battle-Mace, the Mace's ability triggers. Unless the opponent pays 3 life, Solemn Simulacrum enters the battlefield under your control. You will then get to search for a basic land, and you will even get to draw a card later when it dies again on your side!

Annihilating the Ring

The One Ring

When you attack an opponent who controls The One Ring with your equipped creature, Annihilator 1 triggers. If they choose to sacrifice The One Ring, the Battle-Mace triggers. They must decide to pay 3 life or allow you to take the legendary artifact. Even if they had protection from everything earlier in the turn, sacrifice effects and the subsequent reanimation do not target, so the Ring can still be taken.

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

How it works : Nazgûl Battle-Mace

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Annihilator abilities trigger and resolve during the declare attackers step. The defending player chooses and sacrifices the required number of permanents before they declare blockers. Any creatures sacrificed this way won't be able to block.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with annihilator is attacking a planeswalker, and the defending player chooses to sacrifice that planeswalker, the attacking creature continues to attack. It may be blocked. If it isn't blocked, it simply won't deal combat damage to anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
The last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace triggers whenever an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent for any reason, not just due to the annihilator ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent, it doesn't matter which graveyard it goes to. The last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If the card leaves the graveyard before the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace resolves, the opponent will still have the option to pay 3 life. Regardless of their choice, you can't put the card onto the battlefield, even if it returns to the graveyard before the ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If a replacement effect, such as that of Rest in Peace, causes a sacrificed nontoken permanent to be put into a different public zone than a graveyard, the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will still trigger and you will still put the card onto the battlefield under your control if its original controller doesn't pay 3 life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If an opponent sacrifices a nontoken permanent as part of paying the cost of a spell or ability, the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will trigger and go on the stack on top of that spell or ability. The ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace will resolve before that spell or ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8November 3, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you put an Aura on the battlefield using the last ability granted by Nazgûl Battle-Mace, you choose what the Aura will enchant just before it enters the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn't target the player or permanent it will enchant, so permanents or players with hexproof may be chosen; however, the chosen recipient must be able to legally be enchanted by the Aura, so a player or permanent with protection from one of the Aura's qualities can't be chosen this way. If there's nothing legal for the Aura to enchant, it stays in the graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.