Noyan Dar, Roil ShaperHow it works & interactions with other cards

Awakening the Earth

Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper has a triggered ability that triggers whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell. When the ability triggers, you choose a target land you control. As the ability resolves, you may put three +1/+1 counters on that land. If you do, that land becomes a 0/0 Elemental creature with haste that is still a land. Because the effect says 'it's still a land,' it retains all its previous abilities, such as tapping for mana, but it can now attack and block.

The Timing of the Roil

It is important to note that Noyan Dar's ability goes on the stack on top of the instant or sorcery spell you just cast. This means the land will become a creature and receive its counters before the spell that triggered it actually resolves. If you target a land that is already a creature, it simply gains three additional +1/+1 counters and remains a creature.

Common Mistakes

A frequent point of confusion is how Noyan Dar interacts with cards that mention 'Awaken.' While Noyan Dar's effect is functionally similar to the Awaken keyword, it is not the same. Furthermore, remember that if your land-creature is destroyed, it goes to the graveyard just like any other creature. Since it is still a land, effects that destroy 'nonland permanents' will not affect it, but anything that says 'destroy target creature' will.

Strategic Play

Because the land gains haste, you can use the mana from the land to help cast your spell, and then immediately attack with that land once the ability resolves. You can choose to spread counters across many different lands to build a wide board, or stack all the counters onto a single land to create one massive unstoppable Elemental.

Interaction examples

Double the Roil

Roaming Throne

With Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Merfolk,' Noyan Dar's ability triggers an additional time whenever you cast an instant or sorcery. This allows you to either put six +1/+1 counters on one land or three counters on two different lands for every single spell you cast.

Building a Mana Base

Solemn Simulacrum

Use Solemn Simulacrum to search for a basic land and put it onto the battlefield. Once you have that land in play, you can cast an instant or sorcery to trigger Noyan Dar, targeting that new land. This ensures you always have fresh targets for your Roil Shaper's ability as you ramp up your mana.