OilskelionHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding Oil Sunburst

Oil Sunburst is a replacement effect that modifies how Oilskelion enters the battlefield. As you cast it, the game tracks how many different colors of mana (White, Blue, Black, Red, or Green) were used to pay its 5 mana cost. It then enters the battlefield with a number of oil counters equal to that count, up to a maximum of five.

Converting Oil to Damage

Oilskelion features an activated ability that costs one oil counter to use. Because the damage can be dealt to 'any target,' you can choose a player, a planeswalker, or a creature. This is not a mana ability and uses the stack, meaning your opponents can respond to each activation.

Maximizing Your Colors

A common mistake is thinking that spending more than five mana increases the counters; however, since the cost is exactly 5, and there are only five colors in Magic, five is the natural limit. Additionally, remember that Oil Sunburst only counts mana spent to cast the spell; if Oilskelion enters the battlefield from your graveyard or is blinked, it will enter with zero counters.

Strategic Timing

Since Oilskelion does not need to tap to use its ability, it can be used the moment it hits the board. It is an excellent tool for finishing off low-loyalty planeswalkers or picking off small utility creatures before they can impact the game.

Interaction examples

Fixing Your Colors

Solemn Simulacrum

You play Solemn Simulacrum to search for a basic land, ensuring you have a third color available. When you later cast Oilskelion using mana from a Plains, an Island, and three Swamps, the game detects three unique colors (White, Blue, Black). Oilskelion enters with three oil counters.

Doubling Down with Roaming Throne

Roaming Throne

You have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Construct' chosen as the creature type. It is important to note that Oil Sunburst is a replacement effect, not a triggered ability, so Roaming Throne does not grant extra counters. However, if Oilskelion had a 'When this creature enters' trigger, the Throne would double that. In this specific pair, the Throne mainly provides a secondary large body while Oilskelion handles targeted removal.

Basic Single-Target Ping

You cast Oilskelion using only Red mana from five Mountains. Because only one color was used, it enters with a single oil counter. You immediately remove that counter to deal 1 damage to an opponent's 1/1 creature, destroying it.