Prismari PledgemageHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Prismari Pledgemage costs {U/R}{U/R}; each hybrid symbol can be paid with either blue or red mana. Defender normally prevents it from attacking, but its magecraft ability lets it attack this turn as though it didn't have defender. That permission does not actually remove defender, grant haste, or untap the creature. It also does not change its ability to block: defender restricts attacking, not blocking.

How It Resolves, Step by Step

1. While you control Prismari Pledgemage on the battlefield, cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell. 2. Magecraft triggers. That trigger goes onto the stack above the spell that caused it to trigger, so it normally resolves first. 3. When the trigger resolves, Prismari Pledgemage can attack this turn as though it didn't have defender. This permission lasts only for that turn. 4. When you declare attackers, it must still satisfy all other attacking requirements: it must be untapped and, unless it has haste, must have been under your control continuously since your turn began. Example 1 — Funding a spell with Ornithopter of Paradise: Start your turn controlling both creatures. During your precombat main phase, tap Ornithopter of Paradise for mana and use that mana to help cast an instant or sorcery spell. The mana ability itself does not trigger magecraft, but casting the spell does. Once magecraft resolves, an untapped Prismari Pledgemage can attack that turn, assuming no other restriction prevents it.

Common Mistakes

Magecraft cares about casting or copying a spell, not whether that spell resolves. If the triggering spell is countered, the magecraft trigger still exists independently and can resolve. Creating a copy of an instant or sorcery spell triggers magecraft even if the copy was not cast. Creating several such copies produces one trigger for each copy, although repeated resolutions do not give Prismari Pledgemage additional attacks. Copying an instant or sorcery card outside the stack does not itself trigger magecraft; casting that copy does. Casting a creature spell or activating an ability does not trigger this magecraft ability. You also cannot declare Prismari Pledgemage as an attacker first and then cast a spell to make that declaration legal. Example 2 — Exiling a card with Professional Face-Breaker: Control both creatures and activate Professional Face-Breaker's ability by sacrificing a Treasure. The activation does not trigger magecraft. When it resolves, exile the top card of your library. If that card is an instant or sorcery and you legally cast it that turn, casting it triggers Prismari Pledgemage's magecraft. You still follow the card's normal timing rules and pay its costs; the permission to play it does not make it free.

When to Play It

Prismari Pledgemage can block without any magecraft setup. To use it as an attacker, arrange to cast or copy an instant or sorcery before attackers are declared—usually during your precombat main phase. A trigger on an opponent's turn does not carry its permission into your next turn. Example 3 — Attacking alongside Professional Face-Breaker: Begin your turn controlling both creatures, then cast an instant or sorcery before combat. Let Prismari Pledgemage's magecraft trigger resolve, and declare both creatures as attackers if they are otherwise eligible. If both deal combat damage to the same player at the same time, Professional Face-Breaker triggers once, not twice, because its ability says 'one or more creatures.' When that trigger resolves, you create one Treasure token. That Treasure can help with later plays, but it arrives too late to enable Prismari Pledgemage's attack in that combat.

Interaction examples

Example 3 — Attacking alongside Professional Face-Breaker

Professional Face-Breaker

Begin your turn controlling both creatures, then cast an instant or sorcery before combat. Let Prismari Pledgemage's magecraft trigger resolve, and declare both creatures as attackers if they are otherwise eligible. If both deal combat damage to the same player at the same time, Professional Face-Breaker triggers once, not twice, because its ability says 'one or more creatures.' When that trigger resolves, you create one Treasure token. That Treasure can help with later plays, but it arrives too late to enable Prismari Pledgemage's attack in that combat.