Red Herring 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
Haste This creature attacks each combat if able., Sacrifice this creature: Draw a card.
Complete guide
Red Herring is a fast-paced Artifact Creature that demands action every single turn. As a Clue Fish with Haste, it hits the board swimming and provides value even when its time on the battlefield comes to an end. Understanding its mandatory attack requirement is key to mastering this card in your deck.
Always on the Move
Red Herring has Haste, allowing it to attack or be sacrificed for its ability the very turn it enters the battlefield. However, its most important trait is its requirement to attack each combat if able. This means if it is untapped and there are no effects preventing it from declaring an attack, you must send it into the fray during your declare attackers step.
Navigating Attack Restrictions
The 'if able' clause is crucial. If Red Herring is tapped, or if an opponent controls a card that requires a payment to attack, you are not forced to pay that cost or untap it. In those specific scenarios, the requirement to attack is not met, and the Fish can stay back. Once it is legal to declare it as an attacker, though, you have no choice but to do so.
Sacrificing for Value
Since Red Herring is also a Clue, it carries the inherent ability to be sacrificed for two mana to draw a card. This allows you to 'cycle' the creature if the board state becomes too dangerous or if you simply need to find a new answer in your library. Because this is an activated ability, you can respond to removal spells by sacrificing it to ensure you still get the card draw.
Interaction examples
Professional Face-BreakerWith Professional Face-Breaker on the field, Red Herring's forced attack becomes an advantage. When Red Herring deals combat damage to a player, Professional Face-Breaker triggers to create a Treasure token. You can then use that Treasure's mana, plus one more, to sacrifice the Red Herring and draw a card, or use the Treasure to fuel the Face-Breaker's exile-draw ability.
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf you do not want Red Herring to attack during a specific turn, you must make it 'unable' to do so before the declare attackers step. While Red Herring cannot tap itself for mana like Ornithopter of Paradise, if an external effect taps the Fish or if you sacrifice it to its own ability before attackers are declared, the requirement to attack is ignored because the creature is no longer a legal attacker.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Red Herring
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Red Herring can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having it attack, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Red Herring
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.