Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold 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
Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) At the beginning of combat on your turn, the next time target creature would deal combat damage to one or more players this combat, prevent that damage. If damage is prevented this way, create that many 1/1 colorless Phyrexian Mite artifact creature tokens with toxic 1 and "This token can't block."
Complete guide
Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold is a powerhouse for aggressive decks, turning your largest attackers into an overwhelming swarm of infectious artifacts. By converting traditional combat damage into a wave of Phyrexian Mite tokens, she forces your opponents to choose between taking a hit now or facing a toxic army later.
Battle Cry and Board Presence
Ria Ivor features the Battle cry keyword, which triggers whenever she attacks. This grants all other attacking creatures a +1/+0 bonus until the end of the turn. This bonus is essential because her second ability scales based on the damage a creature would deal; by buffing your board, you ensure that if the damage is prevented, you generate the maximum number of tokens possible.
Step-by-Step Prevention
At the beginning of combat on your turn, Ria Ivor's triggered ability goes on the stack, and you choose a target creature. As the combat phase moves to the damage step, if that target creature would deal combat damage to a player, a prevention effect occurs. Instead of the player losing life, you calculate the amount of damage that would have been dealt and create that many 1/1 colorless Phyrexian Mite artifact creature tokens. These tokens have toxic 1 and the restriction that they cannot block.
Common Mistakes
A common misconception involves the timing of the prevention. This effect only applies to combat damage dealt to players, not to creatures or planeswalkers. If the targeted creature is blocked and deals all its damage to a blocker, no damage is prevented by Ria Ivor's ability, and no Mites are created. Additionally, remember that toxic is not a replacement for damage; while the Mites deal 1 damage and give 1 poison counter, Ria Ivor herself simply swaps damage for tokens rather than adding poison directly.
When to Play Ria Ivor
Ria Ivor is most effective when you have a high-power creature that is likely to go unblocked or has trample. Since she triggers at the 'beginning of combat,' you must target a creature before you know if it will be blocked. Playing her alongside creatures that generate value upon attacking or those with high power ensures that even if your opponent doesn't block, they are punished by an immediate expansion of your board state.
Interaction examples
Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Phyrexian' or 'Knight,' Ria Ivor's beginning of combat ability triggers twice. You can target two different creatures (or the same creature twice, though the second instance would have no damage left to prevent). During the damage step, both targeted creatures have their damage to players prevented, resulting in two separate batches of Phyrexian Mite tokens being created based on their respective power.
Solemn SimulacrumYou target Solemn Simulacrum with Ria Ivor's ability at the start of combat. You then attack with both. Ria's Battle cry triggers, making the Simulacrum a 3/2 creature. If the Simulacrum is not blocked and would deal 3 damage to the opponent, that damage is prevented. You instead create three 1/1 Phyrexian Mite tokens. You successfully traded 3 life points of damage for three bodies that can later apply Poison Counters.
If Ria Ivor attacks alone, her Battle cry has no other creatures to buff. However, she can target herself with her own beginning of combat ability. If she is unblocked, her 3 combat damage is prevented, and you create three 1/1 Phyrexian Mite tokens. This is a reliable way to build a board from a single threat, even if no other allies are present.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple replacement or prevention effects try to modify damage that would be dealt to a player, the player being dealt damage chooses the order in which they apply.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Time Sieve + Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold
- 1At the beginning of combat on your turn, Ria Ivor triggers, targeting a creature you control.
- 2Declare that creature as an attacker.
- 3Instead of that creature dealing damage to an opponent, instead prevent that damage and create at least five 1/1 Phyrexian Mite artifact creature tokens.
- 4Activate Time Sieve by tapping it and sacrificing five Phyrexian Mite tokens.
- 5Repeat each turn.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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