River Song 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
Meet in Reverse — You draw cards from the bottom of your library rather than the top. Spoilers — Whenever an opponent scries, surveils, or searches their library, put a +1/+1 counter on River Song. Then River Song deals damage to that player equal to its power.
Complete guide
River Song is a unique legendary creature that flips the traditional mechanics of Magic: The Gathering upside down. As a Time Lord, she forces you to interact with the bottom of your library while punishing your opponents for peering into their own futures. This card is perfect for players looking to manipulate hidden information in unconventional ways.
Meet in Reverse
The first ability, Meet in Reverse, is a replacement effect that changes how you draw cards. Instead of taking the top card of your library, you take the bottom card and put it into your hand. This applies to your normal draw step and any spell or ability that causes you to draw a card while River Song is on the battlefield.
Resolution of Spoilers
The Spoilers ability is a triggered ability that monitors three specific actions taken by opponents: scrying, surveilling, or searching their library. When an opponent performs any of these, the ability goes on the stack. First, you place a +1/+1 counter on River Song, and then she deals damage to that player equal to her new power. If she has been buffed by other effects, that damage can escalate quickly.
Common Mistakes
A common point of confusion is how 'Time Lord' works as a creature type. Unlike other types, Time Lord is a single, two-word subtype. You cannot choose 'Time' or 'Lord' individually for effects that ask for a creature type. Additionally, remember that River Song's damage ability checks her power at the moment the ability resolves, including the counter she just received.
When to Play River Song
River Song shines in formats like Commander where opponents frequently search their libraries for lands or scry to fix their draws. She acts as a powerful deterrent, punishing players for basic deck-thinning and selection. She is best deployed early to capitalize on fetch lands and early-game library manipulation.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumWhen an opponent plays Solemn Simulacrum and searches their library for a basic land, River Song's 'Spoilers' ability triggers. You place a +1/+1 counter on River Song, and then she deals damage to that opponent equal to her current power. Later, if you draw a card when your own Solemn Simulacrum dies, you take that card from the bottom of your library instead of the top.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield and chose 'Time Lord' as its type, River Song's 'Spoilers' ability will trigger an additional time whenever an opponent scries, surveils, or searches. This results in two +1/+1 counters being added and two separate instances of damage being dealt to that opponent, with the second hit being even stronger than the first.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : River Song
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Drawing cards from the bottom of your library is exactly the same as drawing from the top, except that you take the bottom card of your library and put it into your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
River Song's first ability applies to all cards you draw while it is on the battlefield, not just the card you draw for your turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Unlike other creature types in Magic that are each only one word, the two words "Time Lord" represent a single creature subtype. Time Lord is the only two-word creature type.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Neither "Time" nor "Lord" are creature types. Some older cards were printed with the subtype "Lord," but all of those cards have updated Oracle card text that removed that type.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a creature type, you may choose Time Lord.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
River Song + Timestream Navigator
- 1During your upkeep, activate Timestream Navigator by paying
, tapping it and putting it on the bottom of your library, causing you to take an extra turn after this one. - 2Move to your draw step, drawing Timestream Navigator from the bottom of your library due to River Song.
- 3Cast Timestream Navigator by paying
. - 4Repeat each turn.
River Song + Radiant Performer + Field of Ruin
- 1Activate Field of Ruin's second ability by paying , tapping and sacrificing it, targeting any nonbasic land an opponent controls.
- 2Holding priority, cast Radiant Performer by paying
. - 3When Radiant Performer enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying Field of Ruin's ability for each other nonbasic land your opponents control.
- 4Resolve the first Field of Ruin ability, destroying the land it it targeting, then causing each player to search their library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield.
- 5River Song triggers for each opponent who searches this way.
- 6Resolve the first trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on it and dealing damage equal to its power to an opponent.
- 7Repeat step 6 for each other trigger.
- 8Repeat from step 4 for each other Field of Ruin ability.
River Song + Time Warp + Tomb Trawler
- 1Cast Time Warp by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Tomb Trawler by paying , causing you to put Time Warp on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Time Warp from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
River Song + Temporal Manipulation + Tomb Trawler
- 1Cast Temporal Manipulation by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Tomb Trawler by paying , causing you to put Temporal Manipulation on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Temporal Manipulation from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
River Song + Transplant Theorist + Time Warp
- 1Cast Time Warp by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Transplant Theorist by paying , causing you to put Time Warp on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Time Warp from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
River Song + Time Warp + Barkform Harvester
- 1Cast Time Warp by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Barkform Harvester by paying , causing you to put Time Warp on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Time Warp from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
River Song + Transplant Theorist + Temporal Manipulation
- 1Cast Temporal Manipulation by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Transplant Theorist by paying , causing you to put Temporal Manipulation on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Temporal Manipulation from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
River Song + Temporal Manipulation + Barkform Harvester
- 1Cast Temporal Manipulation by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 2Activate Barkform Harvester by paying , causing you to put Temporal Manipulation on the bottom of your library from your graveyard.
- 3Move to your next turn, drawing Temporal Manipulation from the bottom of your library due to River Song during your draw step.
- 4Repeat.
Legal formats
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