Rootcast Apprenticeship 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
Choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once. • Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. • Create a token that's a copy of target token you control. • Target player creates a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token. • Target opponent sacrifices a nontoken artifact of their choice.
Complete guide
Rootcast Apprenticeship is a versatile green sorcery from the Bloomburrow set that offers a customizable array of effects. By choosing three modes—even the same one multiple times—you can adapt your strategy to buff creatures, duplicate tokens, or dismantle your opponent's artifacts.
How the Modes Work
When you cast Rootcast Apprenticeship, you must immediately choose three modes. You can choose different modes or repeat the same one. However, you must have a legal target for every mode you select. For instance, you cannot choose the second mode if you do not control a token, and you cannot choose the first mode if there are no creatures on the battlefield.
Step-by-Step Resolution
The spell resolves in the order the modes are printed on the card. First, any chosen +1/+1 counters are placed. Second, any token copies are created. Third, the designated players create their Squirrel tokens. Finally, target opponents sacrifice their nontoken artifacts. Even if you choose the same mode multiple times, they follow this top-to-bottom sequence, though you decide the relative order for repeated instances of the same mode.
Targeting and Interaction
If a mode requires a target, that target must remain legal until the spell resolves. If one target becomes illegal (for example, a creature is destroyed in response), the other modes will still resolve as long as at least one target remains legal. If every single target for all chosen modes becomes illegal, the entire spell is countered and nothing happens.
Strategic Timing
Because this is a sorcery, you will typically use it during your main phase to build your board presence. It is particularly effective for multiplying powerful tokens or forcing an opponent to discard valuable artifacts like Equipment or Mana Rocks that aren't tokens themselves.
Interaction examples
Rootcast Apprenticeship
SquirrelIf you choose the second mode three times and target a Squirrel token you already control, you will finish the resolution with three additional Squirrel tokens. Note that you must already have at least one token on the battlefield to choose this mode.
You can choose to put two +1/+1 counters on a creature, create a Squirrel token for yourself, and force an opponent to sacrifice an artifact. These effects happen in order: the counters are placed first, then your Squirrel is created, and finally the opponent sacrifices their nontoken artifact.
If your opponent controls three powerful nontoken artifacts, you can choose the fourth mode three times, targeting that opponent each time. During resolution, the opponent will have to choose and sacrifice three different nontoken artifacts one after another.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Rootcast Apprenticeship
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You choose the modes as you cast the spell. Once modes are chosen, they can't be changed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You can select a mode only if there's a legal target available for that mode. Ignore the targeting requirements for modes you don't choose. Each time you select that mode, you can choose a different target, or you can choose the same target.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
No matter which combination of modes you choose, you always follow the instructions in the order they are written.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the same mode is chosen more than once, you choose their relative order as you cast the spell. For example, if you choose the last mode of Rootcast Apprenticeship more than once, you choose the relative order in which the target opponents sacrifice nontoken artifacts.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
No player can cast spells or activate abilities in between the modes of a resolving spell. Any abilities that trigger won't be put onto the stack until a spell is done resolving.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If Rootcast Apprenticeship is copied, the effect that creates the copy will usually allow you to choose new targets, but you can't choose new modes.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If all targets for the chosen modes become illegal before Rootcast Apprenticeship resolves, the spell will be countered and none of its effects will happen. If at least one target is still legal, the spell will resolve but will have no effect on any illegal targets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Roxanne, Starfall Savant + Reiterate + Rootcast Apprenticeship
- 1Cast Rootcast Apprenticeship by paying
. Choose its second mode three times targeting the Meteorite. - 2Holding priority, cast Reiterate with buyback by paying
, copying Rootcast Apprenticeship, targeting the Meteorite with all three modes, and returning Reiterate to your hand. - 3Resolve the Rootcast Apprenticeship copy, creating three copies of the Meteorite token.
- 4When the Meteorites enter, they trigger, dealing 6 damage to any target.
- 5Activate the three Meteorites by tapping them, adding
. - 6Roxanne triggers three times, adding .
- 7Repeat from step 2.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Rootcast Apprenticeship
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.