Scale Up 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
Until end of turn, target creature you control becomes a green Wurm with base power and toughness 6/4. Overload(You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")
Complete guide
Scale Up is a powerful sorcery that can transform a tiny creature into a massive threat for just one mana. By utilizing its Overload cost, it can turn an entire board of small tokens into a stampede of Wurms for a game-ending swing. This card is a staple for aggressive green decks looking to maximize their board presence.
What Scale Up Does
Scale Up sets the base power and toughness of your creatures to 6/4 and changes their creature type to green Wurm until the end of the turn. It is important to note that this effect only modifies the 'base' values; it does not remove any existing abilities the creatures have, nor does it override existing +1/+1 counters or continuous stat boosts from other permanents.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you cast Scale Up, you first choose whether to pay its standard mana cost or its Overload cost. If cast normally, you choose a single target creature you control. Upon resolution, that creature's base power and toughness become 6/4 and it becomes a green Wurm. If Overloaded, the spell no longer targets, meaning it ignores Hexproof or Shroud, and it applies this transformation to every creature you control simultaneously.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A frequent misconception is how Scale Up interacts with other stat-modifying effects. Because it sets 'base' power and toughness, any +1/+1 counters already on the creature will make it even larger than a 6/4. Conversely, if you cast another spell that sets base power and toughness after Scale Up has resolved, that newer effect will overwrite Scale Up's 6/4 setting.
When to Play Scale Up
In the early game, Scale Up acts as a cheap combat trick to help a small creature trade up or push significant damage. In the late game, after using ramp spells to build your mana base, the Overload cost becomes your primary win condition. It is best used during your pre-combat main phase to ensure your entire army is ready to attack with their new, massive stats.
Interaction examples
Nature's LoreAfter using Nature's Lore to put a Forest into play and eventually casting a small creature, you can spend a single green mana on Scale Up to target that creature. It becomes a 6/4 green Wurm until end of turn, allowing for a high-damage attack early in the game.
FarseekUse Farseek to accelerate your mana production. Once you have access to six mana, you can cast Scale Up for its Overload cost. This ignores targeting requirements, transforming every creature you control into a 6/4 green Wurm, even those with Hexproof, for a massive coordinated strike.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Scale Up
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you don't pay the overload cost of a spell with overload, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won't have any targets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Because a spell with overload doesn't target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an overload cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If you are instructed to cast a spell with overload "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to pay its overload cost instead.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Effects that modify the affected creatures' power or toughness (such as the effects of Force of Virtue or Giant Growth) will apply no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change the creatures' power or toughness (such as +1/+1 counters).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
The affected creatures don't lose any abilities when they become Wurms.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Scale Up overwrites all previous effects that set the affected creatures' color, creature types, power, and/or toughness to specific values. Other effects that set these characteristics to specific values that start to apply after Scale Up resolves will overwrite that part of the effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Evolving Wilds
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Evolving Wilds.
- 3When Evolving Wilds enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 4Activate Evolving Wilds by tapping and sacrificing it, searching your library for an applicable land and putting it onto the battlefield.
- 5When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 6Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Terramorphic Expanse
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Terramorphic Expanse.
- 3When Terramorphic Expanse enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 4Activate Terramorphic Expanse by tapping and sacrificing it, searching your library for an applicable land and putting it onto the battlefield.
- 5When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 6Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Fabled Passage
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Fabled Passage.
- 3When Fabled Passage enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 4Activate Fabled Passage by tapping and sacrificing it, searching your library for an applicable land and putting it onto the battlefield.
- 5When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 6Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Cabaretti Courtyard
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Cabaretti Courtyard.
- 3When Cabaretti Courtyard enters, it and Tifa trigger.
- 4Resolve the Tifa trigger, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 5Resolve the Cabaretti Courtyard trigger, causing you to sacrifice it and search your library for an applicable land and put it onto the battlefield.
- 6When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 7Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Riveteers Overlook
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Riveteers Overlook.
- 3When Riveteers Overlook enters, it and Tifa trigger.
- 4Resolve the Tifa trigger, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 5Resolve the Riveteers Overlook trigger, causing you to sacrifice it and search your library for an applicable land and put it onto the battlefield.
- 6When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 7Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Brokers Hideout
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Brokers Hideout.
- 3When Brokers Hideout enters, it and Tifa trigger.
- 4Resolve the Tifa trigger, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 5Resolve the Brokers Hideout trigger, causing you to sacrifice it and search your library for an applicable land and put it onto the battlefield.
- 6When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 7Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Escape Tunnel
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Escape Tunnel.
- 3When Escape Tunnel enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 4Activate Escape Tunnel by tapping and sacrificing it, searching your library for an applicable land and putting it onto the battlefield.
- 5When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 6Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Tifa Lockhart + Scale Up + Windswept Heath
- 1Cast Scale Up by paying , targeting Tifa.
- 2Play Windswept Heath.
- 3When Windswept Heath enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 4Activate Windswept Heath by paying 1 life, tapping and sacrificing it, searching your library for an applicable land and putting it onto the battlefield.
- 5When the land enters, Tifa triggers, doubling its power until end of turn
- 6Deal combat damage to an opponent using Tifa. That opponent loses the game due to being dealt 21 or more combat damage by your commander.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Scale Up
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.