Shadow Alley DenizenHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Shadow Alley Denizen has a triggered ability that triggers whenever another black creature enters the battlefield under your control. When this happens, you choose a target creature to gain intimidate until the end of the turn. Intimidate is an evasion keyword that prevents the creature from being blocked except by artifact creatures and creatures that share at least one color with it.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, a black creature must enter the battlefield under your control. Second, Shadow Alley Denizen's ability triggers and is put onto the stack; at this point, you must choose a valid target creature. Third, once the ability resolves, the targeted creature gains intimidate. If you target a creature that is already attacking, the evasion still applies for the remainder of that combat phase.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is assuming Shadow Alley Denizen can trigger itself when it enters the battlefield; however, the text specifies 'another' black creature. Additionally, remember that intimidate does not make a creature unblockable. Artifact creatures, like those with no color, can always block a creature with intimidate regardless of the attacker's colors.

When to Play It

Shadow Alley Denizen is most effective in mono-black or heavy-black decks where every creature you play becomes a trigger to bypass your opponent's defenses. It is best used in the early game to chip away at life totals or in the late game to make a massive finisher impossible to block for opponents not running black or artifact creatures.

Interaction examples

Evasive Life Drain

Blood Artist

With Shadow Alley Denizen on the battlefield, you cast Blood Artist. Since Blood Artist is a black creature, it triggers the Denizen's ability. You can target the Shadow Alley Denizen itself to give it intimidate, allowing it to attack safely while Blood Artist waits to trigger its life-drain ability when creatures die.

The Artifact Exception

Ornithopter of Paradise

If you use Shadow Alley Denizen to give a creature intimidate, your opponent can still block that creature with Ornithopter of Paradise. This is because Ornithopter of Paradise is an artifact creature, and the intimidate keyword explicitly allows artifact creatures to block regardless of color.

Targeting the Newcomer

Blood Artist

When Blood Artist enters the battlefield, you can actually target the Blood Artist itself with the Shadow Alley Denizen trigger. While the Blood Artist gains intimidate, remember it still needs Haste to attack the same turn it was played.