Shadowfax, Lord of Horses 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
Horses you control have haste. (They can attack andas soon as they come under your control.) Whenever Shadowfax attacks, you may put a creature card with lesser power from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
Complete guide
Shadowfax, Lord of Horses is a legendary creature that captures the speed and leadership of the king of all horses. This card not only grants haste to all Horses you control but also allows you to cheat powerful creatures into combat directly from your hand.
Granting Haste and Attacking
Shadowfax's first ability is a static effect that gives all Horses you control haste, including itself. Its second ability is a triggered ability that occurs whenever Shadowfax is declared as an attacker. This ability checks Shadowfax's current power on the battlefield and allows you to place a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield if that card's power is strictly less than Shadowfax's current power.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you declare Shadowfax as an attacker, its ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you first compare the power of creature cards in your hand to Shadowfax's power. If you choose to put a creature onto the battlefield, it enters already tapped and attacking. You may choose any legal target for this new attacker, such as a different player, planeswalker, or battle than the one Shadowfax is attacking.
Important Timing and Rulings
It is vital to remember that the creature placed onto the battlefield was never 'declared' as an attacker. Therefore, any abilities that trigger 'whenever a creature attacks' will not fire for the new creature. If Shadowfax is removed from the battlefield while the ability is on the stack, the game uses its last known information to determine its power for the comparison.
Power and Synergies
The power check only happens while the card is in your hand. If the creature enters the battlefield with counters or effects that increase its power beyond Shadowfax's, the ability still works legally. This makes Shadowfax an excellent tool for bypassing mana costs of utility creatures or creatures with high toughness but low base power.
Interaction examples
When you cast Shadowfax, Lord of Horses, its static ability grants itself haste immediately. You can move to the combat phase, declare Shadowfax as an attacker, and trigger its ability to put a creature like a 2/2 or 3/3 from your hand onto the battlefield before your opponent can react to the cast.
Solemn SimulacrumWith Shadowfax, Lord of Horses (4/4) attacking, you can put Solemn Simulacrum (2/2) onto the battlefield tapped and attacking because 2 is less than 4. When Solemn Simulacrum enters, its 'enters the battlefield' ability triggers, allowing you to search for a basic land even though it entered attacking.
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Horse' chosen as the creature type, Shadowfax's attack ability triggers twice. This allows you to put two different creature cards with power less than 4 from your hand onto the battlefield simultaneously, potentially overwhelming your opponent's defenses.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Shadowfax, Lord of Horses
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Haste reminder text isn't normally included in most card sets these days, but we felt explaining what haste means was important for this card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Although the creature you put onto the battlefield is an attacking creature, it was never declared as an attacking creature. This means that abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks won't trigger when it enters the battlefield attacking.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The creature card you put onto the battlefield needs to have lesser power in your hand than the Shadowfax, Lord of Horses on the battlefield. The creature that enters the battlefield doesn't need to have lesser power than Shadowfax (this can happen if it enters with +1/+1 counters on it, for example).
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If Shadowfax, Lord of Horses leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, compare the power of the creature card in your hand with Shadowfax's power as it last existed on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
You choose which player, planeswalker, or battle the creature you put onto the battlefield is attacking as it enters the battlefield. It doesn't have to be attacking the same player, planeswalker, or battle that Shadowfax, Lord of Horses is attacking.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Shadowfax, Lord of Horses + Breath of Fury + Enduring Renewal
- 1Declare Shadowfax and the Horse with Breath of Fury attached as attackers.
- 2Shadowfax triggers, putting a Horse creature card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
- 3Deal combat damage using Shadowfax and the two other Horses.
- 4Breath of Fury triggers, causing you to sacrifice the Horse it is attached to, then attach Breath of Fury to another Horse except Shadowfax, then causing you to untap all creatures you control and to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5When the Horse that had Breath of Fury attached dies, Enduring Renewal triggers, returning the Horse to your hand from your graveyard.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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