Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 1

Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives more lore counters.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 2

The cards you exile because of the chapter I ability are exiled face up.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 3

Playing a card this way follows the normal rules for playing the card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 4

Under normal circumstances, you can play a land from among the exiled cards only if you haven’t played a land yet that turn.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 5

Any cards you don’t play by the end of your next turn will remain exiled.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 6

As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 7

Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.

Showdown of the Skalds — ruling 8

A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the chapter III ability to trigger, but chapters I and II won’t trigger again.

Showdown of the Skalds : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Showdown of the Skalds 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

(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I — Exile the top four cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards. II, III — Whenever you cast a spell this turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.

Complete guide

Showdown of the Skalds is a powerful Boros Saga that provides both massive card advantage and long-term board presence. By exiling the top of your deck and rewarding every spell cast with permanent stat boosts, it serves as a central engine for aggressive and midrange decks alike.

Unlocking the Library

When Showdown of the Skalds enters the battlefield, the Chapter I ability triggers, exiling the top four cards of your library face up. You are granted permission to play these cards until the end of your next turn. This includes playing lands (if you have land drops available) or casting spells by paying their mana costs and following all normal timing restrictions. Any cards not played by the end of your next turn's final phase will remain in exile indefinitely.

Growing Your Army

Chapters II and III focus on strengthening your board. When a lore counter is added during your precombat main phases, the triggered ability goes on the stack. Once resolved, for the rest of that turn, every time you cast a spell, you put a +1/+1 counter on a target creature you control. This 'delayed triggered ability' triggers whenever you cast a spell from any zone—including your hand or the cards exiled by Chapter I.

Timing and Sacrifice

As a Saga, Showdown of the Skalds is sacrificed as a state-based action once the Chapter III ability has left the stack (either by resolving or being countered). It is important to remember that adding a lore counter doesn't use the stack, but the chapter ability itself does. If you use effects to remove counters, you can repeat the earlier chapters, but simply removing a counter will not trigger a chapter ability; it must be added back to reach the required threshold.

When to Play It

This Saga is best played when you have four mana available and can follow up with several low-cost spells on the following turn. Since the Chapter II and III triggers apply to every spell cast that turn, you want to maximize your mana efficiency to spread as many +1/+1 counters as possible across your creatures.

Interaction examples

Standard Resource Generation

You cast Showdown of the Skalds. It enters with one lore counter, exiling four cards. On your next turn, after your draw step, you add a second lore counter. For every spell you cast that turn, you may target a creature you control to receive a +1/+1 counter. You then have until the end of that turn to play the remaining exiled cards before they are lost.

Stacking Enchantment Value

Smothering Tithe

If you have Smothering Tithe on the battlefield, you can use the Treasure tokens it generates to help pay for the four cards exiled by Showdown of the Skalds. When you cast Smothering Tithe while Chapter II or III of the Saga is active, you will also get to put a +1/+1 counter on a creature you control.

Defensive Scaling

Ghostly Prison

While Ghostly Prison protects you from attacks, casting it during the turn Showdown of the Skalds reaches Chapter II or III allows you to bolster your defenders. The +1/+1 counter from the Saga makes your creatures better blockers, while Ghostly Prison makes it harder for your opponent to commit resources to an attack.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Showdown of the Skalds

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Removing lore counters won’t cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives more lore counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
The cards you exile because of the chapter I ability are exiled face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Playing a card this way follows the normal rules for playing the card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a sorcery card, you can cast it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Under normal circumstances, you can play a land from among the exiled cards only if you haven’t played a land yet that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Any cards you don’t play by the end of your next turn will remain exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn’t use the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Each symbol on the left of a Saga’s text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability’s chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
A chapter ability doesn’t trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter’s number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the chapter III ability to trigger, but chapters I and II won’t trigger again.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won’t be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11February 5, 2021· Wizards of the Coast
Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga’s controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn’t use the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.