Sin, Spira's Punishment 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
Flying Whenever Sin enters or attacks, exile a permanent card from your graveyard at random, then create a tapped token that's a copy of that card. If the exiled card is a land card, repeat this process.
Complete guide
Sin, Spira's Punishment is a massive Leviathan Avatar that brings your graveyard back to life in a flurry of spectral copies. By exiling permanent cards at random, this legendary creature ensures that every entry and attack transforms your past resources into a present threat. Its unique ability to chain effects when hitting land cards makes it a potentially explosive finisher in any Sultai deck.
What it Does
Sin, Spira's Punishment features a powerful triggered ability that occurs whenever it enters the battlefield or attacks. You must exile a permanent card from your graveyard at random. Once exiled, you create a token that is an exact copy of that card, but it enters the battlefield tapped. If you happen to exile a land card, the entire process repeats, allowing you to potentially create multiple tokens from a single trigger.
How it Resolves Step by Step
First, the ability triggers and is put onto the stack. When it resolves, you randomly select a permanent card from your graveyard and move it to the exile zone. Next, a tapped token is created that copies all the printed characteristics of that card. If the card you just exiled was a land, you return to the first step and repeat the process until you exile a non-land permanent or your graveyard no longer contains permanent cards.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake involves the randomness of the selection; you cannot choose which card to exile. Additionally, remember that the token is a copy of the card as it existed in the graveyard. If you copy a card with {X} in its mana cost, X is treated as 0. Because the token is a copy of a permanent entering the battlefield, any 'Enters the Battlefield' (ETB) triggers the original card has will trigger for the token as well.
When to Play It
Sin is best played in decks that can fill the graveyard quickly with high-impact permanents. Since the tokens enter tapped, it is primarily a value engine or a setup for a defensive line on the following turn. However, if you hit a creature with a powerful ETB ability, the immediate impact on the board state can be game-winning even without the token being able to block or attack right away.
Interaction examples
Sin, Spira's Punishment
Craterhoof BehemothWhen Sin, Spira's Punishment attacks, its ability triggers. You randomly exile Craterhoof Behemoth from your graveyard. A tapped token copy of Craterhoof Behemoth is created. Because the token enters the battlefield, its own ability triggers, giving all your creatures (including Sin) trample and a massive power boost based on your creature count.
If Sin, Spira's Punishment enters the battlefield and the random permanent exiled is a land card, the ability repeats. You create a tapped copy of that land and then exile another random permanent. If that next card is also a land, you repeat again. This continues until you exile a non-land permanent, effectively ramping you multiple times in one turn.
Hullbreaker HorrorIf you exile Hullbreaker Horror with Sin's ability, you get a tapped token copy of the Horror. While the token cannot block immediately, it remains on the field. The next time you cast a spell, the token's ability will trigger, allowing you to return a nonland permanent or a spell to its owner's hand, providing powerful board control.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sin, Spira's Punishment
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied card has
in its mana cost, X is 0.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into your graveyard.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a card copied by the token had any "when [this permanent] enters" abilities, the token also has those abilities, and they'll trigger when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters" or "[this permanent] enters with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.