SkyreapingHow it works & interactions with other cards

Harnessing Devotion

When Skyreaping resolves, the game calculates your devotion to green by counting every green mana symbol in the mana costs of all permanents you currently control on the battlefield. This includes creatures, enchantments, artifacts, and planeswalkers. Remember that only symbols in the upper-right corner (the mana cost) count; symbols in the text box or the mana costs of cards in your graveyard do not contribute.

Resolution Step-by-Step

First, you cast Skyreaping and it moves to the stack. Upon resolution, the game checks your current permanents for green mana symbols. Once the total devotion to green is determined, that specific amount of damage is dealt simultaneously to every creature with flying. If a creature loses flying in response to this spell, it will not be dealt damage. Finally, Skyreaping is placed in the graveyard.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is counting land cards toward devotion; lands are colorless and have no mana cost, so they provide zero devotion unless they have been turned into permanents with mana costs. Additionally, numeric symbols like {1} or {2} do not count toward your devotion to any color. If your permanents are removed in response to casting Skyreaping, your devotion count may be lower than expected when the spell finally resolves.

Strategic Timing

Skyreaping is most effective when you have a board full of high-cost green permanents. Because it is a sorcery, you cannot use it as a combat trick during your opponent's turn. Use it during your main phase to clear blockers before an all-out ground assault.

Interaction examples

Skyreaping Alone

If you control no permanents with green mana symbols in their costs when Skyreaping resolves, your devotion to green is zero. The spell will deal 0 damage to each creature with flying, effectively doing nothing but consuming your mana.

Ramping into Skyreaping

Cultivate

If you play Cultivate early in the game, you put a basic land onto the battlefield. Since basic lands have no mana symbols in their costs, the land from Cultivate does not increase the damage dealt by Skyreaping. You must rely on other permanents you control to boost the damage.

Searching for Support

Farseek

If you use Farseek to bring a Breeding Pool (which has blue and green in its color identity but no mana cost) onto the battlefield, it still provides zero devotion to green. Skyreaping will only deal damage based on actual mana symbols, so ensure you have permanents like green creatures out before casting it.