Slingbow Trap 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
If a black creature with flying is attacking, you may payrather than pay this spell's mana cost. Destroy target attacking creature with flying.
Complete guide
Slingbow Trap is a versatile green instant that punishes opponents who rely on aerial assaults. While it usually costs four mana, it offers a significant discount if you are being pressured by dark, winged threats. Mastering this Trap requires understanding combat timing and the specific conditions needed to trigger its reduced cost.
What it Does
Slingbow Trap is a specialized removal spell designed to destroy target attacking creature with flying. Its most notable feature is its Trap keyword, which provides an alternative casting cost of just one green mana. This discount is available as long as a black creature with flying is currently attacking, even if it is not the creature you intend to destroy.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, identify an attacking creature with flying during the combat phase; this is your target. Second, check if any black creature with flying is currently in an attacking state to determine if you can pay the reduced cost of {G}. Third, pay the chosen cost and put the spell on the stack. Upon resolution, the targeted creature is destroyed and placed in its owner's graveyard.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming you must target the black creature to get the discount. As long as any black flyer is attacking, you can use the {G} cost to target any attacking creature with flying, regardless of its color. Additionally, remember that a creature remains an 'attacking creature' until the end of the combat step, providing a window to cast this even after damage has been dealt.
When to Play It
The best time to cast Slingbow Trap is during the Declare Attackers step or the End of Combat step. Since it is an instant, you can wait to see if your opponent commits their flyers to the red zone before spending your mana. It serves as an excellent surprise against decks utilizing black vampires, demons, or faeries.
Interaction examples
Beast WithinIf your opponent attacks with a black creature with flying and a blue creature with flying, you can pay {G} for Slingbow Trap to destroy the blue one. If you then need to deal with a non-flying threat, you can follow up with Beast Within to destroy another permanent at its normal cost.
Return of the WildspeakerDuring your opponent's turn, if they attack with a black flyer, you can use {G} to cast Slingbow Trap and destroy it. On your following turn, you might use Return of the Wildspeaker to buff your own non-Human creatures for a counter-attack, utilizing the mana you saved by using the Trap's alternative cost.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Slingbow Trap
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast Slingbow Trap for
, you may target any attacking creature with flying, not just a black one.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
An “attacking creature” is one that has been declared as an attacker this combat, or one that was put onto the battlefield attacking this combat. Unless that creature leaves combat, it continues to be an attacking creature through the end of combat step, even if the player it was attacking has left the game, or the planeswalker it was attacking has left combat.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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