Smaug the MagnificentHow it works & interactions with other cards

Hoarding Wealth and Damage

Smaug the Magnificent has two distinct triggered abilities. The first occurs at the beginning of your upkeep, creating a Treasure token to build your resource base. The second is an attack trigger that deals damage to any target based on the number of Treasures you control at the moment the ability resolves. Because he has haste, he can start applying this pressure the very turn he enters the battlefield, provided you already have a hoard established.

Resolution Step-by-Step

When you declare Smaug the Magnificent as an attacker, his triggered ability is put onto the stack, and you must choose a target (a player, planeswalker, or creature). As the ability resolves, the game checks how many Treasure tokens you currently control. If you sacrifice Treasures for mana in response to the trigger, they will not be counted when the damage is calculated. The damage is dealt as a single lump sum based on that final count.

Common Pitfalls

A frequent mistake is sacrificing Treasures to cast spells before the attack trigger resolves. Since the damage is determined only upon resolution, reducing your Treasure count prematurely will weaken the blast. Additionally, remember that Smaug's upkeep trigger happens before your draw step, giving you mana or damage fodder early in the turn, but it won't help him the turn he is cast unless you have other ways to generate Treasure.

Strategic Timing

Smaug is most effective when paired with other Treasure-generating effects. Since his damage is 'any target,' he can be used to pick off utility creatures like Solemn Simulacrum without needing to dedicate a separate spell. If you can protect him, his upkeep ability ensures he scales in power every single turn he remains on the board.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Dragon's Breath

Smaug the MagnificentRoaming Throne

If you control Roaming Throne with 'Dragon' chosen as the creature type, Smaug's attack ability triggers twice. Each instance of the ability will check your Treasure count as it resolves. If you control 3 Treasures, Smaug will deal 3 damage twice, for a total of 6 damage to your chosen targets.

The Upkeep Hoard

Smaug the MagnificentTreasure

At the start of your turn, during the upkeep step, Smaug's ability triggers to create a Treasure token. You can then move to your combat phase and attack. The Treasure created during that upkeep will count toward the total damage dealt by his attack trigger, effectively increasing his damage output by 1 every turn.

Clearing the Path

Smaug the MagnificentSolemn Simulacrum

If your opponent controls a Solemn Simulacrum to block Smaug, you can declare Smaug as an attacker and target the Golem with his triggered ability. If you control 2 or more Treasures, the damage will destroy Solemn Simulacrum before blockers are even declared, allowing Smaug to fly over for direct damage to the opponent.