Spare from Evil 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
Creatures you control gain protection from non-Human creatures until end of turn.
Complete guide
Spare from Evil is a tactical white instant that shields your entire board from the terrors of the multiverse. By granting protection from non-Human creatures, it ensures your army can bypass monstrous blockers or survive a lethal assault. This spell is a cornerstone for strategies that rely on combat tricks and tribal survival.
What It Does
Spare from Evil grants every creature you currently control protection from non-Human creatures until the end of the turn. In Magic, protection follows the 'DEBT' acronym: your creatures cannot be Damaged, Enchanted/Equipped, Blocked, or Targeted by anything that meets the 'non-Human creature' criteria. Crucially, a 'non-Human creature' is any creature that lacks the Human subtype; if a creature is both a Human and another type, like a Human Soldier, it does not count as non-Human.
How It Resolves Step by Step
When you cast Spare from Evil, it goes onto the stack and waits for all players to pass priority. Once it resolves, the game checks which creatures you control at that exact moment. Those specific creatures gain the protection keyword. If you play a new creature later in the turn, or if you take control of an opponent's creature after the spell has finished resolving, those new additions will not have protection.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is assuming this spell protects against non-creature spells. Protection from non-Human creatures only applies to sources that are currently creatures. While it prevents a non-Human creature from targeting your units with an ability, it does not stop a non-Human permanent that isn't a creature (like a non-creature Artifact) or a spell from an opponent. Additionally, remember that protection does not stop 'board wipes' that do not damage or target, such as effects that say 'destroy all creatures'.
When to Play It
This card is most effective during the combat phase. Use it offensively to make your creatures unblockable against an opponent who controls Elves, Dragons, or Goblins. Defensively, you can cast it after your opponent declares attackers to ensure your creatures take zero damage from non-Human sources while blocking, or to prevent your board from being decimated by the combat damage of massive monsters.
Interaction examples
If your opponent attacks with a 'Human Soldier' and a 'Wolf', Spare from Evil will allow your creatures to block the Wolf and take no damage, but the Human Soldier will deal damage as normal because it possesses the Human subtype.
Swords to Plowshares
Path to ExileIf an opponent casts Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile on your creature, Spare from Evil will not save it. Even though those spells are cast by a player, the spells themselves are not 'non-Human creatures.' Protection from creatures only stops abilities originating from creatures or damage/blocking from creatures.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Spare from Evil
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Only creatures you control when Spare from Evil resolves will be affected. Creatures that enter or that you gain control of later in the turn won't be.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A "non-Human creature" is any creature that doesn't have the creature type Human. A creature that is a Human in addition to other creature types is not a non-Human creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Spare from Evil
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