Spellskite 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
: Change a target of target spell or ability to this creature. (
or 2 life.)
Complete guide
Spellskite is a legendary defensive tool in the Modern and Legacy formats, known for its unique ability to intercept spells intended for your other permanents. As a Phyrexian Horror, it offers incredible flexibility by allowing you to pay for its activation with either blue mana or 2 life. Understanding the nuances of target redirection is key to mastering this artifact creature.
Redirecting the Focus
Spellskite's ability allows you to change a target of a spell or ability to itself. When you activate the ability, you choose a spell or ability on the stack that has at least one target. It is important to note that you can legally activate this ability even if Spellskite wouldn't be a valid target for that spell, though the redirection will fail upon resolution if it remains an illegal target.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, the ability is put on the stack and you pay the cost of one blue mana or 2 life. Once the ability resolves, you check if Spellskite is a legal target for the chosen spell. If it is, the target changes to Spellskite. If the spell has multiple targets (like 'deal 2 damage to target creature and 2 damage to target player'), you choose which one to redirect. However, you cannot change a target if doing so would make other targets of that same spell illegal.
Common Pitfalls
A frequent mistake is attempting to redirect a spell that cannot target artifacts or creatures. If a spell says 'Destroy target Enchantment,' you can activate Spellskite, but since Spellskite is not an enchantment, the target will not change. Additionally, if Spellskite leaves the battlefield before its ability resolves, the original target remains unchanged. You also cannot change the total number of targets specified by a spell.
Strategic Timing
Spellskite is best used to protect your high-value creatures from removal or to 'steal' beneficial pump spells from your opponent. Because its ability costs only 2 life, you can use it even when tapped out to disrupt your opponent's entire turn sequence, forcing them to waste removal spells on a 0/4 blocker instead of your win conditions.
Interaction examples
Foundry InspectorYour opponent casts a spell to destroy your Foundry Inspector. In response, you pay 2 life to activate Spellskite's ability targeting that destruction spell. When the ability resolves, the destruction spell now targets Spellskite instead, leaving your Foundry Inspector safe to continue reducing your artifact costs.
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf an opponent attempts to cast a spell that grants +2/+2 to their own Ornithopter of Paradise, you can activate Spellskite. As Spellskite is a legal target for most creature-buffing spells, the +2/+2 will be redirected to Spellskite, effectively wasting the opponent's card and mana.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Spellskite
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You can activate Spellskite's ability even if Spellskite isn't a legal target for the target spell or ability—or even if that spell or ability has no targets. In this case, no targets are changed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If Spellskite leaves the battlefield before its ability resolves or otherwise becomes an illegal target for the target spell or ability before its ability resolves, no targets are changed.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If changing one target of a spell or ability to Spellskite would make other targets of that spell or ability illegal, that target can't be changed to Spellskite.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the spell or ability has multiple instances of the word “target,” you choose which one target you're changing to Spellskite as Spellskite's ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability has multiple targets but doesn't use the word “target” multiple times, such as the ability of Deepglow Skate, you can only change one of the targets to Spellskite.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability has a variable number of targets, you can't change the number of targets.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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