Stand FirmHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

Stand Firm targets a single creature to grant it +1/+1 until the end of the current turn. Immediately after the buff is applied, you Scry 2, which involves looking at the top two cards of your library and deciding whether to keep them on top or move them to the bottom in any order.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you cast Stand Firm by paying one white mana and choosing a legal target creature. Upon resolution, the creature gains the +1/+1 bonus first. Second, you perform the Scry 2 action; this occurs even if the creature's toughness was not relevant to the current board state. However, if the target creature becomes illegal before the spell resolves (e.g., it leaves the battlefield), the entire spell fails and you do not get to scry.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is forgetting that the scry is tied to the spell resolving successfully. If your opponent uses a removal spell in response to exile your creature, Stand Firm is removed from the stack for having no legal targets, and you will not look at any cards from your library. Additionally, remember that the +1/+1 bonus lasts only until the 'cleanup step' of the turn it was cast.

When to Play It

The best time to use Stand Firm is during the declare blockers step to save a creature from lethal damage or to push through those last few points of damage. Because it offers Scry 2, it is also a useful tool at the end of an opponent's turn to dig for specific answers if you have spare mana.

Interaction examples

Losing the Target

Swords to Plowshares

You cast Stand Firm targeting your creature. In response, your opponent casts Swords to Plowshares on that same creature. Swords to Plowshares resolves first, exiling the creature. When Stand Firm tries to resolve, its only target is gone, so the spell is countered by game rules; you do not get the +1/+1 bonus and you do not Scry 2.

Strategic Filtering

Path to Exile

If your opponent targets your creature with Path to Exile, you can cast Stand Firm in response. While your creature will still be exiled by Path to Exile afterward, Stand Firm will resolve first, giving the creature +1/+1 (briefly) and allowing you to Scry 2 to find a replacement creature or a land before you search your library from the Path to Exile effect.