Steady Tortoise // Harried DashHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

This card is an Adventurer card. You can cast Harried Dash for one red mana to create a 1/1 Rabbit token with haste. Once it resolves, the card goes to exile 'on an adventure.' From there, or from the battlefield, the Steady Tortoise's triggered ability will fire every time you declare an attack. This perpetually increases the power and toughness of the card by +1/+1.

How It Resolves Step by Step

First, if you cast Harried Dash, you place a Rabbit token onto the battlefield and the spell card moves to the exile zone. During any subsequent turn, whenever you declare one or more creatures as attackers, the Tortoise's ability triggers. If the Tortoise is in exile, it gains +1/+1 permanently. When you finally cast the Steady Tortoise from exile or your hand, it enters the battlefield with Ward {2} and all the accumulated +1/+1 bonuses it earned while waiting.

Common Mistakes

A common point of confusion is how 'perpetual' bonuses work. Unlike counters, these bonuses stay with the card even if it changes zones, such as moving from exile to the battlefield or back to your hand. Also, remember that Ward {2} is a triggered ability; your opponent can still target the Tortoise, but they must pay an additional two mana or their spell will be countered.

When to Play It

Cast Harried Dash on turn one to start applying pressure or to have a blocker ready. The longer the Tortoise sits in the exile zone while you attack with other creatures, the larger it becomes. It is often best to wait until it has grown into a significant threat before spending the five mana to cast the creature side.

Interaction examples

Boosting the Adventure

Rabbit

On turn one, you cast Harried Dash to create a Rabbit token. On turn two, you attack with the Rabbit. Because you attacked, the Steady Tortoise card currently in your exile zone perpetually gets +1/+1, making it a 4/5 for whenever you choose to cast it later.

Doubling the Growth

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Turtle' and you attack, the Steady Tortoise's ability triggers twice. Even if the Tortoise is in exile, Roaming Throne recognizes the triggered ability of the creature card, granting it +2/+2 every time you attack.

Strategic Trading

Solemn Simulacrum

If you attack with Solemn Simulacrum while Steady Tortoise is in exile, the Tortoise still gets its +1/+1 bonus. The card does not require the Tortoise itself to attack; it only requires that 'you' (the player) declare an attack with any creature.