Striding Shotcaller // Run the Play 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
Reach Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to X target creatures. Those creatures gain flying until end of turn. Draw a card.
Complete guide
Striding Shotcaller is a versatile Troll Druid that bridges the gap between early-game board presence and late-game utility. By utilizing the new prepare mechanic, it allows you to cast Run the Play directly from exile after your creatures successfully strike your opponent.
What It Does
Striding Shotcaller is a 2-mana creature with Reach that features a triggered ability. Whenever one or more of your creatures deal combat damage to a player, Striding Shotcaller becomes 'prepared.' Being prepared means you create a copy of its associated spell, Run the Play, in exile. You can cast this copy from exile as long as the Shotcaller remains on the battlefield, which subsequently 'unprepares' the creature.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, you must deal combat damage to a player with at least one creature. This triggers the Shotcaller's ability. As the ability resolves, the creature becomes prepared and a copy of Run the Play is generated in exile. When you choose to cast Run the Play, you must pay its mana cost (including the variable X). As the spell is cast, the Shotcaller becomes unprepared, and the copy of the spell moves to the stack to resolve like a normal sorcery.
Common Mistakes
It is important to remember that Striding Shotcaller cannot be prepared more than once at the same time; if it is already prepared and you deal combat damage, no additional copies of the spell are created. Additionally, if you cast Run the Play and it is countered or fails to resolve because its targets become illegal, the Shotcaller still becomes unprepared. Finally, remember that while in the graveyard or hand, this card is only a creature, not a sorcery.
When to Play It
Play Striding Shotcaller early to block flying threats with Reach. Once you have established a board presence, use its preparation trigger to cast Run the Play during your post-combat main phase. This allows you to distribute +1/+1 counters to strengthen your board for the next turn while replacing the card in your hand.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesWith Llanowar Elves and Striding Shotcaller on the field, you attack with the Elves. When the Elves deal combat damage, Shotcaller becomes prepared. In your second main phase, you cast the copy of Run the Play for X=1. You target the Llanowar Elves, giving it a +1/+1 counter and flying, then draw a card.
Birds of ParadiseIf your Birds of Paradise deals combat damage (perhaps via a power boost), Striding Shotcaller becomes prepared. You can then cast Run the Play to put a counter on the Birds of Paradise. Even though the Birds already has flying, the +1/+1 counter is permanent, and you still get to draw a card to maintain card advantage.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Striding Shotcaller // Run the Play
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A preparation card is a creature card in every zone. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Emeritus of Ideation is a blue creature whose mana value is 5. It can't be the target of Zealous Lorecaster's triggered ability ("When this creature enters, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.").
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
While copies of spells in zones other than the stack cease to exist when state-based actions are checked, this does not apply to copies of prepare spells in exile that were created as a creature became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
As an effect causes a creature with a prepare spell to become prepared (including effects that state that a creature "enters prepared"), that creature's controller creates a copy of that creature's prepare spell in exile. That copy remains in exile for as long as that permanent is on the battlefield and is prepared. That creature's controller may cast that copy as long as it remains in exile. As they cast it, that creature stops being prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Preparation cards can only be cast with their base characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Only the current controller of a prepared creature can cast the copy of its prepare spell in exile. It doesn't matter who owns that creature or who controlled it when it became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative prepare spell's name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
A creature without a prepare spell can't become prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepare spell with one or more targets has no legal targets when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. Since the spell was cast, the associated permanent will still not be prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Being prepared isn't a copiable value. If a permanent becomes a copy of a prepared creature, it won't be prepared. That permanent will have the alternative characteristics, though, and some other effect could cause it to become prepared later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect causes a creature to become unprepared, a prepared creature stops being prepared and the associated copy of its prepare spell in exile ceases to exist. If it wasn't prepared at that time, nothing happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Creating a copy of a creature's prepare spell in exile ignores copy exceptions applied to that creature that would affect the copiable values of that spell. For example, say a player casts Croaking Counterpart (a sorcery that says "Create a token that's a copy of target non-Frog creature, except it's a 1/1 green Frog.") targeting Goblin Glasswright. The token copy of Goblin Glasswright will enter prepared as a 1/1 green Frog creature, but the copy of Craft with Pride in exile will still be a red sorcery. The copy of Craft with Pride won't be green, a creature, or a Frog, and it won't have power or toughness.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature loses all abilities, it won't stop being prepared, and nothing will happen to its alternative characteristics or to the copy of its prepare spell in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature stops being a creature, it will still be prepared, and the copy of its prepare spell will remain in exile. That permanent's controller will still be able to cast it. The same is true if a prepared creature becomes a copy of something else, even if it's then a permanent without a prepare spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a copy of a prepare spell from exile isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to a copy of a prepare spell cast from exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
A creature with a prepare spell can't become prepared more than once at the same time. For example, Emeritus of Ideation is on the battlefield and is prepared. When it attacks, its last ability triggers. When that ability resolves, its controller may still exile eight cards from their graveyard, but doing so won't cause Emeritus of Ideation to become prepared a second time or create a second copy of Ancestral Recall in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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