Stronghold Arena — ruling 1

To determine a spell's total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card's effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The spell's mana value remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 2

If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can't kick it.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 3

If you copy a kicked spell on the stack, the copy is also kicked. If the copied spell is a permanent spell, the token the copy of that spell becomes when it enters is also kicked.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 4

If a card or token enters as a copy of a permanent, the new permanent isn't kicked, even if the original was.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 5

If a spell's kicker cost was paid, the spell is "kicked."

Stronghold Arena — ruling 6

The kicker ability doesn't let you pay a kicker cost more than once.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 7

Normally, combat damage is dealt all at the same time. In that case, Stronghold Arena's last ability triggers once for each opponent that creatures you control dealt combat damage to, regardless of how many creatures were dealing that damage. If any of those creatures have double strike or first strike, the ability will trigger once for each opponent dealt damage in each combat damage step.

Stronghold Arena — ruling 8

As Stronghold Arena's last ability resolves, you don't get to see what the card of your library is before deciding whether to reveal it. If you choose to reveal it, you must put it into your hand and will lose life.

Stronghold Arena : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Stronghold Arena 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

Kicker and/or (You may pay an additional and/or as you cast this spell.) When this enchantment enters, you gain 3 life for each time it was kicked. Whenever one or more creatures you control deal combat damage to a player, you may reveal the top card of your library and put it into your hand. If you do, you lose life equal to its mana value.

How it works : Stronghold Arena

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
To determine a spell's total cost, start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost if another card's effect allows you to pay one instead), add any cost increases (such as kicker), then apply any cost reductions. The spell's mana value remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
If you put a permanent with a kicker ability onto the battlefield without casting it, you can't kick it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
If you copy a kicked spell on the stack, the copy is also kicked. If the copied spell is a permanent spell, the token the copy of that spell becomes when it enters is also kicked.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
If a card or token enters as a copy of a permanent, the new permanent isn't kicked, even if the original was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell's kicker cost was paid, the spell is "kicked."
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6November 8, 2024· Wizards of the Coast
The kicker ability doesn't let you pay a kicker cost more than once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Normally, combat damage is dealt all at the same time. In that case, Stronghold Arena's last ability triggers once for each opponent that creatures you control dealt combat damage to, regardless of how many creatures were dealing that damage. If any of those creatures have double strike or first strike, the ability will trigger once for each opponent dealt damage in each combat damage step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
As Stronghold Arena's last ability resolves, you don't get to see what the card of your library is before deciding whether to reveal it. If you choose to reveal it, you must put it into your hand and will lose life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
You may kick Stronghold Arena only once for its cost and only once for its cost. You can kick it twice by paying , but you can't kick it twice by paying or . You can't kick it more than twice.
No other card is named in this ruling.