Summon: Shiva 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
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.) I, II — Heavenly Strike — Tap target creature an opponent controls. Put a stun counter on it. (If a permanent with a stun counter would become untapped, remove one from it instead.) III — Diamond Dust — Draw a card for each tapped creature your opponents control.
Complete guide
Summon: Shiva is a versatile Enchantment Creature that functions as a Saga, freezing the battlefield with icy precision. It brings the power of a legendary Elemental to the table, combining persistent board control with an explosive card-draw payoff.
A Creature and a Tale
Summon: Shiva enters the battlefield with one lore counter, immediately triggering its first chapter. Because it is both an Enchantment and a Creature, it can attack or block, but it also follows the Saga rules: it gains a counter during your first main phase and is sacrificed after the third chapter ability leaves the stack. The 'Heavenly Strike' chapters target an opponent's creature to tap it and apply a stun counter, ensuring it stays out of the fight for an extra turn.
Resolving Diamond Dust
When the third lore counter is placed, the 'Diamond Dust' ability triggers. Upon resolution, the game checks the current state of the battlefield. You count every creature controlled by your opponents that is currently tapped—including those tapped by Shiva's previous chapters and those tapped for attacking or abilities—and draw that many cards. Once this ability finishes resolving and leaves the stack, the Saga is sacrificed as a state-based action.
Common Mistakes
A common error is forgetting that stun counters only replace an untap event. If a creature is already untapped, the stun counter stays there until the creature becomes tapped and then tries to untap. Additionally, players often forget that Summon: Shiva is a creature; it can be destroyed by creature removal or board wipes, which will prevent future chapters from triggering.
When to Play It
Summon: Shiva is most effective when your opponent relies on a few high-threat attackers. By timing the first two chapters to freeze their best blockers or attackers, you set up a massive turn three. Use it when your opponent has a wide board of tapped attackers to maximize the 'Diamond Dust' draw trigger on your following turn.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Elemental' chosen, its ability will apply to Summon: Shiva. When a lore counter is placed for Chapter I or II, 'Heavenly Strike' triggers twice. This allows you to target and put stun counters on two different creatures (or the same creature twice) for every lore counter added.
Solemn SimulacrumWhen Summon: Shiva enters the battlefield, you can target an opponent's Solemn Simulacrum with the first lore counter. The Simulacrum becomes tapped and receives a stun counter. During your opponent's next untap step, the stun counter is removed instead of the Simulacrum untapping, effectively keeping the Golem out of commission for two of your opponent's turns.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Summon: Shiva
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the chapter III ability to trigger, but chapters I and II won't trigger again.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Saga creatures have two sections to their text boxes. The first section, above the type line, contains their chapter abilities, and the second section, below the type line, contains any other abilities (or italicized flavor text). Any abilities in the latter section aren't chapter abilities and apply no matter how many lore counters are on the creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Due to a rules change that takes effect with this release (see below for details), a Saga that somehow loses all of its chapter abilities will not be sacrificed as a state-based action. It will also not gain a lore counter at the beginning of each of its controller's first main phases.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives more lore counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
As a Saga enters, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your first main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn't use the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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