Tanglesap 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
Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn by creatures without trample.
Complete guide
Tanglesap is a specialized defensive spell designed to mitigate aggression while rewarding the use of powerful, trampling creatures. This green instant serves as a selective Fog effect, allowing damage to flow only from those massive enough to push through the foliage.
Selective Damage Prevention
When Tanglesap resolves, it sets up a continuous effect that lasts for the duration of the turn. It identifies any creature currently attempting to deal combat damage and checks if that creature possesses the trample ability. If the creature lacks trample, its combat damage is reduced to zero. This applies to both attacking and blocking creatures, ensuring your tramplers can still deal damage while others are silenced.
Timing and Trample Checks
A crucial aspect of Tanglesap is when the check for trample occurs. The spell does not lock in which creatures are affected when it is cast. Instead, it checks for the trample keyword at the exact moment combat damage would be dealt. If a creature gains trample after Tanglesap has resolved but before damage is assigned, its damage will not be prevented. Conversely, if a creature loses trample before damage, Tanglesap will stop its damage.
Common Mistakes
One common error is assuming Tanglesap prevents non-combat damage, such as damage from abilities or 'fight' effects; it only affects combat damage dealt during the combat phase. Additionally, remember that Tanglesap does not target creatures. It affects the entire game state for that turn, meaning creatures with hexproof or shroud are still subject to its damage prevention if they do not have trample.
Strategic Deployment
To maximize Tanglesap, you should cast it during the Begin Combat or Declare Attackers steps. This ensures the effect is active before the Combat Damage step. It is best used in decks where your primary threats have trample, allowing you to create a one-sided combat where your opponent's blockers deal no damage while your attackers still trample over for the win.
Interaction examples
Beast WithinIf your opponent casts Beast Within to destroy your land and gives you a 3/3 Beast token, that token normally lacks trample. If you later cast Tanglesap during combat, that 3/3 Beast will deal zero combat damage, as it is a creature without trample. This allows you to block an opponent's larger non-trample creature with the token safely.
Heroic InterventionIf your opponent casts Heroic Intervention to make their creatures indestructible and hexproof, they might feel safe in combat. However, Tanglesap does not target and does not destroy creatures. Even if your opponent's creatures are indestructible, if they lack trample, Tanglesap will still prevent all combat damage they would deal to you or your planeswalkers.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tanglesap
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Tanglesap prevents combat damage that would be dealt by all creatures without trample, regardless of whether they’re attacking or blocking.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Creatures are checked to see whether they have trample at the time they’d deal combat damage, not at the time Tanglesap resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Tanglesap
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.