Terminus 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
Put all creatures on the bottom of their owners' libraries. Miracle(You may cast this card for its miracle cost when you draw it if it's the first card you drew this turn.)
Complete guide
Terminus is a powerful white sorcery that offers one of the most efficient ways to clear the board in Magic: The Gathering. By utilizing the Miracle mechanic, players can transform a high-cost spell into a game-changing play for just a single white mana. This card is particularly effective because it bypasses standard destruction protections like Indestructible and Regeneration.
How the Miracle Mechanic Works
Terminus has two casting options: its standard cost of six mana or its Miracle cost of one white mana. To use the Miracle cost, Terminus must be the very first card you draw during a turn. When you draw it, you must immediately reveal it to all players before it touches the other cards in your hand. This triggers a special ability that allows you to cast it right then and there for its Miracle cost, even if it is not your turn or the main phase.
Resolution and Library Order
When Terminus resolves, every creature on the battlefield is moved to the bottom of its owner's library. If a player owns multiple creatures being moved this way, that player chooses the order in which their creatures are placed at the bottom. Notably, this order is kept secret from other players. Because the creatures are not being destroyed or exiled, abilities that trigger upon death will not activate, and creatures with Indestructible will still be removed.
Common Timing Mistakes
A common error is mixing the Miracle card into your hand before revealing it. Once the card touches your other cards, you lose the chance to cast it for its Miracle cost. Additionally, remember that you must cast the spell while the Miracle trigger is resolving on the stack; if you choose not to cast it at that exact moment, you cannot decide to cast it for the reduced cost later in the turn. Only the first card drawn each turn is eligible, so cards drawn via 'draw two' effects only trigger Miracle if the very first card drawn is the one with the ability.
When to Play Terminus
Terminus is best played when you are facing a swarm of creatures or specific threats that are difficult to kill, such as those with Hexproof or Indestructible. Since it puts creatures into the library rather than the graveyard, it is also an excellent choice against decks that rely on graveyard recursion. Use deck-manipulation tools to ensure you draw it at the start of an opponent's turn to wipe the board before they can even attack.
Interaction examples
FarewellIf your opponent controls a creature that is Indestructible, traditional board wipes like Austere Command may fail to remove it. While Farewell can exile it, Terminus provides a cheaper alternative via Miracle. By putting the creature on the bottom of the library, Terminus bypasses 'indestructible' entirely, as the creature is not being destroyed.
Austere CommandSuppose you are facing a board of small tokens and large dragons. While Austere Command allows you to choose which mana values to destroy, it still sends them to the graveyard, potentially fueling your opponent's future plays. By casting Terminus, you clear everything and ensure those creatures are tucked away in the library, preventing any 'when this creature dies' triggers from occurring.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Terminus
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You still draw the card, whether you use the miracle ability or not. Any ability that triggers whenever you draw a card, for example, will trigger. If you don't cast the card using its miracle ability, it will remain in your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
It's important to reveal a card with miracle before it is mixed with the other cards in your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You can reveal and cast a card with miracle on any turn, not just your own, if it's the first card you've drawn that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Multiple card draws are always treated as a sequence of individual card draws. For example, if you haven't drawn any cards yet during a turn and cast a spell that instructs you to draw three cards, you'll draw them one at a time. Only the first card drawn this way may be revealed and cast using its miracle ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect puts a card into your hand without using the word "draw," the card wasn't drawn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
You don't have to reveal a drawn card with miracle if you don't wish to cast it at that time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
You can cast a card for its miracle cost only as the miracle triggered ability resolves. If you don't want to cast it at that time (or you can't cast it, perhaps because there are no legal targets available), you won't be able to cast it later for the miracle cost.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
You cast the card with miracle during the resolution of the triggered ability. Ignore any timing rules based on the card's type.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Miracle is an alternative cost to cast the spell with miracle. It can't be combined with other alternative costs, such as casting a spell "without paying its mana cost."
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost (such as a miracle cost) you're paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If the card with miracle leaves your hand before the triggered ability resolves, you won't be able to cast it using its miracle ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
Each player chooses the order that creatures they own are put onto the bottom of their library. This order isn't revealed to other players.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Terminus
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.