Tersa Lightshatter 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
Haste When Tersa Lightshatter enters, discard up to two cards, then draw that many cards. Whenever Tersa Lightshatter attacks, if there are seven or more cards in your graveyard, exile a card at random from your graveyard. You may play that card this turn.
Complete guide
Tersa Lightshatter is an aggressive Legendary Orc Wizard that rewards you for filling your graveyard early. She provides immediate card selection upon entering the battlefield and generates significant card advantage once your graveyard is sufficiently stocked. Mastering her triggers is the key to maintaining momentum in fast-paced red decks.
Filtering and Prowess
Tersa Lightshatter features a powerful enters-the-battlefield trigger that allows you to discard up to two cards and draw that many. Because she has haste, she can immediately pressure opponents while setting up your graveyard for her secondary ability. This filtering ensures you have the right cards for the current board state while fueling future plays.
Understanding the Graveyard Check
Her attack trigger uses an 'intervening if' clause. This means the game checks if you have seven or more cards in your graveyard twice: once when she is declared as an attacker to see if the ability even triggers, and again when the ability attempts to resolve. If your graveyard count drops below seven at either point, you will not get to exile or play a card.
Timing and Restrictions
When you exile a card at random with Tersa, you may play it this turn. However, you must still follow all normal timing rules and pay all costs. If you exile a land, you can only play it if you have an available land play for the turn and it is your main phase. If you exile a sorcery, you cannot cast it during the combat phase.
When to Play Tersa
Tersa is best played when you have cards in hand you want to cycle away, such as excess lands or situational spells. She is a powerhouse in the mid-to-late game when your graveyard is naturally full, allowing you to 're-cast' random resources from your discard pile every time she swings.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Wizard' chosen, Tersa Lightshatter's abilities trigger twice. When she enters, you can discard and draw twice. When she attacks (provided you have seven cards in your graveyard), you will exile two cards at random and may play both of them this turn.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have six cards in your graveyard and an opponent destroys your Solemn Simulacrum before your turn, its death trigger will put it into the graveyard, bringing your count to seven. Now, when Tersa Lightshatter attacks, her ability will successfully trigger, allowing you to exile and potentially replay a card like that very same Solemn Simulacrum.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tersa Lightshatter
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You pay all costs and follow all timing rules for cards played this way. For example, if the exiled card is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Tersa Lightshatter’s last ability checks your graveyard at the moment it would trigger to see if you have seven or more cards in your graveyard. If you don’t, the ability won’t trigger at all. If it does trigger, the ability will check again as it tries to resolve. If you don’t have seven or more cards in your graveyard at that time, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Tersa Lightshatter
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.