Thalia, Heretic Cathar 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
First strike Creatures and nonbasic lands your opponents control enter tapped.
Complete guide
Thalia, Heretic Cathar is a formidable legendary soldier that disrupts your opponents' tempo by slowing down their resources. By forcing their reinforcements and mana sources to arrive exhausted, she gives you the upper hand in combat and development.
Taxing the Battlefield
Thalia, Heretic Cathar possesses a static ability that modifies how your opponents' permanents enter the battlefield. Specifically, any creature or nonbasic land an opponent controls will enter the battlefield tapped. This is a replacement effect that applies as the permanent is entering, meaning it doesn't use the stack and cannot be responded to once the spell or effect begins to resolve.
Priority and Timing
For Thalia's ability to apply, she must already be on the battlefield. If Thalia enters the battlefield at the exact same time as an opponent's creatures or nonbasic lands (for example, due to a mass resurrection effect), those permanents will not be affected by her ability and will enter untapped unless another effect says otherwise.
Overriding Benefits
If an opponent plays a land or creature that has an 'enters untapped if...' condition, Thalia's ability takes precedence. Even if the player meets the requirement for the permanent to enter untapped, Thalia ensures it still enters tapped. This makes her particularly effective against 'check lands' or 'reveal lands' that usually provide immediate mana.
When to Deploy Thalia
Thalia is best played early in the game to maximize the disruption of your opponent's mana base. Because she has first strike, she is also an excellent defensive tool against aggressive decks, as she can often strike down attackers before they deal damage, provided they survived the turn they entered the battlefield tapped.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you control Thalia, Heretic Cathar and your opponent casts Solemn Simulacrum, the Golem will enter the battlefield tapped because of Thalia's static ability. When the Golem's triggered ability resolves, the opponent searches for a basic land. Since Thalia only affects nonbasic lands, the basic land found by Solemn Simulacrum enters the battlefield tapped only because the card itself says to do so, not because of Thalia.
Roaming ThroneSuppose your opponent casts Roaming Throne while you control Thalia, Heretic Cathar. As Roaming Throne enters, the opponent chooses a creature type. Because Roaming Throne is a creature, Thalia's ability forces it to enter the battlefield tapped. This prevents the opponent from immediately using it as a blocker, regardless of which creature type they choose for its triggered ability doubling effect.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Thalia, Heretic Cathar
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect states that a creature or land enters the battlefield tapped unless a condition is met, Thalia’s last ability has it enter tapped even if that condition is true. For example, your opponent may reveal a Plains while playing Port Town (from the Shadows over Innistrad set), but Port Town will still enter tapped.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If Thalia enters the battlefield at the same time as an opponent’s creatures or nonbasic lands, those creatures and lands aren’t affected by Thalia’s last ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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