The Fire Nation Drill 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
Trample When The Fire Nation Drill enters, you may tap it. When you do, destroy target creature with power 4 or less.: Permanents your opponents control lose hexproof and indestructible until end of turn. Crew 2
Complete guide
The Fire Nation Drill is a powerful legendary vehicle that specializes in breaching enemy defenses and clearing the battlefield. Whether you are stripping away keywords or crushing small blockers, this artifact ensures nothing stands in your way. Understanding the timing of its abilities is key to maximizing its destructive potential.
Breaching the Walls
The Fire Nation Drill features a unique 'reflexive' triggered ability. When it enters the battlefield, you are given the choice to tap it immediately. If you choose to do so, a second ability triggers that targets and destroys a creature with power 4 or less. This allows the Drill to provide utility even before you have enough creatures to crew it.
Stripping Protections
The Drill's activated ability costs only one mana and removes hexproof and indestructible from all permanents your opponents control until end of turn. This effect is locked in the moment the ability resolves. It affects all permanents currently on the battlefield, but will not affect permanents that enter the battlefield or gain those keywords later in the turn.
Resolving the Drill
First, the Drill enters the battlefield and its triggered ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you choose whether to tap it. If you do, you then choose a target creature with power 4 or less for the destruction effect. Later, you can pay one mana to remove protections; this can even be done during combat to ensure your Trample damage carries through previously indestructible blockers.
Strategic Timing
Don't forget that damage remains marked on creatures until the cleanup step. If you dealt lethal damage to an indestructible creature earlier in the turn, activating The Fire Nation Drill's ability will cause that creature to be destroyed immediately as it loses its protection.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou cast The Fire Nation Drill while your opponent controls Solemn Simulacrum. When the Drill enters, you choose to tap it. This triggers the destruction ability, targeting the Solemn Simulacrum. The Golem is destroyed, and your opponent may draw a card from its death trigger.
Commander's SphereIf your opponent controls a permanent they intend to protect, you can use Commander's Sphere to generate the black or colorless mana needed to activate the Drill's ability. By spending one mana, you ensure that the opponent's permanents lose hexproof, allowing you to target them with other spells or abilities in your hand.
With enough creatures to meet the Crew 2 requirement, you crew The Fire Nation Drill. If an opponent blocks with an indestructible creature, you can activate the Drill's ability for {1}. The blocker loses indestructible, and the Drill's Trample damage will now successfully destroy the blocker and deal excess damage to the opponent.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : The Fire Nation Drill
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent enters under an opponent's control with hexproof or indestructible after The Fire Nation Drill's first activated ability resolves, it won't lose that ability unless you activate The Fire Nation Drill's ability again. The same is true if an opponent's permanent gains indestructible or hexproof after The Fire Nation Drill's ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, damage previously dealt to a creature with indestructible may cause it to be destroyed if The Fire Nation Drill's first activated ability resolves during that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with The Fire Nation Drill
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.