The Skullspore NexusHow it works & interactions with other cards

Casting and Cost Reduction

The Skullspore Nexus features a cost reduction ability that checks the greatest power among creatures you control as you cast it. If you control a creature with 6 power, the artifact costs only two green mana to cast. Note that once you determine the cost and begin paying for the spell, changes to your creatures' power won't retroactively change the amount of mana required.

The Spore Cycle

Whenever one or more nontoken creatures you control die, a single triggered ability goes on the stack. When it resolves, you create a green Fungus Dinosaur creature token. The base power and toughness of this token are equal to the combined power of the creatures that died, using their last known information on the battlefield. If multiple creatures die simultaneously, such as during a board wipe, their powers are totaled for one large token.

Doubling Power

The activated ability allows you to double a creature's power for two mana and a tap. Mechanically, the game calculates the creature's current power at the moment the ability resolves and gives it +X/+0, where X is that current power. This effect lasts until the end of the turn and can be stacked with other buffs for massive damage.

Common Mistakes

A common error is trying to trigger the token ability using token creatures; the card explicitly states 'nontoken creatures' only. Additionally, remember that the cost reduction only looks at the highest power among your creatures, not the sum of all their powers. Lastly, the Fungus Dinosaur's stats are set as 'base' power and toughness, meaning layers and counters will apply on top of those values.

Interaction examples

Cost Efficiency with The Great Henge

The Skullspore NexusThe Great Henge

If you have a creature with 6 power, both The Skullspore Nexus and The Great Henge will have their costs reduced by 6. This allows you to deploy two powerful legendary artifacts in the same turn for a significantly lower mana investment, setting up a board that generates both card draw and resilient tokens.

Recovering from Removal

The Skullspore NexusMeteor Golem

If your opponent targets your Meteor Golem with a destruction spell while The Skullspore Nexus is on the battlefield, the Golem will die and trigger the Nexus. You will then create a green Fungus Dinosaur token with base power and toughness 3/3, effectively replacing your utility creature with a new threat.

Explosive Combat Math

The Skullspore Nexus

During your combat phase, you can tap The Skullspore Nexus and pay two mana to target a creature you control. If that creature is currently a 5/5, it will receive +5/+0, becoming a 10/5 until the end of the turn. If this creature were to die later in the turn, the Nexus would then create a 10/10 Fungus Dinosaur token because it uses the power the creature had as it last existed on the battlefield.