Titanium ManHow it works & interactions with other cards

Choosing Your Tactic

Titanium Man features a modal triggered ability that triggers specifically when he is declared as an attacker. As you put the ability on the stack, you must choose one of the two modes: gaining flying or dealing 1 damage to any target. If you choose the damage mode, you must also choose a legal target at that time.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you declare Titanium Man as an attacker during the Declare Attackers step. This causes his ability to trigger. You choose the mode and, if necessary, the target. Players then have a chance to respond. When the ability resolves, Titanium Man either gains flying immediately (helping him evade blockers before they are declared) or the damage is dealt to the chosen target.

Strategic Timing and Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is waiting until the blockers are already declared to try and gain flying. Because the ability triggers when he 'attacks,' you must choose the flying mode before your opponent chooses blockers to make him effectively evasive. Also, remember that as a Legendary creature, you cannot have two copies of Titanium Man on the battlefield under your control simultaneously.

When to Deploy the Villain

Titanium Man is best utilized in aggressive decks that can capitalize on his 1-damage ping to clear away small utility creatures or 'chump' blockers. Because he is an Artifact Creature, he also benefits from synergies that care about historical permanents or artifact counts.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Villainy

Roaming Throne

If you control Roaming Throne and chose 'Human' or 'Villain' as it entered, Titanium Man's ability triggers twice when he attacks. You can choose to gain flying AND deal 1 damage to a target, or even deal 1 damage to two different targets.

Clearing the Path

Solemn Simulacrum

If your opponent has a Solemn Simulacrum with only 1 toughness remaining (or if it was somehow weakened), Titanium Man can attack and use his damage mode to destroy the Simulacrum before it can block, though the opponent will still get their card draw trigger from the Simulacrum dying.

Vertical Evasion

Against a deck full of ground-based tokens, simply declare Titanium Man as an attacker and choose the flying mode. He will gain flying during the Declare Attackers step, meaning those ground tokens cannot be declared as legal blockers against him.