Uncivil Unrest — ruling 1

Riot is a replacement effect. Players can’t respond to your choice of +1/+1 counter or haste, and they can’t take actions while the creature is on the battlefield without one or the other.

Uncivil Unrest — ruling 2

If you choose for the creature to gain haste, it gains haste indefinitely. It won’t lose it as the turn ends or as another player gains control of it.

Uncivil Unrest — ruling 3

The damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The doubled damage isn’t dealt by Uncivil Unrest unless it was somehow the original source of damage.

Uncivil Unrest — ruling 4

If another effect (or effects) modifies how much damage your creature with a +1/+1 counter on it would deal—by preventing some of it, for example—the player being dealt damage or the controller of the permanent being dealt damage chooses the order in which any such effects (including Uncivil Unrest’s) apply. If all of the damage is prevented, Uncivil Unrest’s effect no longer applies.

Uncivil Unrest — ruling 5

If damage dealt by a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it is being divided or assigned among multiple permanents and/or players, that damage is divided or assigned before doubling. For example, if you attack with a 5/5 creature with trample and it’s blocked by a 2/2 creature, you can assign 2 damage to the blocker and 3 damage to the defending player. Those amounts are then doubled to 4 and 6, respectively.

Uncivil Unrest : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Uncivil Unrest 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

Nontoken creatures you control have riot. (They enter with your choice of a +1/+1 counter or haste.) If a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it would deal damage to a permanent or player, it deals double that damage instead.

Complete guide

Uncivil Unrest is a powerful red enchantment that turns your army into high-impact threats. By granting riot to your nontoken creatures and doubling their damage output, it forces your opponents into a very difficult position. This card is a must-have for any aggressive deck that relies on +1/+1 counters to secure victory.

Granting Riot and Choosing Effects

Uncivil Unrest gives every nontoken creature you control the riot ability. As these creatures enter the battlefield, you choose whether they gain a +1/+1 counter or haste. This is a replacement effect, meaning it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to. Once you make the choice, the creature is already on the battlefield with that counter or haste; there is no window for an opponent to destroy it before it receives the chosen benefit.

Doubling the Impact

The second ability of Uncivil Unrest is a replacement effect that doubles any damage a creature you control deals, provided it has at least one +1/+1 counter on it. This applies to both combat damage and non-combat damage. If an effect prevents some of the damage, the player or permanent being dealt damage chooses the order in which prevention and doubling effects apply. However, if all damage is prevented first, there is nothing left for Uncivil Unrest to double.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A common misconception is that the damage comes from the enchantment itself. In reality, the creature remains the source of the damage, which is important for abilities like lifelink or deathtouch. Additionally, remember that riot only applies to nontoken creatures. While tokens can still benefit from the damage-doubling effect if they somehow receive a +1/+1 counter, they do not enter the battlefield with riot.

When to Play It

Uncivil Unrest is best played in decks that can capitalize on both the immediate pressure of haste and the long-term benefit of counters. It is particularly effective when you already have a board presence or ways to trigger damage immediately upon a creature entering the battlefield. Because it doubles damage to players and permanents, it can bypass high-toughness blockers or end a game in a single combat phase.

Interaction examples

The Surge of Power

Warstorm Surge

With both enchantments on the battlefield, you cast a 3/3 nontoken creature. As it enters, riot triggers and you choose to give it a +1/+1 counter, making it a 4/4. Warstorm Surge then triggers. When the trigger resolves, the creature deals damage equal to its power (4) to a target. Because the creature has a +1/+1 counter, Uncivil Unrest doubles that damage to 8.

Godly Devotion

Purphoros, God of the Forge

If Purphoros, God of the Forge is currently a creature (due to high devotion) and has a +1/+1 counter on it, its triggered ability is affected. When another creature enters the battlefield, Purphoros deals 2 damage to each opponent. Uncivil Unrest sees a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter dealing damage and doubles it, resulting in 4 damage to each opponent per trigger.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Uncivil Unrest

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1April 14, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
Riot is a replacement effect. Players can’t respond to your choice of +1/+1 counter or haste, and they can’t take actions while the creature is on the battlefield without one or the other.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 14, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If you choose for the creature to gain haste, it gains haste indefinitely. It won’t lose it as the turn ends or as another player gains control of it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3April 14, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
The damage is dealt by the same source as the original source of damage. The doubled damage isn’t dealt by Uncivil Unrest unless it was somehow the original source of damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4April 14, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If another effect (or effects) modifies how much damage your creature with a +1/+1 counter on it would deal—by preventing some of it, for example—the player being dealt damage or the controller of the permanent being dealt damage chooses the order in which any such effects (including Uncivil Unrest’s) apply. If all of the damage is prevented, Uncivil Unrest’s effect no longer applies.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5April 14, 2023· Wizards of the Coast
If damage dealt by a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter on it is being divided or assigned among multiple permanents and/or players, that damage is divided or assigned before doubling. For example, if you attack with a 5/5 creature with trample and it’s blocked by a 2/2 creature, you can assign 2 damage to the blocker and 3 damage to the defending player. Those amounts are then doubled to 4 and 6, respectively.
No other card is named in this ruling.