Venomous VinesHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding the Requirement

Venomous Vines targets an enchanted permanent. This means the target must currently have an Aura attached to it to be a legal target. If the permanent is not enchanted, it cannot be targeted by this spell.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When you cast Venomous Vines, you first declare a legal target that is a permanent with an Aura attached to it. Upon resolution, the game checks if the target is still enchanted. If it is, the permanent is destroyed and put into its owner's graveyard. Following this, the Aura that was attached to it will also be put into the graveyard as a state-based action because it no longer has a legal object to enchant.

Common Mistakes

A common error is attempting to target a permanent that you plan to enchant later in the turn; the target must already be enchanted at the moment of casting. Additionally, if the Aura is removed in response to Venomous Vines, the spell will fizzle (be countered by game rules) because its target is no longer 'enchanted.'

When to Play It

This card is best utilized in formats where Aura-based strategies are prevalent. Since it destroys the underlying permanent rather than just the enchantment, it provides a two-for-one advantage by removing both the creature (or land/artifact) and the Aura itself.

Interaction examples

Basic Land Removal

Cultivate

While you use Cultivate to ramp into your basic lands, your opponent might enchant one of your lands with an oppressive Aura. You can use Venomous Vines to destroy that land, though in most cases, you would prefer to target your opponent's enchanted threats.

Removing Enchanted Resources

Kodama's Reach

After using Kodama's Reach to ensure you have the {2}{G}{G} mana required, you can target an opponent's creature that has been buffed by an Aura. Even though the creature might be large, Venomous Vines destroys the permanent directly, bypassing the protection the Aura might have provided to its stats.