Waking Nightmare 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
Target player discards two cards.
Complete guide
Waking Nightmare is a classic discard spell that forces your opponent to shrink their hand size at sorcery speed. As an Arcane spell, it carries additional synergy within the Kamigawa block, allowing for powerful splice interactions in specialized decks.
What It Does
For three mana, Waking Nightmare allows you to target any player and force them to discard exactly two cards from their hand. Because the text does not specify 'at random,' the target player chooses which two cards to discard.
How It Resolves
First, you cast Waking Nightmare and choose a target player. If the target is legal when the spell attempts to resolve, that player selects two cards from their hand and puts them into their graveyard. If the player has only one card, they discard that one; if they have no cards, the spell resolves but nothing happens.
Common Mistakes
Players often forget that this is a Sorcery, meaning it can only be cast during your main phase when the stack is empty. Additionally, remember that you cannot force a player to discard if they have protection from black or hexproof, as the spell requires a target.
When to Play It
Waking Nightmare is most effective in the early to mid-game to strip away your opponent's win conditions or reactive spells. It is particularly strong against control decks that rely on holding a large hand of answers.
Interaction examples
Demonic TutorIf your opponent casts Demonic Tutor to find a specific card, you can use Waking Nightmare on your following turn to force them to discard that card along with another, effectively neutralizing their search.
Toxic DelugeAfter you clear the board with Toxic Deluge to remove threats, you can cast Waking Nightmare to ensure your opponent cannot easily rebuild their board state from their remaining hand.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Waking Nightmare
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Mirror Sheen + Desperate Ritual + Waking Nightmare
- 1Cast Waking Nightmare by paying its mana cost, targeting yourself.
- 2Holding priority, cast Desperate Ritual by paying its splice cost, adding its effects onto Waking Nightmare.
- 3Holding priority, activate Mirror Sheen by paying
, copying Waking Nightmare, which also has the effects of Desperate Ritual, targeting an opponent. - 4Resolve Waking Nightmare, adding
. - 5Repeat from step 3.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Waking Nightmare
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.