War Elemental 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
When this creature enters, sacrifice it unless an opponent was dealt damage this turn. Whenever an opponent is dealt damage, put that many +1/+1 counters on this creature.
Complete guide
War Elemental is a massive red threat that demands aggression to even exist on the battlefield. This Elemental thrives on the pain of your enemies, growing larger every time an opponent takes a hit. Mastering its timing is essential to ensure it remains on the table and dominates the game.
The Price of Entry
War Elemental has a specific 'enters-the-battlefield' (ETB) triggered ability. When it enters, the game checks if an opponent was dealt damage earlier in the turn. If no opponent has been damaged, the ability forces you to sacrifice it immediately. Note that damage from any source counts, including combat damage, spells, or abilities controlled by any player, as long as the recipient is an opponent.
Feeding the Elemental
Once it is safely on the battlefield, War Elemental's second ability triggers whenever an opponent is dealt damage. You put a +1/+1 counter on it for each 1 damage dealt. This is a triggered ability, not a replacement effect, so the damage is dealt normally first, and then the counters are added once the ability resolves.
Timing and Strategy
A common mistake is casting War Elemental before your combat phase without having another way to deal damage. Because the sacrifice trigger happens upon entry, you must have already secured a source of damage that turn. Remember that 'loss of life' is not 'damage'; if an opponent loses life without being dealt damage, War Elemental will not grow and its entry requirement will not be satisfied.
Interaction examples
If you cast War Elemental after your opponent was dealt 1 damage by a creature during combat, the ETB trigger checks and sees that damage was dealt. You do not sacrifice War Elemental, and it remains a 1/1 on the battlefield.
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Elemental' chosen as the type, and an opponent is dealt 3 damage, War Elemental's growth ability triggers twice. Instead of 3 counters, you will place a total of 6 +1/+1 counters on it.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you cast War Elemental when no damage has been dealt, its ETB ability triggers. Even if you use an effect to destroy your own Solemn Simulacrum in response to the trigger, the game still checks if damage was dealt to an opponent. Since no damage occurred, War Elemental must still be sacrificed.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : War Elemental
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.
All Will Be One + War Elemental
- 1Any opponent takes damage.
- 2The War Elemental triggers, putting a counter on a permanent.
- 3All All Will Be One triggers, dealing at least 1 damage to an opponent.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
War Elemental + Shalai and Hallar
- 1Any opponent takes damage.
- 2The War Elemental triggers, putting a counter on a permanent.
- 3All Shalai and Hallar triggers, dealing at least 1 damage to an opponent.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Agatha's Soul Cauldron + War Elemental + Walking Ballista
- 1Activate War Elemental using Walking Ballista's second ability by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 2War Elemental triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 3Repeat.
Agatha's Soul Cauldron + War Elemental + Triskelion
- 1Activate War Elemental using Triskelion's ability by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 2War Elemental triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 3Repeat.
Agatha's Soul Cauldron + War Elemental + Deathbringer Thoctar
- 1Activate War Elemental using Deathbringer Thoctar's ability by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 2War Elemental triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 3Repeat.
The Great Goblin + War Elemental + Stalactite Dagger
- 1Put a counter on War Elemental.
- 2The Great Goblin's first ability triggers, as War Elemental is a Goblin, Orc and Army due to Stalactite Dagger, dealing 2 damage to an opponent.
- 3War Elemental triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Animation Module + War Elemental + Phyrexian Altar + Warstorm Surge
- 1Cause a creature to enter the battlefield under your control.
- 2Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing damage to an opponent equal to the creature's power.
- 3War Elemental's second ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 4Animation Module triggers, causing you to pay
to create a 1/1 Servo artifact creature token. - 5When the Servo enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers.
- 6Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Servo, adding .
- 7Resolve the Warstorm Surge trigger, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 8Repeat from step 3.
The Great Goblin + Maskwood Nexus + War Elemental
- 1Put a counter on War Elemental.
- 2The Great Goblin's first ability triggers, as War Elemental is a Goblin, Orc and Army due to Maskwood Nexus, dealing 2 damage to an opponent.
- 3War Elemental triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with War Elemental
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.