Warstorm Surge 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
Whenever a creature you control enters, it deals damage equal to its power to any target.
Complete guide
Warstorm Surge is a high-impact enchantment that turns every creature arrival into a devastating blast of energy. By rewarding you for simply playing the game, it transforms your board presence into direct pressure against your opponents or their creatures. Mastering this card requires understanding how damage sources and power checks function on the stack.
Understanding the Source
When a creature you control enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers. A key distinction here is that while the enchantment provides the ability, the creature itself is the source of the damage. This means that if the creature has Deathtouch, Lifelink, or Infect, those keywords will apply to the damage dealt. However, because the ability targets, you must choose a legal target for the creature's damage as the trigger is put onto the stack.
Resolving the Trigger
The damage is calculated based on the creature's power at the time the ability resolves. If the creature is no longer on the battlefield when the ability resolves (perhaps due to a removal spell), the game uses its 'last known information' to determine how much damage it deals. If the creature had its power boosted by a spell or another ability before the trigger resolved, the damage will include that bonus.
Targeting and Protection
Because the creature is the damage source but the enchantment is the source of the trigger, protection can be tricky. You cannot target a creature that has protection from Red with this ability because Warstorm Surge is Red. If you target a creature with protection from creatures, the ability targets successfully, but the damage will be prevented because the damage source is a creature.
Strategic Timing
Warstorm Surge is best utilized in decks with high-power creatures or token generators. Since it triggers on 'enters', it works perfectly with blink effects or reanimation strategies. It is often a finisher, as it allows you to bypass blockers and deal lethal damage directly to an opponent just by summoning your army.
Interaction examples
If you control both enchantments and a 5/5 creature enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers. When the trigger resolves, the creature attempts to deal 5 damage. Fiery Emancipation sees a source you control dealing damage and triples it, resulting in 15 damage dealt to the target.
All Will Be OneIf a creature enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters while you control both enchantments, two separate triggers occur. Warstorm Surge triggers because a creature entered, dealing damage based on its power. All Will Be One triggers because counters were placed on a permanent, dealing damage equal to the number of counters. You can choose the order in which these triggers are placed on the stack.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Warstorm Surge
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Warstorm Surge is the source of the ability, but the creature is the source of the damage. The ability couldn't target a creature with protection from red, for example. It could target a creature with protection from creatures, but all the damage would be prevented. Since damage is dealt by the creature, abilities like lifelink, deathtouch and infect are taken into account, even if the creature has left the battlefield by the time it deals damage.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The creature that entered deals damage equal to its current power to the targeted permanent or player. If it's no longer on the battlefield, its last known existence on the battlefield is checked to determine its power.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Polyraptor + Warstorm Surge
- 1Cast Polyraptor by paying
. - 2When Polyraptor enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing 5 damage to Polyraptor.
- 3Polyraptor dies as a state-based action due to lethal damage.
- 4Polyraptor triggers, creating a token copy of itself.
- 5Repeat from step 2 using the new Polyraptor token instead.
Vrondiss, Rage of Ancients + Warstorm Surge
- 1Give Vrondiss indestructible by any method.
- 2Deal damage to Vrondiss.
- 3Vrondiss triggers, creating a 5/4 Dragon creature token.
- 4The Dragon enters the battlefield, triggering Warstorm Surge, dealing five damage to Vrondiss.
- 5Vrondiss and the Dragon token trigger.
- 6Resolve the Dragon's trigger, causing you to sacrifice it.
- 7Resolve the Vrondiss trigger, creating a 5/5 Dragon creature token.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm + Bladewing the Risen + Warstorm Surge
- 1Cast Bladewing by paying
. - 2When Bladewing enters the battlefield, it, Warstorm Surge and Miirym trigger.
- 3Resolve the Bladewing trigger, returning any Dragon from your graveyard to the battlefield.
- 4Resolve the Warstorm Surge, dealing 4 damage to Bladewing.
- 5Bladewing dies as a state-based action due to having 0 toughness.
- 6Resolve the Miirym trigger, creating a nonlegendary token copy of Bladewing.
- 7When the Bladewing token enters the battlefield, it and Warstorm Surge trigger.
- 8Resolve the Warstorm Surge trigger, dealing damage to any target.
Hornet Nest + Warstorm Surge
- 1Give Hornet Nest indestructible by any method.
- 2Deal damage to Hornet Nest.
- 3Hornet Nest triggers, creating at least one 1/1 Insect creature token.
- 4The Insect enters the battlefield, triggering Warstorm Surge, causing the Insect to deal one damage to Hornet Nest.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Malignus + Warstorm Surge + Gratuitous Violence
- 1Cast Malignus by paying .
- 2When Malignus enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing an amount of damage equal to twice Malignus' power to an opponent.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Malignus + Warstorm Surge + Fiery Emancipation
- 1Cast Malignus by paying .
- 2When Malignus enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing an amount of damage equal to three times Malignus' power to an opponent.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Thornbite Staff + Warstorm Surge
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of a nonlegendary creature whose base power is equal to or greater than its toughness with haste.
- 2When the creature token enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing damage equal to the creature token's power to the creature token.
- 3The creature token dies as a state-based action due to having 0 or less toughness, triggering Kiki-Jiki, untapping Kiki-Jiki.
- 4Repeat.
Solphim, Mayhem Dominus + Malignus + Warstorm Surge
- 1Cast Malignus by paying .
- 2When Malignus enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers, dealing an amount of damage equal to twice Malignus' power to an opponent.
- 3The opponent loses the game due to having zero or less life.
Legal formats
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