Wick, the Whorled MindHow it works & interactions with other cards

Nurturing the Snail

Wick's first ability triggers whenever he or another Rat enters the battlefield under your control. If you don't have a Snail, you create a 1/1 black Snail creature token. If you already control one, you instead put a +1/+1 counter on a Snail you control. This allows your small Rats to contribute to a single, growing threat that sits safely on your board.

The Big Crunch

Wick's activated ability costs one Blue, one Black, and one Red mana, plus the sacrifice of a Snail. Upon resolution, Wick deals damage to each opponent equal to the sacrificed creature's power. Immediately after, you draw cards equal to that same power value. Note that the game checks the Snail's power as it last existed on the battlefield to determine these values.

Common Mistakes

Players often forget that Wick's triggered ability only checks for the presence of a Snail at the moment the ability resolves. If you have multiple Rats entering at once, each trigger will check if you have a Snail; usually, the first creates it and the others add counters. Also, remember that Wick is a Rat himself, so he triggers his own ability when he enters the battlefield.

When to Play Wick

Wick is most effective in a deck filled with low-cost Rats to quickly pump the Snail's power. Because the sacrifice ability provides both reach to kill opponents and card draw to find more threats, you should aim to activate it when the Snail's power is high enough to significantly swing the game state or when you desperately need to dig for answers.

Interaction examples

Double the Growth

Wick, the Whorled MindRoaming Throne

If Roaming Throne enters and you choose 'Rat', its ability will apply to Wick. When Wick or another Rat enters, Wick's ability triggers twice. This means you will either create a Snail and add a counter, or add two +1/+1 counters to an existing Snail.

Starting the Cycle

Wick, the Whorled Mind

When you cast Wick, the Whorled Mind onto an empty board, his triggered ability goes on the stack. Since you do not control a Snail, the ability resolves and creates a 1/1 black Snail creature token. You are now ready to start buffing it with more Rats.

Sacrificing for Value

Wick, the Whorled MindSnail

If you control a Snail that has grown to a 5/5, you can pay Blue, Black, and Red to sacrifice it to Wick's ability. Wick deals 5 damage to each opponent, and then you draw 5 cards. Even if Wick is removed in response to the activation, the ability still resolves using the Snail's last known power.