Winter, Misanthropic Guide 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
WardAt the beginning of your upkeep, each player draws two cards. Delirium — As long as there are four or more card types among cards in your graveyard, each opponent's maximum hand size is equal to seven minus the number of those card types.
Complete guide
Winter, Misanthropic Guide is a powerful Jund commander that forces everyone to draw cards while punishing opponents for your diverse graveyard. By combining a group hug draw engine with a restrictive hand size limit, Winter turns your card advantage into a burden for your enemies. Let's explore how to master this warlock's delirium ability and control the pace of the game.
Drawing and Delirium
Winter has two main roles on the battlefield. First, at the start of your upkeep, everyone draws two cards. This keeps resources flowing but feeds into Winter's second ability: Delirium. If you have four or more card types in your graveyard, your opponents' maximum hand size becomes seven minus the number of card types you have. With a diverse graveyard, you can force opponents to discard down to a very small number of cards during their cleanup step.
The Timing of Hand Size
It is important to remember that maximum hand size is only checked during the cleanup step at the very end of a player's turn. Your opponents can hold twenty cards during their main phase or combat without issue. However, once they move to cleanup, if you have delirium, they must discard down to the limit set by Winter. If your graveyard changes during their turn, the limit updates immediately.
Timestamps and Conflicts
If an opponent has an effect that says they have no maximum hand size, the 'timestamp' rule applies. If Winter was already on the battlefield when the opponent's effect (like Reliquary Tower) started, the opponent will have no maximum hand size. If Winter enters the battlefield after their effect was already active, Winter's restriction will take precedence, and the math of 'seven minus types' will apply.
Common Mistakes
Players often forget that Winter's Ward {2} makes him harder to remove, requiring opponents to pay extra mana for spells that target him. Additionally, do not forget that the hand size reduction only affects opponents; you still get to keep your full hand of seven cards regardless of your delirium count.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou play Solemn Simulacrum, which adds an 'Artifact' and a 'Creature' type to your graveyard when it dies. If you also have a 'Land' and an 'Instant' in there, you hit the four-type threshold for Delirium. Winter now restricts your opponents' hand size to 7 minus 4, which is 3 cards.
Eternal WitnessIf you have four card types in your graveyard (Creature, Land, Sorcery, Enchantment), your opponents have a maximum hand size of 3. If you play Eternal Witness and use its ability to return your only Enchantment to your hand, you now only have three types. Winter's Delirium turns off immediately, and your opponents' hand size returns to the default of 7.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Winter, Misanthropic Guide
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple effects modify a player's hand size, apply them in timestamp order. For example, if you put Winter onto the battlefield and then your opponent plays Reliquary Tower (a land with "You have no maximum hand size"), that opponent would have no maximum hand size no matter when you started having delirium. However, if the permanents entered in the opposite order, that opponent's maximum hand size would be seven minus the number of card types among cards in your graveyard if you had delirium. At any time you didn't have delirium, they would have no maximum hand size.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A player's maximum hand size is checked only during the cleanup step of their turn. At other times, they may have more cards in hand than their maximum hand size.
No other card is named in this ruling.
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Meta decks with Winter, Misanthropic Guide
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