Woe Strider — ruling 1

Once you begin casting a spell with escape, it immediately moves to the stack. Players can't take any other actions until you're done casting the spell.

Woe Strider — ruling 2

If a card with escape is put into your graveyard during your turn, you'll be able to cast it right away if it's legal to do so, before an opponent can take any actions.

Woe Strider — ruling 3

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an escape cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was and no matter whether an alternative cost was paid.

Woe Strider — ruling 4

After an escaped spell resolves, it returns to its owner's graveyard if it's not a permanent spell. If it is a permanent spell, it enters the battlefield and will return to its owner's graveyard if it dies later. Perhaps it will escape again—good underworld security is so hard to come by these days.

Woe Strider — ruling 5

Escape's permission doesn't change when you may cast the spell from your graveyard.

Woe Strider — ruling 6

If a card has multiple abilities giving you permission to cast it, such as two escape abilities or an escape ability and a flashback ability, you choose which one to apply. The others have no effect.

Woe Strider — ruling 7

If you cast a spell with its escape permission, you can't choose to apply any other alternative costs or to cast it without paying its mana cost. If it has any additional costs, you must pay those.

Woe Strider : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Woe Strider 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, create a 0/1 white Goat creature token. Sacrifice another creature: Scry 1. Escape—, Exile four other cards from your graveyard. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.) This creature escapes with two +1/+1 counters on it.

Complete guide

Woe Strider is a versatile engine piece that provides incredible utility from both the battlefield and the graveyard. Whether you need board presence, card selection, or a recursive threat, this Horror delivers it all in a single card.

What It Does

Woe Strider serves three main roles: it is a token generator, a free sacrifice outlet, and a recursive threat. When it enters the battlefield, it creates a 0/1 white Goat token. Its activated ability allows you to sacrifice another creature at no mana cost to Scry 1, helping you dig for answers. Finally, it features the Escape mechanic, allowing you to bring it back from the graveyard repeatedly with increased power and toughness.

How Escape Works

Escape is an alternative cost that lets you cast Woe Strider from your graveyard by paying {3}{B}{B} and exiling four other cards from your graveyard. When you cast it this way, it goes to the stack like any other spell. If it resolves, it enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters, making it a 5/4 creature. Remember that you must still follow normal timing rules; since it is a creature, you can usually only escape it during your main phase when the stack is empty.

Strategic Considerations

Because sacrificing a creature is the cost to Scry 1, your opponents cannot respond to the sacrifice itself, only to the Scry ability on the stack. This makes Woe Strider an excellent way to protect your creatures from being exiled or stolen. Additionally, if Woe Strider is put into your graveyard during your turn, you have priority to cast it via Escape before your opponents can use graveyard hate like exile effects, provided the stack is empty.

Common Mistakes

One frequent error is trying to sacrifice Woe Strider to its own ability; the text specifically says to sacrifice 'another' creature. Also, note that the mana value of Woe Strider is always 3, even when you pay the higher Escape cost. Finally, keep in mind that you cannot use other alternative costs (like casting it for free) if you are already using the Escape permission to cast it.

Interaction examples

Generating Value and Scrying

Goat

When Woe Strider enters the battlefield, its triggered ability puts a 0/1 white Goat token onto the battlefield. You can immediately sacrifice this Goat to Woe Strider's activated ability to Scry 1, allowing you to look at the top card of your library and decide whether to keep it there or put it on the bottom.

Triggering Death Benefits

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, you can sacrifice it to Woe Strider. This allows you to Scry 1 from the Strider's ability and draw a card from the Simulacrum's 'dies' trigger. By sequencing this correctly, you can Scry 1 first to ensure the card you draw with the Golem is the one you actually want.

Doubling the Herd

Roaming Throne

If you control Roaming Throne and chose 'Horror' as it entered, Woe Strider's enters-the-battlefield ability will trigger an additional time. This results in you creating two 0/1 white Goat tokens instead of just one, giving you more fodder for your sacrifice outlet.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Woe Strider

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
Once you begin casting a spell with escape, it immediately moves to the stack. Players can't take any other actions until you're done casting the spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
If a card with escape is put into your graveyard during your turn, you'll be able to cast it right away if it's legal to do so, before an opponent can take any actions.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an escape cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was and no matter whether an alternative cost was paid.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
After an escaped spell resolves, it returns to its owner's graveyard if it's not a permanent spell. If it is a permanent spell, it enters the battlefield and will return to its owner's graveyard if it dies later. Perhaps it will escape again—good underworld security is so hard to come by these days.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
Escape's permission doesn't change when you may cast the spell from your graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
If a card has multiple abilities giving you permission to cast it, such as two escape abilities or an escape ability and a flashback ability, you choose which one to apply. The others have no effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7January 24, 2020· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a spell with its escape permission, you can't choose to apply any other alternative costs or to cast it without paying its mana cost. If it has any additional costs, you must pay those.
No other card is named in this ruling.