Zndrsplt's Judgment 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
For each player, choose friend or foe. Each friend creates a token that's a copy of a creature they control. Each foe returns a creature they control to its owner's hand.
Complete guide
Zndrsplt's Judgment is a versatile blue sorcery that can shift the tide of battle in multiplayer games. By designating each player as either a friend or a foe, you can simultaneously bolster your allies' boards and disrupt your opponents' strategies. This card excels in political formats where choosing the right ally can lead to a crushing victory.
What It Does
When you cast Zndrsplt's Judgment, you make a choice for every player in the game, including yourself: 'Friend' or 'Foe.' Friends are rewarded with a token copy of a creature they control, while foes are forced to bounce one of their creatures back to their hand. You can even choose to be a foe yourself if you need to protect your own creature from removal or re-trigger an enters-the-battlefield ability!
Resolving Step by Step
First, you designate each player as a friend or foe. Starting with the first friend in turn order, each friend chooses a creature they control. All tokens are then created simultaneously. Next, following the same turn order logic, each foe chooses a creature they control. Finally, all chosen creatures for foes are returned to their owners' hands at the same time. Note that players cannot take any actions between the 'friend' and 'foe' effects; any abilities that trigger during this process wait until the spell has completely finished resolving to be put onto the stack.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake involves the nature of the tokens created. The tokens copy the printed characteristics of the original creature only. They do not copy any Auras, Equipment, or counters currently on that creature. Additionally, if you copy a creature that is already a token, you simply create a new token with the same original characteristics. Remember that the friend/foe designation only lasts for the duration of this spell; it does not create a permanent alliance or change the game's official teams.
When to Play It
This card is most effective when your board is established with powerful creatures and your opponents have key threats or expensive commanders. Because it targets players rather than creatures, it can bypass 'Hexproof' or 'Shroud' on a creature, as the foe must choose which creature to return to their hand themselves.
Interaction examples
Distant MelodyIf you control several Wizards and name yourself a friend, Zndrsplt's Judgment creates a token copy of your best Wizard. This increases your creature count before casting Distant Melody, allowing you to draw even more cards based on your increased wizard count.
Raise the PalisadeYou can use Zndrsplt's Judgment to force a foe to return their only creature of a specific type to their hand. If you follow this up with Raise the Palisade, you can effectively clear the rest of their board while keeping your newly created token safe if it matches your chosen creature type.
CopyWhen you choose a friend, they create a token. If they choose a creature with an enters-the-battlefield ability, that ability triggers once the token (represented by a Copy token) enters. For example, if they copy a creature that draws a card when it enters, they will draw that card after Zndrsplt's Judgment finishes resolving.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Zndrsplt's Judgment
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
When Zndrsplt's Judgment resolves and you choose friend or foe, first the next friend in turn order (or, if it's a friend's turn, that friend) chooses a creature they control, then each other friend in turn order does the same, then each of those players create a token at the same time. Friends will know choices made by earlier players when making their choices. Repeat this process for foes, who choose a creature one at a time and then return them all to their owners' hands at the same time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Each token copies exactly what is printed on the original creature and nothing else (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature has
in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature is a token, the token that's created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If the copied creature is copying something else (for example, if the copied creature is an Evil Twin), then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any “as [this creature] enters the battlefield” or “[this creature] enters the battlefield with” abilities of the chosen creature will also work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
You make this choice for yourself as well as each other player. In some rare cases, you may wish to call yourself (or your teammate in a Two-Headed Giant game) a foe. You can do that.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
The designation of friend or foe is only relevant to the spell that asks you to choose. A player you call your friend doesn't become your teammate, and the next “friend or foe” spell you cast could name that player your foe.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
You may call a player a friend or a foe even if that player will be instructed to perform an impossible action. For example, for Regna's Sanction, a foe may control no untapped creatures.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Friends perform their specified actions before foes. This means that a friend's action may cause a triggered ability of a foe's permanent to trigger before that foe's action causes that permanent to leave the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Players can't take actions in between the time that friends perform their actions and the time that foes perform theirs. If any abilities trigger from friends performing actions, those triggers won't be put onto the stack until the foes perform their actions and the spell finishes resolving.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer + Combat Celebrant + Zndrsplt's Judgment
- 1Cast Zndrsplt's Judgment by paying
, creating a token copy of Combat Celebrant. - 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Brudiclad triggers, creating a 2/1 Phyrexian Myr creature token, then choosing to have all tokens you control become copies of the Combat Celebrant token.
- 3Declare one of the Combat Celebrant copy as an attacker, choosing to exert it as it attacks.
- 4The Combat Celebrant copy triggers, untapping all other creatures you control and causing you to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Brudiclad, Telchor Engineer + Timestream Navigator + Zndrsplt's Judgment
- 1Cast Zndrsplt's Judgment by paying
, creating a token copy of Timestream Navigator. - 2At the beginning of your combat phase, Brudiclad triggers, creating a 2/1 Phyrexian Myr creature token, then choosing to have all tokens you control become copies of the Timestream Navigator token.
- 3Activate Timestream Navigator by paying
and tapping it and putting it onto the bottom of your library, causing you to take an extra turn after this one. - 4Move to your next turn.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Hellkite Courser + Ashnod's Altar + Zndrsplt's Judgment
- 1Cast Zndrsplt's Judgment by paying , targeting Hellkite Courser.
- 2Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it to your hand, targeting Zndrsplt's Judgment.
- 3Choose to have Rootha returned to the command zone instead of your hand.
- 4Resolve the Rootha ability, copying Zndrsplt's Judgment, targeting Hellkite Courser.
- 5Resolve the copy of Zndrsplt's Judgment, creating a token copy of Hellkite Courser.
- 6The Hellkite Courser token enters the battlefield, putting Rootha from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 7Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the Hellkite Courser token, adding
. - 8Repeat from step 2.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Zndrsplt's Judgment
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.