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Shadows over Innistrad Instant-Speed Tricks


This is a list of all the instant-speed tricks in Shadows over Innistrad. The first table has the spell names while the second one has approximate spell descriptions (for the initial period after the release of the new set, when the card names may still be still unfamiliar). Note that, for the sake of brevity, the latter table may not fully represent all uses of the spell and often leaves out certain details.

Both tables categorize tricks by converted mana cost, color, and rarity. Unless specified otherwise, colored spell have one colored mana in their mana cost with the rest being generic mana, so a 3-mana white spell with no explicit cost listed has a mana cost of 2W. I also specify mana costs if the spell has X in its mana cost or is multicolored. Parentheses indicate that a cost is a madness cost, and a light orange background indicates that the spell can't be played at instant speed without a discard outlet. Spells in bold can leave a creature in play permanently, e.g., flash creatures, spells that create token creatures, or spells that allow you to cast creatures at instant speed.

Shadows over Innistrad 1cc 2cc 3cc 4cc 5cc
White (9) common Strength of Arms Expose Evil Survive the Night    
      Puncturing Light      
  uncommon       Silverstrike Humble the Brute
          Tenacity  
  rare     Eerie Interlude    
  mythic         3WW: Archangel Avacyn
Blue (13) common (U)/1U: Just the Wind Jace's Scrutiny Catalog   Stormrider Spirit
(+2 madness)     (1U): Nagging Thoughts Deny Existence    
  uncommon Essence Flux Compelling Deterrence 1UU/(3U): Broken Concentration    
    Invasive Surgery        
  rare   Rattlechains   Engulf the Shore 3UU: Confirm Suspicions
      XU: Epiphany at the Drownyard      
      (XUU): Welcome to the Fold      
Black (4) common (B): Alms of the Vein Grotesque Mutation Merciless Resolve   Throttle
(+7 madness)     (1B): Murderous Compulsion (2B): Twins of Maurer Estate    
  uncommon     (2B): Gisa's Bidding    
        (2B): Biting Rain    
  rare   (1B): Asylum Visitor To the Slaughter    
        (XBB): From Under the Floorboards    
Red (10) common Dual Shot (1R): Bloodmad Vampire Uncaged Fury    
(+6 madness)   Rush of Adrenaline (1R): Senseless Rage      
    (R)/1RR: Fiery Temper        
  uncommon +5/discard 1: Lightning Axe   Geistblast Spiteful Motives 3RR: Dissension in the Ranks
        (2R): Incorrigible Youths Dance with Devils  
        (2R): Stensia Masquerade Inner Struggle  
          (3R): Malevolent Whispers  
  rare   XR: Avacyn's Judgment      
Green (8) common Confront the Unknown Aim High   Might Beyond Reason  
      Clip Wings      
  uncommon   Moonlight Hunt Howlpack Resurgence 2GG: Pack Guardian  
  rare       2GG: Second Harvest  
Multicolor (1) rare     1WB: Anguished Unmaking    

 

 

Shadows over Innistrad 1cc 2cc 3cc 4cc 5cc
White (9) common +2/+2; if you control an Equipment, also get a 1/1 Human tap 0-2 Cs; Investigate +1/+0 & indestructible; Investigate    
      destroy attkr/blkr with P <= 3      
  uncommon       destroy attkr; gain 3 destroy P >= 4; Investigate
          your Cs untap, get +1/+1 & lifelink  
  rare     exile any # of Cs you control until your next end step    
  mythic         3WW: 4/4 flying, vigilance Angel; your Cs are indestructible until EOT
Blue (13) common (U)/1U: bounce C -4/-0; Investigate draw 2; discard 1   3/3 flying Spirit
(+2 madness)     (1U): look at your top 2 cards; put 1 in your hand and the other in your GY counter C & exile it    
  uncommon flicker your C; if it's a Spirit, it gets a +1/+1 counter bounce nonland; if you control a Zombie, owner discards 1 1UU/(3U): counter spell    
    counter S; with Delirium, also extract it from its controller's GY, hand, and library        
  rare   2/1 flying Spirit; target Spirit gains hexproof until EOT; your Spirits have flash   bounce all Cs with T <= #Islands you control 3UU: counter spell; Investigate 3 times
      XU: reveal your top X+1 cards & separate them into 2 piles; put pile of opponent's choosing into your hand and rest into your GY      
      (XUU): gain control of T <= X permanently      
Black (4) common (B): gain 3 & opp loses 3 +3/+1 & lifelink +sac C/L: draw 2   -4/-4
(+7 madness)     (1B): destroy tapped C (2B): 3/5 Vampire    
  uncommon     (2B): two 2/2 Zombies    
        (2B): all Cs get -2/-2    
  rare   (1B): 3/1 Vampire; if a player has no hand at their upkeep, draw 1 & lose 1 P sacs C or PW; with Delirium, P sacs C and PW instead    
        (XBB): X tapped 2/2 Zombies; gain X    
Red (10)
(+6 madness)
common 1 dmg to 0-2 Cs (1R): 4/1 Vampire; when ~ deals combat dmg to a P, it gets a +1/+1 counter +1/+1 & double strike    
    +2/+1 & trample (1R): +2/+2 Aura      
    (R)/1RR: 3 dmg        
  uncommon +5/discard 1: 5 dmg to C   2 dmg; 2U, exile ~ from GY: copy I/S & choose new targets +3/+0 & first strike Aura 3RR: blkr fights another blkr
        (2R): 4/3 haste Vampire two 1/1 Devils with "When ~ dies, deal 1 dmg"  
        (2R): Enchantment with "your attkrs have first strike" and "When your Vampire deals combat dmg to player, put a +1/+1 counter on it" C deals P dmg to itself  
          (3R): untap & gain control of C until EOT; it gets +2/+0 & haste  
  rare   XR: X dmg divided as you choose among Cs/Ps      
Green (8) common Investigate; C gets +1/+1 for each Clue C untaps, gets +2/+2 & reach   2 +1/+1 counters; with Delirium, 3 +1/+1 counters instead  
      opps sac a flyer      
  uncommon   choose opp's C; your Wolves/Werewolves each deal P dmg to it Enchantment with "your Wolves/Werewolves +1/+1 & trample" 2GG: 4/3 Wolf Spirit; ETB: discard land for 2/2 Wolf  
  rare       2GG: copy all your tokens  
Multicolor (1) rare     1WB: exile nonland; lose 3    

Abbreviations used: ~ (this card), A (artifact), attkr (attacker), blkr (blocker), bounce (return to owner's hand), C (creature), CMC (converted mana cost), discard X (discard X cards), dmg (damage), draw X (draw X cards), E (enchantment), EOT (end of turn), ETB (enters the battlefield), extract (search specified zones for any number of copies of a card, exile those cards, then that player shuffles his or her library), flicker (exile, then return to play), flyer (creature with flying), freeze X (tap X and it doesn't untap next turn), gain X (gain X life), GY (graveyard), L (land), lose X (lose X life), mill (put cards from a library into a graveyard), opp (opponent), opp's X (X controlled by opponent), P (player or power, depending on context), PW (planeswalker), raise (return card from your graveyard to your hand), regen (regenerate), S (sorcery), sac (sacrifice), T (toughness), top X cards (top X cards of library), your X (X you control). Here's how to interpret the table:

  • Spells that confer an effect (+X/+Y, -X/-Y, hexproof, etc.) last until end of turn unless specified otherwise.
  • Spells can target any legal permanent or player unless otherwise specified, e.g., X dmg without any qualifiers means that the spell does X damage to any creature or player.


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