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 | +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.