March of the Machine Instant-Speed Tricks

This is a list of all the instant-speed tricks in March of the Machine. Each color is sorted by converted mana cost.

Observations:

• Every color other than Green has at least two instants with Convoke, so opponents with untapped creatures can cast instants that cost more than the amount of untapped mana they have available. However, the only Blue instant with Convoke that affects the board is Wicked Slumber at Uncommon, and Black's two instants with Convoke are an Uncommon and a Rare, so you mostly have to keep those tricks in mind against White and Red. In particular, note that two of Red's three instant-speed removal spells have Convoke.
• You mostly have to worry about surprise blockers against Green. In Blue, Saiba Cryptomancer will usually serve as a counter for removal although it can stymie an alpha strike, and the other two spells are Rares. In Black, Merciless Repurposing requires your opponent to have eight mana open to create a creature at instant speed. White and Red don't have any instant-speed blockers, although White can use Scrollshift to untap an existing creature which can then block (and potentially gain your opponent card advantage since it also draws them a card). And the only multicolor surprise blocker is a Rare. Even in Green, the surprise blocker created by Vengeant Earth is temporary and the only other one is at Uncommon.
• While Blue has a lot of instants, most of them either draw cards or counter spells. There are only four that actually affect the board: Ephara's Dispersal and Zhalfirin Shapecraft at Common, Wicked Slumber at Uncommon, and See Double at Rare.
• Black has more instant-speed removal than usual: Deadly Derision, Final Flourish, and Vanquish the Weak at Common (plus Mirrodin Avenged), Collective Nightmare and Merciless Repurposing at Uncommon, and Pile On at Rare.

Color	Mana Cost	Card	Rarity	Type	Oracle Text	Notes
White	-	Aerial Boost		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains flying until end of turn.
	-	Cut Short		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Destroy target planeswalker that was activated this turn or tapped creature.
		Elspeth's Smite		Instant	Elspeth's Smite deals 3 damage to target attacking or blocking creature. If that creature would die this turn, exile it instead.
		Surge of Salvation		Instant	You and permanents you control gain hexproof until end of turn. Prevent all damage that black and/or red sources would deal to creatures you control this turn.
		Alabaster Host Intercessor		Creature	When Alabaster Host Intercessor enters the battlefield, exile target creature an opponent controls until Alabaster Host Intercessor leaves the battlefield. Plainscycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Plains card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffe.)
		Angelic Intervention		Instant	Target creature or planeswalker you control gains protection from colorless or from the color of your choice until end of turn. If it's a creature, put a +1/+1 counter on it. (It can't be blocked, targeted, dealt damage, enchanted, or equipped by anything with that quality.)
		Scrollshift		Instant	Exile up to one target artifact, creature, or enchantment you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control. Draw a card.
		Inspired Charge		Instant	Creatures you control get +2/+1 until end of turn.
Blue	-	Meeting of Minds		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Draw two cards.
	-	Wicked Slumber		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Tap up to two target creatures. Put a stun counter on either of them. Then put a stun counter on either of them. (If a permanent with a stun counter would become untapped, remove one from it instead.)
	-	Artistic Refusal		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Choose one or both — • Counter target spell. • Draw two cards, then discard a card.
	-	Complete the Circuit		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) You may cast sorcery spells this turn as though they had flash. When you next cast an instant or sorcery spell this turn, copy that spell twice. You may choose new targets for the copies.
	-	Transcendent Message		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Draw X cards.
	/	Ephara's Dispersal		Instant	This spell costs {2} less to cast if it targets an attacking creature. Return target creature to its owner's hand. Surveil 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.)
		Tidal Terror		Creature	Whenever Tidal Terror attacks, you may tap two other untapped creatures you control. If you do, Tidal Terror can't be blocked this turn. Islandcycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for an Island card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
		Assimilate Essence		Instant	Counter target creature or battle spell unless its controller pays {4}. If they do, you incubate 2. (Create an Incubator token with two +1/+1 counters on it and "{2}: Transform this artifact." It transforms into a 0/0 Phyrexian artifact creature.)	2/2 for additional 2 mana
		Disturbing Conversion		Enchantment	Flash Enchant creature When Disturbing Conversion enters the battlefield, each player mills two cards. Enchanted creature gets -X/-0, where X is the number of cards in its controller's graveyard.
		Moment of Truth		Instant	Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of those cards into your hand, one into your graveyard, and one on the bottom of your library.
		Negate		Instant	Counter target noncreature spell.
		Saiba Cryptomancer		Creature	Flash Backup 1 (When this creature enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following ability until end of turn.) Hexproof	0/1 or 1/2
		Zhalfirin Shapecraft		Instant	Target creature has base power and toughness 4/3 until end of turn. Draw a card.
		Change the Equation		Instant	Choose one — • Counter target spell with mana value 2 or less. • Counter target red or green spell with mana value 6 or less.
		Faerie Mastermind		Creature	Flash Flying Whenever an opponent draws their second card each turn, you draw a card. {3}{U}: Each player draws a card.	2/1
		See Double		Instant	This spell can't be copied. Choose one. If an opponent has eight or more cards in their graveyard, you may choose both. • Copy target spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. (A copy of a permanent spell becomes a token.) • Create a token that's a copy of target creature.	Copy of Target Creature
Black	-	Collective Nightmare		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Target creature gets -3/-3 until end of turn.
	-	Pile On		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Destroy target creature or planeswalker. Surveil 2. (Look at the top two cards of your library, then put any number of them into your graveyard and the rest on top of your library in any order.)
		Corrupted Conviction		Instant	As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a creature. Draw two cards.
		Mirrodin Avenged		Instant	Destroy target creature that was dealt damage this turn. Draw a card.
		Gloomfang Mauler		Creature	Swampcycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Swamp card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.) Backup 2 (When this creature enters the battlefield, put two +1/+1 counters on target creature. If that's another creature, it gains the following ability until end of turn.) Menace
		Bladed Battle-Fan		Artifact	Flash When Bladed Battle-Fan enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. That creature gains indestructible until end of turn. Equipped creature gets +1/+0. Equip {1} ({1} : Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
		Final Flourish		Instant	Kicker—Sacrifice an artifact or creature. (You may sacrifice an artifact or creature in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell.) Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn. If this spell was kicked, that creature gets -6/-6 until end of turn instead.
		Unseal the Necropolis		Instant	Each player mills three cards. Then you return up to two creature cards from your graveyard to your hand. (To mill three cards, a player puts the top three cards of their library into their graveyard.)
		Vanquish the Weak		Instant	Destroy target creature with power 3 or less.
		Deadly Derision		Instant	Destroy target creature or planeswalker. Create a Treasure token. (It's an artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Add one mana of any color.")
		Invasion of Innistrad		Battle	(As a Siege enters, choose an opponent to protect it. You and others can attack it. When it's defeated, exile it, then cast it transformed.) Flash When Invasion of Innistrad enters the battlefield, target creature an opponent controls gets -13/-13 until end of turn.
		Merciless Repurposing		Instant	Exile target creature. Incubate 3. (Create an Incubator token with three +1/+1 counters on it and "{2}: Transform this artifact. It transforms into a 0/0 Phyrexian artifact creature.)	3/3 for additional 2 mana
Red	-	Burning Sun's Fury		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for 1 or one mana of that creature's color.) Up to two target creatures each get +2/+0 and gain haste until end of turn.
	-	Shatter the Source		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Choose one — • Shatter the Source deals 6 damage to target creature, planeswalker, or battle. • Destroy target artifact.
	-	Stoke the Flames		Instant	Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.) Stoke the Flames deals 4 damage to any target.
		Coming In Hot		Instant	Target creature gets +1/+0 and gains first strike until end of turn. Scry 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put that card on the bottom.)
		Mirran Banesplitter		Artifact	Flash When Mirran Banesplitter enters the battlefield, attach it to target creature you control. Equipped creature gets +2/+0. Equip {3} ({3}: Attach to target creature you control. Equip only as a sorcery.)
		Furnace Host Charger		Creature	Haste Mountaincycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Mountain card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
		Volcanic Spite		Instant	Volcanic Spite deals 3 damage to target creature, planeswalker, or battle. You may put a card from your hand on the bottom of your library. If you do, draw a card.
Green		Arachnoid Adaptation		Instant	Target creature gets +2/+2 and gains reach until end of turn. Untap it.
		Seed of Hope		Instant	Mill two cards. You may put a permanent card from among the milled cards into your hand. You gain 2 life. (To mill two cards, put the top two cards of your library into your graveyard.)
		Crystal Carapace		Enchantment	Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +3/+3 and has ward {2}. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
		Timberland Ancient		Creature	Reach, trample Forestcycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Search your library for a Forest card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle.)
		Ozolith, the Shattered Spire		Artifact	If one or more +1/+1 counters would be put on an artifact or creature you control, that many plus one +1/+1 counters are put on it instead. {1}{G}, {T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on target artifact or creature you control. Activate only as a sorcery. Cycling {2} ({2}, Discard this card: Draw a card.)
		Cosmic Hunger		Instant	Target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to another target creature, planeswalker, or battle.
		Vengeant Earth		Instant	Target creature or land you control becomes a 4/4 Elemental creature with haste in addition to its other types until end of turn. It must be blocked this turn if able.	4/4
		Sandstalker Moloch		Creature	Flash When Sandstalker Moloch enters the battlefield, if an opponent cast a blue and/or black spell this turn, look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a permanent card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.	4/2
		Tandem Takedown		Instant	Up to two target creatures you control each get +1/+0 until end of turn. They each deal damage equal to their power to another target creature, planeswalker, or battle.
		Fertilid's Favor		Instant	Target player searches their library for a basic land card, puts it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffles. Put two +1/+1 counters on up to one target artifact or creature.
Multi-Color		Errant and Giada		Creature	Flash Flying You may look at the top card of your library any time. You may cast spells with flash or flying from the top of your library.	2/3