Card library

Chemister's Trick

Magic: The GatheringReturn to Ravnica#149

Click the card to switch sides

—Views —Likes —Times played

Magic: The Gathering

Mana cost

Return to RavnicaRTR · #149
Card type
Instant
Rarity
Common
Indicative price
0.11 € · ★ 0.22 € · 0.09 $
Mana value
2
Colour
Blue Red

Card text

Target creature you don't control gets -2/-0 until end of turn and attacks this turn if able. Overload (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change "target" in its text to "each.")

Format legality

  • CommanderLegal
  • DuelLegal
  • LegacyLegal
  • ModernLegal
  • OathbreakerLegal
  • PauperLegal
  • PaupercommanderLegal
  • PennyLegal
  • PioneerLegal
  • VintageLegal

Legalities follow the imported catalogue; check format rules before a tournament.
Data imported on 2026-10-06 (UTC).

Indicative Scryfall prices, updated daily. ★: foil; ★ E: etched foil. EUR and USD represent different markets.

Printing information

Illustrator
Christopher Moeller
Card language
English
Release date
2012-10-05

Rulings

If you cast Chemister's Trick with overload, only creatures you don't control that are on the battlefield when Chemister's Trick resolves are affected. Creatures that come under another player's control later in the turn are not.

If, during a player's declare attacker's step, a creature is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either.

The controller of a creature that attacks if able still chooses which player or planeswalker it attacks.

Because a spell with overload doesn't target when its overload cost is paid, it may affect permanents with hexproof or with protection from the appropriate color.

If you are instructed to cast a spell with overload "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to pay its overload cost instead.

If you don't pay the overload cost of a spell with overload, that spell will have a single target. If you pay the overload cost, the spell won't have any targets.

To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an overload 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.

Report a problem

This report is sent to the administrator. Your explanation remains private.