Casualty

Casualty
[[File:{{#setmainimage:MTGA Casualty.png}}|70x70px]]
Keyword Ability
Type	Static (1st ability) Triggered (2nd ability)
Introduced	Streets of New Capenna
Last used	Alchemy: New Capenna
Reminder Text	Casualty N (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power N or greater. When you do, copy this spell.) Casualty X (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power X. When you do, copy this spell.)
Statistics	18 cards 27.8% 38.9% 16.7% 5.6% 11.1%
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keyword:"Casualty"

Casualty is a keyword ability introduced in Streets of New Capenna as the signature Maestros mechanic. Casualty is an optional additional cost.

Description

Casualty is the mechanic for the Maestros, the family on New Capenna. The members of this elite society appreciate no finer art than the art of the kill.

As an additional cost to cast a spell with casualty, you may sacrifice a creature with power N or greater, where N is the number that appears after the keyword. If you choose to do so, a triggered ability triggers that copies the spell. If the original spell required any targets, you'll get to choose new targets for the copy. The copy is created directly on the stack, so it's not "cast," meaning its casualty ability won't do anything, and you can't copy it again. The copy is still a spell on the stack though, so it can be responded to and countered as normal, and it will actually resolve before the original spell. A spell with multiple instances of Casualty will have multiple chances to copy it by sacrificing creatures.

Casualty was designed to only appear on instants and sorceries, and acts like a successor to the unpopular mechanic Conspire, another spell-copying ability using creatures. Ob Nixilis, the Adversary is the only permanent to feature Casualty and was added late in design — it also features the only variable Casualty cost. Ashad, the Lone Cyberman grants artifact spells Casualty 2, which is the second instance of a permanent gaining Casualty. During design, Casualty was known as "Splatter".

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

Casualty

A keyword ability that allows you to sacrifice a creature to create a copy of a spell. See 702.153, “Casualty.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)

• 702.153. Casualty
  • 702.153a Casualty is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the spell with casualty is on the stack. The second is a triggered ability that functions while the spell with casualty is on the stack. Casualty N means “As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power N or greater,” and “When you cast this spell, if a casualty cost was paid for it, copy it. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for the copy.” Paying a spell’s casualty cost follows the rules for paying additional costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.
  • 702.153b If a spell has multiple instances of casualty, each is paid separately and triggers based on the payments made for it, not any other instance of casualty.

Rulings

• Casualty N means "As an additional cost to cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power N or greater." and "When you cast this spell, if a casualty cost was paid for it, copy it. If the spell has any targets, you may choose new targets for the copy."
• You may sacrifice only one creature to any one casualty ability. If a spell has casualty 2, for example, you can't sacrifice two 1/1 creatures.
• If you pay the casualty cost of a spell, the copy will resolve before the original spell.
• The copy of the spell is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.
• As you cast a spell with casualty X, you choose whether to pay its casualty cost and what the value of X will be.

Note that "N" refers to an actual number printed on the card. "X" refers to the letter X itself printed on the card.

Examples

Example

A Little Chat
Instant
Casualty 1 (As you cast this spell, you may sacrifice a creature with power 1 or greater. When you do, copy this spell.)
Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the other on the bottom of your library.

Cards that grant Casualty

• Anhelo the Painter
• Ashad, the Lone Cyberman
• Spelldrain Assassin