Threshold

Threshold
Ability Word
Introduced	Odyssey
Last used	Modern Horizons
Typical Text	Threshold — As long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard, …
Statistics	85 cards 22.4% 3.5% 23.5% 14.1% 25.9% 2.4% 1.2% 7.1%
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keyword:"Threshold"

Threshold is an ability word that gives a card different or additional characteristics if its controller has seven or more cards in their graveyard. It was introduced in Odyssey.

Description

Threshold indicates that an additional or different ability is available if the controller of the card with threshold has seven or more cards in their graveyard. It is written in one of the following ways:

• "Threshold — As long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard, [static ability], [self-replacement], [activated ability] and/or [triggered ability]"
• "Threshold — [static ability], [self-replacement], [activated ability] and/or [triggered ability]. Activate this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard"

Threshold was seen in all of the Odyssey block, and made a reappearance on a single card in Modern Horizons. Before its return, Deep-Sea Terror from Magic Origins essentially featured the mechanic, but without the ability word.

Several related "threshold mechanics" allow a card to swap between various states based on some external criteria somewhere in the game. For example, creatures in Odyssey with threshold are all lycanthropes, meaning they change from one thing into another; the creature type line captures the before and after, but the art only shows one, usually after.

Rules

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

Threshold

“Threshold” used to be a keyword ability. It is now an ability word and has no rules meaning. All cards printed with the threshold keyword have received errata in the Oracle card reference.

Rulings

• Instants and sorceries with threshold check if seven or more cards are in your graveyard when they resolve, not when they're cast or put on the stack.
• Activated and triggered abilities that permanents have at threshold check the number of cards in your graveyard only when the abilities are activated or triggered. Even if you have fewer than seven cards in your graveyard when the ability resolves, it will still resolve normally.
• Static threshold abilities are simply "on" when you have seven or more cards in your graveyard and "off" when you don't.

Examples

Example

Boneshard Slasher
Creature — Horror
1/1
Flying
Threshold — As long as seven or more cards are in your graveyard, Boneshard Slasher gets +2/+2 and has "When Boneshard Slasher becomes the target of a spell or ability, sacrifice it."