Foretell

Foretell
[[File:{{#setmainimage:Icon Foretell.png}}|70x70px]]
Keyword Ability
Type	Static (1st ability) Static (2nd ability)
Introduced	Kaldheim
Last used	Baldur's Gate
Reminder Text	Foretell [cost] (During your turn, you may pay and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)
Storm Scale	4
Statistics	46 cards 23.9% 28.3% 17.4% 15.2% 13% 2.2%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Foretell"

Foretell is a keyword ability featured on cards in Kaldheim.

Description

Foretell helper card

Foretell was designed as the combination of capturing a top-down omen flavor and a mechanic called "layaway" that Mark Rosewater had created many years ago based on a mechanic from the "Star Wars Trading Card" game.

During your turn, you may pay and exile a card with foretell from your hand face down. You may cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost (the mana cost listed as part of the foretell keyword). Foretelling is optional, so you can always just cast the spell as normal if you're looking for a more immediate impact.

Foretell essentially splits the cost of a card over two turns. The implementation has roots in Echo (installment costs), Suspend (setting the card into exile for cheaper casting later), and Morph (hidden information, uniform baseline, installments). Some cards have additional benefits if the spell was foretold before being cast.

Each card with foretell has a raven watermark as a nod to Alrund with the Light of Starnheim shape (the diamond) in the center.

R&D created a foretell helper token that you can optionally use to assist during gameplay.

Cards interacting with Foretell

• With Ranar the Ever-Watchful in play, the first card you foretell each turn costs to foretell.
• Alrund, God of the Cosmos gets +1/+1 for each foretold card you own in exile.
• Cosmos Charger reduces the cost of foretell by and can be done on any player's turn.
• Dream Devourer gives nonland cards without foretell the ability. The foretell cost is less than its mana cost.

Rules

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

Foretell

A keyword ability that lets a player exile cards from their hand and cast them for an alternative cost on future turns. See rule 702.143, “Foretell.”

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

• 702.143. Foretell
  • 702.143a Foretell is a keyword that functions while the card with foretell is in a player’s hand. Any time a player has priority during their turn, that player may pay {2} and exile a card with foretell from their hand face down. That player may look at that card as long as it remains in exile. They may cast that card after the current turn has ended by paying any foretell cost it has rather than paying that spell’s mana cost. Casting a spell this way follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.
  • 702.143b Exiling a card using its foretell ability is a special action, which doesn’t use the stack. See rule 116, “Special Actions.”
  • 702.143c If an effect refers to foretelling a card, it means performing the special action associated with a foretell ability. If an effect refers to a card or spell that was foretold, it means a card put in the exile zone as a result of the special action associated with a foretell ability, or a spell that was a foretold card before it was cast, even if it was cast for a cost other than a foretell cost.
  • 702.143d If an effect states that a card in exile becomes foretold, that card becomes a foretold card. That effect may give the card a foretell cost. That card’s owner may look at that card as long as it remains in exile and it may be cast for any foretell cost it has after the turn it became a foretold card has ended, even if the resulting spell doesn’t have foretell.
  • 702.143e If a player owns multiple foretold cards in exile, they must ensure that those cards can be easily differentiated from each other and from any other face-down cards in exile which that player owns. This includes knowing both the order in which those cards were put into exile and any foretell costs other than their printed foretell costs those cards may have.
  • 702.143f If a player leaves the game, all face-down foretold cards that player owns must be revealed to all players. At the end of each game, all face-down foretold cards must be revealed to all players.

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

Foretold

A card exiled using the foretell special action becomes foretold. Other effects can also make an exiled card foretold. A spell was foretold if it was a foretold card in exile before it was cast.

Rulings

• You can't cast a foretold card on the same turn you exile it.
• Because exiling a card with foretell from your hand is a special action, you can do so any time you have priority during your turn, including in response to spells and abilities. Once you announce you're taking the action, no other player can respond by trying to remove the card from your hand.
• Casting a foretold card from exile follows the timing rules for that card. If you foretell an instant card, you can cast it as soon as the next player's turn. In most cases, if you foretell a card that isn't an instant (or doesn't have flash), you'll have to wait until your next turn to cast it.
• If you're casting a foretold card from exile for its foretell cost, you can't choose to cast it for any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell.
• In exile, you must keep your foretold cards clear. Your opponents won't know what the cards are, but they'll know which card you foretold first, second, and so forth.
• At the end of the game, if you still have any foretold cards in exile, reveal them to all players so they know the future you foretold was an honest one.

Example

Example

Battle Mammoth
Creature — Elephant
6/5
Trample
Whenever a permanent you control becomes the target of a spell or ability an opponent controls, you may draw a card.
Foretell (During your turn, you may pay and exile this card from your hand face down. Cast it on a later turn for its foretell cost.)