Outlaw

Outlaw is a batching term introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction. It is also a form of typal coupling.

Description

An outlaw, used as a noun, is any permanent with one or more of these creature types: Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, or Warlock.

Several cards in Outlaws of Thunder Junction have abilities that refer to "an outlaw you control." This phrase refers only to permanents on the battlefield, not spells or cards anywhere else. Outlaws are almost always creatures, but a kindred permanent with one or more of the right creature types can also be an outlaw. Cloak and Dagger is the only card that fulfills the requirement.

Outlaw can also be used as an adjective to describe something else, such as a spell or a card in a zone other than the battlefield. For example, an ability may trigger whenever you cast an "outlaw spell" or return an "outlaw creature card" from your graveyard to the battlefield.

Rules

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

• 700.12. The term outlaw refers to an object that has the Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, and/or Warlock creature types.
  • 700.12a Some cards refer to outlaws that a player controls. Only outlaw permanents are considered for these effects unless otherwise specified.

Rulings

• A card, spell, or permanent is an outlaw if it has the Assassin, Mercenary, Pirate, Rogue, or Warlock creature type. It doesn't matter if it has more than one of those creature types; as long as it has at least one, it's an outlaw.
• Outlaw is not a creature type. If an effect asks you to choose a creature type, you can't choose outlaw.
• If an ability refers to an outlaw or whether a player controls an outlaw, it's referring only to permanents with one or more of the creature types specified above. Notably, it's not referring to any spell or card not on the battlefield. However, other abilities may refer to an "outlaw spell" or "outlaw card" in a zone other than the battlefield. Those abilities refer to spells and cards with one or more of the specified creature types.

Examples

Example

Rakish Crew
Enchantment
When Rakish Crew enters the battlefield, create a 1/1 red Mercenary creature token with “: Target creature you control gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Activate only as a sorcery.”
Whenever an outlaw you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life. (Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, and Warlocks are outlaws.)

Cards caring about Outlaws

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

• Back in Town
• Boneyard Desecrator
• Caught in the Crossfire
• Charred Graverobber
• Dead Before Sunrise
• Discreet Retreat
• Double Down
• Graywater's Fixer
• Hellspur Brute
• Hellspur Posse Boss
• Laughing Jasper Flint
• Mine Raider
• Olivia, Opulent Outlaw
• Outlaw's Fury
• Rakish Crew
• Shoot the Sheriff
• Take the Fall
• Vial Smasher, Gleeful Grenadier
• Vihaan, Goldwaker

Not Outlaws

The following cards are named as Outlaws, but technically aren't:

• Arrogant Outlaw
• Magda, Brazen Outlaw
• Rahilda, Feral Outlaw