Strive

Strive
Ability Word
Introduced	Journey into Nyx
Last used	Commander 2020
Typical Text	Strive — CARDNAME costs [mana] more to cast for each target beyond the first.
Storm Scale	8
Statistics	20 cards 20% 20% 10% 20% 25% 5%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Strive"

Strive is an ability word introduced in Journey into Nyx, where it was connected to the hero theme of the block.

Description

As you cast a spell with strive, you can choose any number of targets, paying an additional cost for each target beyond the first. It is particularly effective in triggering multiple Heroic abilities. Strive costs tend to require colored mana and have a cheap first target, differentiating them from spells that increase targets. Launch the Fleet is the only colorless Strive cost and thus could be templated with an .

Strive was a mechanic with a lot of baggage. It was a mana sink that required a large number of targets, something not all sets played towards, and only worked on instants and sorceries as permanents do not target before resolution, and so the cost increase won't work. Multikicker variants bypassed this as the kicker ability is separate, and evidence of the small space was that nine of the twenty Strive spells were some variation of creature pump. This, and it being unpopular, led to a high Storm Scale of 8.

History

The first ability matching Strive's functionality was present with Alpha's Fireball, which only scaled well relative to the poor creatures of the time. Following that, Phyrexian Purge had a very similar and unique cost of life payment. As with many things, kicker encapsulated such effects, and so some multikicker cards in Worldwake could be considered Strive.

The only card so far after Journey into Nyx to feature Strive was Commander 2020 (Call the Coppercoats), though one other (Officious Interrogation) featured identical templating.

Rulings

• You choose how many targets each spell with a strive ability has and what those targets are as you cast it. It's legal to cast such a spell with no targets, although this is rarely a good idea. You can't choose the same target more than once for a single strive spell.
• The mana cost and mana value of strive spells doesn't change no matter how many targets they have. Strive abilities affect only what you pay. For example, the mana value of Desperate Stand is always 2.
• If all of the spell's targets are illegal when the spell tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. If one or more of its targets are legal when it tries to resolve, the spell will resolve and affect only those legal targets. It will have no effect on any illegal targets.
• If such a spell is copied, and the effect that copies the spell allows a player to choose new targets for the copy, the number of targets can't be changed. The player may change any number of the targets, including all of them or none of them. If for one of the targets, the player can't choose a new legal target, then it remains unchanged (even if the current target is illegal).
• If a spell or ability allows you to cast a strive spell without paying its mana cost, you must pay the additional costs for any targets beyond the first.

Examples

Example

Ajani's Presence
Instant
Strive — Ajani's Presence costs more to cast for each target beyond the first.
Any number of target creatures each get +1/+1 and gain indestructible until end of turn. (Damage and effects that say "destroy" don't destroy them.)