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% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| 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 can be many things, but the common thing is that it is active when the controller of the card with threshold has seven or more cards in their graveyard. It's written either "Threshold — As long as there are seven or more cards in your graveyard, [static ability], [self-replacement], [activated ability] and/or [triggered ability]"; or "Threshold — [static ability], [self-replacement], [activated ability] and/or [triggered ability]. Activate this ability only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard"; or Threshold — [static ability], [self-replacement], [activated ability] and/or [triggered ability]. Activate this ability only any time you could play a sorcery, and only if seven or more cards are in your graveyard."
Several related "threshold mechanics" allow a card to swap between various states based on some external criteria somewhere in the game.[1]
Threshold was seen in all of the Odyssey block, and made a reappearance in Modern Horizons.[2] Before its return, Deep-Sea Terror from Magic Origins essentially featured the mechanic, but without the ability word.
Threshold creatures in Odyssey 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.[3]
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 casted 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 an ability resolves, that ability will 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."
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2010). "I Want to Threshold Your Hand (Or Possibly My Artifacts)". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (May 31, 2019). "Modern Horizons Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (February 8, 2020). "Krosan Beast's typeline explicitly calls it a Squirrel (Creature - Squrrel Beast).". Blogatog. Tumblr.