Afflict
| Afflict | |
|---|---|
|
[[File:{{#setmainimage:MTGA Afflict.png}}|70x70px]] | |
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Triggered |
| Introduced | Hour of Devastation |
| Last used | Doctor Who |
| Reminder Text | Afflict N (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses N life.) |
| Storm Scale | 7[1] |
| Statistics |
11 cards  18.2%  36.4%  36.4%  9.1% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Afflict" | |
Afflict is a keyword ability introduced in Hour of Devastation. Afflict is focused in red, and present in blue and black.
Afflict was one of the non-evergreen, non-deciduous keywords included in the Unfinity sticker sheets.
Description
Whenever a creature with this ability becomes blocked, defending player loses life equal to the Afflict value.[2]
Called "unstoppable" in design, the mechanic was created to convey the destructive and vicious power of the God-Pharaoh's legions, the Eternals.[3]
Afflict was intended to return with War of the Spark as the mechanic used for the Eternals, but it had little interaction with the set's planeswalker gameplay and was discarded. The mechanic's limited and linear payoff made for small design space, as each Afflicter snowballs, but not with any gameplay benefits. This problem, coupled with the lukewarm reception, landed it a 7 on the Storm Scale.[4]
Dagger of the Worthy grants the equipped creature Afflict 1.
A handful of other cards mimic the Afflict mechanic - lowers life total if blocked - but with minor twists.
- Vedalken Ghoul has Afflict 4 by text.
- Simian Sling and Tormentor's Helm have damage-based Afflict 1. Rakdos Roustabout is the same unless it attacks a planeswalker, to which it will damage that planeswalker.
- Vicious Battlerager and Gloom Sower cause 5 and 2 life loss respectively, but they trigger on each blocker.
- Assembled Alphas deals 3 damage for each blocker.
- Karplusan Wolverine deals 1 damage to any target. Close Quarters grants the same ability to all creatures you control.
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- Afflict
- A keyword ability that makes the defending player lose life for blocking. See rule 702.130, “Afflict.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (June 7, 2024—Modern Horizons 3)
- 702.130. Afflict
- 702.130a Afflict is a triggered ability. “Afflict N” means “Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses N life.”
- 702.130b If a creature has multiple instances of afflict, each triggers separately.
Examples
Example
Khenra Eternal 
Creature — Zombie Jackal Warrior
2/2
Afflict 1 (Whenever this creature becomes blocked, defending player loses 1 life.)
References
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2019-03-25). "Storm Scale: Kaladesh and Amonkhet". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (June 17, 2017). "Hour of Devastation Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 19, 2017). "Darkest Hour, Part 1". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 25, 2019). "STORM SCALE: KALADESH AND AMONKHET". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.