Melee
| Melee | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type | Triggered |
| Introduced | Conspiracy: Take the Crown |
| Last used | Final Fantasy Commander |
| Reminder Text | Melee (Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each opponent you attacked with a creature this combat.) |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
Melee is a triggered keyword ability that makes creatures bigger if they attack. Melee first appeared in Conspiracy: Take the Crown.
Description
A creature with Melee gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each opponent the player attacks that combat.[1][2][3][4]
For flavor reasons, Melee has been reused on several cards of products in the Commander series.
Rules
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- Melee
- A keyword ability that improves an attacking creature based on the number of opponents you attacked. See rule 702.121, “Melee.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- 702.121. Melee
- 702.121a Melee is a triggered ability. “Melee” means “Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each opponent you attacked with a creature this combat.”
- 702.121b If a creature has multiple instances of melee, each triggers separately.
Rulings
From the Release Notes for Conspiracy: Take the Crown (August 22, 2016)[5]
- You determine the size of the bonus as the melee ability resolves. Count each opponent that you attacked with one or more creatures. It doesn't matter if the attacking creatures are still attacking or even if they are still on the battlefield. It also doesn't matter if the opponent you attacked is still in the game.
- It doesn't matter how many creatures you attacked a player with, only that you attacked a player with at least one creature. For example, if you attack one player with Wings of the Guard and another player with five creatures, Wings of the Guard will get +2/+2 until end of turn.
- Melee will trigger if the creature with melee attacks a planeswalker. However, the effect counts only opponents (and not planeswalkers) that you attacked with a creature when determining the bonus.
- Creatures that enter the battlefield attacking were never declared as attackers, so they won't count toward melee's effect. Similarly, if a creature with melee enters the battlefield attacking, melee won't trigger.
- In a Two-Headed Giant game, attacking the opposing team counts both players. Melee will give a +2/+2 bonus per attacked team.
Examples
Example
Deputized Protester 
Creature — Human Warrior
2/1
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Melee (Whenever this creature attacks, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each opponent you attacked this combat.)
Cards that grant melee
- Creatures
- Sorceries
Trivia
- The melee keyword shares its name with the card Melee.
References
- ↑ Matt Tabak (August 15, 2016). "Conspiracy: Take the Crown Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Shawn Main (August 15, 2016). "The Heart of a Conspiracy". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-01-09.
- ↑ Ben Hayes (August 16, 2016). "Developing Conspiracy: Take the Crown". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08.
- ↑ Wizards of the Coast (August 22, 2016). "Conspiracy: Take the Crown Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08.
- ↑ Matt Tabak, Laurie Cheers, Carsten Haese, Eli Shiffrin, Zoe Stephenson, and Thijs van Ommen (August 22, 2016). "Conspiracy: Take the Crown Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.