Orochi ability

The Orochi ability is a slang term used by Magic R&D for "when this creature damages another creature tap that creature, it doesn't untap during it's controller's next untap step". The triggered ability was used to define the Orochi snake people of the Kamigawa block

According to Mark Rosewater, "[t]he Orochi ability started from the flavor. We wanted the snake people (who made sense in green) to have the ability to reflect their venomous-attacks. The tap-down ability felt like something that would happen if someone bit you with a poison bite. Traditionally, the ability to tap down creatures rests in white and blue, but green has dabbled with the ability (on cards such Tangle and Elvish Hunter). In addition, the fact that this ability only worked through creature combat helped give the ability a green feel."

The ability was unused for many years until it returned in 2019 with Frostwalk Bastion in Modern Horizons and Queen of Ice in Throne of Eldraine, this time as an ice-themed ability.

See Also

• Freeze