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Arcane Subtraction

Arcane Subtraction

Instant

common

Target creature gets -4/-0 until end of turn. Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.)

$0.06 ✦ $0.15View on Scryfall →

Semantic Tags

Cantripmechanical

A spell that replaces itself by drawing a card as part of its resolution.

Card Drawmechanical

Puts additional cards into your hand. Includes direct draw, 'look/reveal and put into hand' effects, and conditional draw triggers.

Specifically removes creatures — destroy, exile, damage, or -X/-X.

Draw-then-discard or discard-then-draw effects that improve hand quality without net card advantage.

Mutatevector

A keyword that lets a creature card be cast as a mutating creature spell. See rule 702.140, “Mutate.”

Removalmechanical

Answers an opponent's threat by destroying, exiling, bouncing, or otherwise removing a permanent or spell.

Format Legality

commanderlegal
oathbreakerlegal
modernlegal
pioneerlegal
standardnot legal
legacylegal
vintagelegal
pauperlegal
historiclegal
explorernot legal
alchemynot legal

Price history

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Printings (1)

SetRarityTCGplayerCard KingdomCardmarket
Strixhaven: School of Mages#36common···

Related Concepts

Learn

A keyword action that lets a player add a Lesson card to their hand from outside the game or discard a card to draw a card. See rule 701.48, “Learn.”

Related Rules

115.1e

Some keyword abilities, such as equip and modular, represent targeted activated or triggered abilities, and some keyword abilities, such as mutate, cause spells to have targets. In those cases, the phrase “target [something]” appears in the rule for that keyword ability rather than in the ability itself. (The keyword’s reminder text will often contain the word “target.”) See rule 702, “Keyword Abilities.”

701.48

Learn

701.48a

“Learn” means “You may discard a card. If you do, draw a card. If you didn’t discard a card, you may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand.”

702.140

Mutate

702.140a

Mutate appears on some creature cards. It represents a static ability that functions while the spell with mutate is on the stack. “Mutate [cost]” means “You may pay [cost] rather than pay this spell’s mana cost. If you do, it becomes a mutating creature spell and targets a non-Human creature with the same owner as this spell.” Casting a spell using its mutate ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs (see 601.2b and 601.2f–h).

729.1

One keyword causes an object to merge with a permanent. See rule 702.140, “Mutate.”

Rulings

2021-04-16

If you bring a card into the game from outside the game in a Constructed tournament (or a Constructed game played under tournament conditions), you may select only a card from your sideboard. In casual Constructed games, the card comes from your collection.

2021-04-16

If you bring a card into the game from outside the game in a Sealed Deck or Booster Draft event, you may select only a card that is in the card pool that you built your deck from.

2021-04-16

If a card is brought into the game from outside the game, it will stay in the game until it ends or until its owner leaves the game, whichever comes first.

2021-04-16

If instructed to learn, you may do nothing. Discarding a card and putting a Lesson card into your hand are both optional.