Sorcery
| Sorcery | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Card type | |
| Subtype | Spell type |
| Scryfall Search | |
| type:"Sorcery" | |
Sorceries, like instants, represent one-shot or short-term magical spells.[1][2] They are never put onto battlefield; instead, they take effect when their mana cost is paid and the spell resolves, and then are immediately put into its owner's graveyard.
Description[edit | edit source]
Sorceries and instants differ only in when they can be casted.[3] Sorceries can only be casted during the player's main phase, and only when nothing else is on the stack.[4] Instants, on the other hand, can be casted at any time, including during other player's turns and while another spell or ability is waiting to resolve.
Rules[edit | edit source]
From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (July 3, 2020—Core Set 2021)
- Sorcery
- A card type. A sorcery is not a permanent. See rule 307, “Sorceries.”
From the Comprehensive Rules (July 3, 2020—Core Set 2021)
- 307. Sorceries
- 307.1. A player who has priority may cast a sorcery card from their hand during a main phase of their turn when the stack is empty. Casting a sorcery as a spell uses the stack. (See rule 601, “Casting Spells.”)
- 307.2. When a sorcery spell resolves, the actions stated in its rules text are followed. Then it’s put into its owner’s graveyard.
- 307.3. Sorcery subtypes are always a single word and are listed after a long dash: “Sorcery — Arcane.” Each word after the dash is a separate subtype. The set of sorcery subtypes is the same as the set of instant subtypes; these subtypes are called spell types. Sorceries may have multiple subtypes. See rule 205.3k for the complete list of spell types.
- 307.4. Sorceries can’t enter the battlefield. If a sorcery would enter the battlefield, it remains in its previous zone instead.
- 307.5. If a spell, ability, or effect states that a player can do something only “any time they could cast a sorcery,” it means only that the player must have priority, it must be during the main phase of their turn, and the stack must be empty. The player doesn’t need to have a sorcery they could cast. Effects that would preclude that player from casting a spell or casting a sorcery don’t affect the player’s capability to perform that action (unless the action is actually casting a spell or casting a sorcery).
- 307.5a Similarly, if an effect checks to see if a spell was cast “any time a sorcery couldn’t have been cast,” it’s checking only whether the spell’s controller cast it without having priority, during a phase other than their main phase, or while another object was on the stack.
Subtypes[edit | edit source]
The subtype for sorceries is called spell type and shared with instants.
Legendary sorceries[edit | edit source]
Dominaria debuted legendary sorcery cards that capture extraordinary moments from characters' pasts. These powerful spells can be unleashed only with the assistance of a legendary creature or planeswalker on your side of the battlefield.[5][6]
You can't cast a legendary sorcery unless you control a legendary creature or a legendary planeswalker. Once you begin to cast a legendary sorcery, losing control of your legendary creatures and planeswalkers won't affect that spell. Other than the casting restriction, the legendary supertype on a sorcery carries no additional rules.[7] You may cast any number of legendary sorceries in a turn, and your deck may contain any number of legendary cards (but no more than four of any with the same name).
While Dominaria overall was very popular, legendary sorceries were one of the least liked elements of the set. That makes their return less likely.[8]
Sorcery tokens[edit | edit source]
Sorcery tokens were featured in the Mystery Booster set, where the test card Time Sidewalk lets you create four Time Walk tokens. That set also featured Gunk, a colorless sorcery card with no mana cost that has cycling 
. In only appears as tokens created by Gunk Slug
Friendly to sorceries[edit | edit source]
Blue and red are the two colors that most appreciate instants and sorceries and reward the player for playing them.[9]
Sorcery speed[edit | edit source]
The informal term "sorcery speed" means "whenever you would be able to cast sorcery spells".
For example: Equip can only be performed at sorcery speed.
The opposite of sorcery speed is instant speed.
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 15, 2006). "It’s About Time". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Aaron Forsythe (April 23, 2004). "Turning the Sorcery Knob". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Randy Buehler (June 27, 2003). "Instants and Sorceries". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 19, 2004). "Slow and Steady". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Matt Tabak (March 21, 2018). "Dominaria Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Dominaria Release Notes
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 10, 2018). "Why introduce legendary sorceries if they fundamentally can never work the same way as legendary permanents?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (March 16, 2020). "Can I get a maybe on Legendary sorceries coming back on any of the 2020 Commander products?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 5, 2017). "Mechanical Color Pie 2017". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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