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Boast
MTGA Boast
Keyword Ability
Type Activated
Introduced Kaldheim
Last used Lost Caverns Commander
Reminder Text Boast — [Cost]: [Effect] (Activate this ability only if this creature attacked this turn and only once each turn.)
Storm Scale 6[1]
Statistics
15 cards
{W} 26.7% {B} 26.7% {R} 40% {G} 6.7%
Scryfall Search
keyword:"Boast"

Boast is a keyword ability introduced in Kaldheim.[2][3][4][5][6]

Description[ | ]

Boast keyword adds a drawback to an activated ability which is referred as the boast ability. The drawback is as follows: a player can only activate the boast ability after the creature with the ability attacks and at most once each turn. Boast abilities can be activated during combat or even after combat — any time in the turn after the creature was declared as an attacker.

Boast takes the essence of the failed mechanic Inspired and the untap cost and simplifies them: creatures get abilities after they've attacked, promoting proactive gameplay and allowing blocking as a counterplay. Unfortunately, the templating as a downside of "only if it could attack" hurt its popularity, and despite the reasonable design and development space it only rated at a 6[1], slightly higher than Inspired and Untap, but not by much.

Cards interacting with Boast[ | ]

Rules[ | ]

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (March 8, 2024—Fallout)

Boast
A special kind of activated ability that can be activated only once each turn if the creature with the boast ability attacked that turn. See rule 702.142, “Boast.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (March 8, 2024—Fallout)

  • 702.142. Boast
    • 702.142a A boast ability is a special kind of activated ability. “Boast — [Cost]: [Effect]” means “[Cost]: [Effect]. Activate only if this creature attacked this turn and only once each turn.”
    • 702.142b Effects may refer to boast abilities. If an effect refers to a creature boasting, it means its boast ability being activated.

Rulings[ | ]

  • A boast ability can be activated at any point after the creature with that ability has been declared as an attacker. This can be before blockers are declared, after blockers are declared but before combat damage is dealt, during combat after combat damage is dealt, during the postcombat main phase, during the end step, or, in some unusual cases, during the cleanup step.
  • If it's not your turn and you gain control of a creature with a boast ability after that creature attacked, you can activate that creature's boast ability if it hasn't been activated yet that turn.
  • If a creature with a boast ability is put onto the battlefield attacking, it was never declared as an attacker. Its boast ability can't be activated that turn.
  • If an effect adds additional combat phases to a turn and a creature with a boast ability attacks more than once during that turn, its boast ability can still be activated only once.

Examples[ | ]

Example 1

Arni Brokenbrow {2}{R}
Legendary Creature — Human Berserker
3/3
Haste
Boast — {1}: You may change Arni Brokenbrow's base power to 1 plus the greatest power among other creature you control until end of turn. (Activate this ability only if this creature attacked this turn and only once each turn.)

Example 2

Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire {2}{B}
Legendary Creature — Demon Rogue
2/3
Deathtouch
Boast — {1}{B}: Target player searches their library for a card, then shuffles their library and puts that card on top of it. (Activate this ability only if this creature attacked this turn and only once each turn.)

References[ | ]

  1. a b Mark Rosewater (January 03, 2022). "Storm Scale: Throne of Eldraine through Strixhaven, Part 2". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  2. Matt Tabak (December 7, 2020). "Kaldheim Mechanics". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  3. Mark Rosewater (January 11, 2021). "Boast really feels like an ability word but it’s formatted completely differently?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  4. Mark Rosewater (January 11, 2021). "So a card could say "When a creature boasts"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
  5. Matt Tabak (January 22, 2021). "Kaldheim Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
  6. Dave Humpherys (January 19, 2021). "Leading Kaldheim Set Design". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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