Menace

Menace
Keyword Ability
Type	Evasion
Introduced	Fallen Empires (mechanic) Magic Origins (keyword)
Last Used	Evergreen
Reminder Text	Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)
Statistics	128 cards 1.6% 0.8% 44.5% 31.3% 0.8% 1.6% 6.3% 1.6% 4.7% 2.3% 3.1% 1.6%
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oracle:"Menace"

Menace is an evergreen keyword ability. Creatures with menace can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.

History

Menace was introduced in Magic Origins to replace Intimidate which had turned out to be too "swingy"—its strength varied too heavily based on the colors of the opponent's deck. The Menace mechanic had existed since Goblin War Drums from Fallen Empires and used to be primary in black and secondary in red. Nowadays menace is primary in both black and red. There's been some talk that a third color should be secondary or tertiary.

Some older cards with this ability received errata so they now have menace.

Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths introduced menace counters.

Rules

From the glossary of the Comprehensive Rules (November 19, 2021—Innistrad: Crimson Vow)

Menace

An evasion ability that makes creatures unblockable by a single creature. See rule 702.111, “Menace.”

From the Comprehensive Rules (November 19, 2021—Innistrad: Crimson Vow)

• 702.111. Menace
  • 702.111a Menace is an evasion ability.
  • 702.111b A creature with menace can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures. (See rule 509, “Declare Blockers Step.”)
  • 702.111c Multiple instances of menace on the same creature are redundant.

Rulings

• Once a creature with menace is legally blocked by two or more creatures, removing those blockers from combat won't change or undo the block.

Example

Example

Boggart Brute
Creature — Goblin Warrior
3/2
Menace (This creature can't be blocked except by two or more creatures.)

Cards that grant menace

• Angrath, Captain of Chaos (planeswalker)
• Atarka Pummeler (Formidable)
• Baleful Beholder (Fear Ray)
• Barbarian Class (Class)
• Belligerent Sliver (Slivers you control)
• Blight Mound (Attacking Pests)
• Blood-Chin Rager (Warriors you control, on attack)
• Blood Curdle (as a menace counter)
• Call of the Death-Dweller (as a menace counter)
• Captain's Hook (equipment)
• Caterwauling Boggart (Goblins and Elementals you control)
• Chitinous Cloak (Equipment)
• Demoralize (each creature)
• Draugr's Helm (Equipment)
• Drey Keeper (Squirrels)
• Driven // Despair (Creatures you control)
• Falthis, Shadowcat Familiar (Commanders you control)
• Firemantle Mage (Creature you control when an Ally enters)
• Frenzied Rage (Aura)
• Frillscare Mentor (as a menace counter)
• Frontier Warmonger (creatures attacking opponents or their Planeswalkers)
• Giant Spectacle (Aura)
• Glaive of the Guildpact (equipment)
• Gleaming Overseer (Zombie tokens you control)
• Goblin Haberdasher (Creatures you control wearing hats in their artwork)
• Goblin War Drums (Enchantment)
• Gorilla War Cry (instant)
• Graf Harvest (Zombies you control)
• Grusilda, Monster Masher (Combined, Enchanted, Equipped creature you control)
• Gruul War Chant (enchantment)
• Hagra Constrictor (creatures you control with a +1/+1 counter)
• Hazmat Suit (Used) (un-Aura)
• Imposing Visage (Aura)
• Iroas, God of Victory (God)
• Kathril, Aspect Warper (as a menace counter)
• Lord of the Accused (zombies)
• Lose Calm
• Lucielle (equipment)
• Madcap Skills (Aura)
• Moodmark Painter (Undergrowth)
• Odric, Lunarch Marshal (if a creature you control has menace)
• Piper of the Swarm (Rats you control)
• Purphoros's Emissary (if Bestowed)
• Pyreheart Wolf (on attack)
• Ravager's Mace (Equipment)
• Rogue Class (Class)
• Scrounged Scythe (Equipment if Human)
• Sethron, Hurloon General (Minotaurs)
• Swarm Guildmage
• Tentative Connection
• Terror of Kruin Pass (Werewolves you control</c>
• Two-Headed Sliver (Slivers you control)
• Untamed Hunger (Aura)
• Vow of Torment (Aura)