| Madness | |
|---|---|
| Keyword Ability | |
| Type |
Static (1st ability) Triggered (2nd ability) |
| Introduced | Torment |
| Last used | Shadows over Innistrad |
| Reminder Text | Madness [cost] (If you discard this card, discard it into exile. When you do, cast it for its madness cost or put it into your graveyard.) |
| Statistics |
22 cards 59%  14%  9%  9%  9% |
| Scryfall Search | |
| keyword:"Madness" | |
Madness is a keyword ability on spells that allows a player to cast that spell for an alternate cost if it is discarded. It is primarily found in black. It was introduced in the Odyssey block in Torment [1][2] and was later revisited in the Time Spiral block.
In Shadows over Innistrad block it was again revisited, but introduced a change in the rules. Prior to that, you could choose to discard the card normally. But with the rules change, the discarded card is always put temporarily into the exile zone.
History
Torment's madness cards inspired a deck known as "Wild Mongrel", or "UG Madness", which, using the signature card Wild Mongrel, enabled instant-speed discard, which allowed cards with Madness to be played at instant-speed. Wild Mongrel also enabled other abilities such as flashback and the seven-card "Incarnations" (Anger, Brawn, Filth, Genesis, Glory, Valor, and Wonder).
Rules
From the Comprehensive Rules (April 12, 2024—Outlaws of Thunder Junction)
- 702.35. Madness
- 702.35a Madness is a keyword that represents two abilities. The first is a static ability that functions while the card with madness is in a player’s hand. The second is a triggered ability that functions when the first ability is applied. “Madness [cost]” means “If a player would discard this card, that player discards it, but exiles it instead of putting it into their graveyard” and “When this card is exiled this way, its owner may cast it by paying [cost] rather than paying its mana cost. If that player doesn’t, they put this card into their graveyard.”
- 702.35b Casting a spell using its madness ability follows the rules for paying alternative costs in rules 601.2b and 601.2f–h.
- 702.35c After resolving a madness triggered ability, if the exiled card wasn’t cast and was moved to a public zone, effects referencing the discarded card can find that card. See rule 400.7k.
Rulings
- When you discard a card with madness, you discard it but the card goes into the exile zone instead of the graveyard. Then, you may cast it, or you may put it into your graveyard. Casting a card with madness is just like casting an instant from your hand, except you pay the spell's madness cost instead of its mana cost. It goes on the stack like any other spell and it can be countered like any other spell.
- When you cast a card with madness, it still counts as being discarded, but it doesn't actually get to your graveyard before you cast it. That means your opponent can't exile it "in response" to stop you from playing the spell. Abilities that trigger on a card being discarded, however, will still trigger.
- When you cast a spell by paying its madness cost, its mana cost doesn't change. You just pay the madness cost instead.
- Effects that cause you to pay more or less for a spell will cause you to pay that much more or less for its madness cost, too. That's because they affect the total cost of the spell, not its mana cost.
- Madness works no matter why you're discarding the card. You could discard to pay a cost, because a spell or ability tells you to, or even because you have too many cards in your hand at the end of your turn. You can't discard a card with madness just because you want to, though.
- If you choose not to cast a card with madness when the madness triggered ability resolves, it goes to your graveyard. You don't get another chance to cast it.
Example
Notable cards with madness
References
- ↑ Mike Elliott (January 21, 2002). "Initial Stages of Madness". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Paul Barclay (January 28, 2002). "Rules Primer:Madness". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
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