Gandalf's Sanction
Current paper retail
Card Kingdom$1.29
Cardmarket€0.32
ManaPool$0.32
TCGplayer$0.40
Buylist (dealers pay)
Card Kingdom$0.38
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$0.04 tix
90-day paper retail (USD)
3 providers
This printing
SetLTR
Collector #659
Released2023-11-03
Rarityuncommon
ArtistTatiana Veryayskaya
LanguageEN
Layoutnormal
AttributesReprint
ScryfallOpen ↗

Gandalf's Sanction

UncommonColour IDMV 3
Sorcery
Gandalf's Sanction deals X damage to target creature, where X is the number of instant and sorcery cards in your graveyard. Excess damage is dealt to that creature's controller instead.
Card capabilities
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Other printings
1 other English printingEarliest 2023-06-23Newest 2023-06-23Cheapest priced $0.24 in LTR
Rulings (4)
wotc16 Jun 2023
If the target creature is an illegal target by the time Gandalf's Sanction tries to resolve, the spell won't resolve. It won't deal damage to any player.
wotc16 Jun 2023
Excess damage caused by a spell or ability is similar to how combat damage from a creature with trample is handled. Start with the amount of damage being dealt to the creature and determine what is "lethal." This is the creature's toughness minus the amount of damage that it already has marked on it, but ignoring any replacement or prevention effects that will modify this damage. Also ignore whether the creature has an ability such as indestructible that will result in it not being destroyed by this damage.
wotc16 Jun 2023
Gandalf's Sanction is not yet in your graveyard when you determine the value of X.
wotc16 Jun 2023
Once you've determined how much damage is excess, Gandalf's Sanction simultaneously deals damage to the creature and to its controller. This damage may be modified by replacement or prevention effects.