Effect-o-pedia
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
Limited formats will generally involve the same common gameplay effects which show up again and again. Use this guide to find out what common effects are in - and not in! - this format.
Board Wipes Bounce Counterspells Discard Disenchant Falter Fog Haste Life Gain Mana Fixing Mana Ramp Mass Pump Ping Mill Mind Control Threaten
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Mechanics/Themes
Board Wipes
Effects that can kill all creatures on the battlefield.
Three major board wipes exist, all very powerful spells. The Meathook Massacre is particularly nasty.
Bounce
Effects that return cards to their owners hand.
Two bounce spells with bonuses for your own creatures mean enchantment-based removal may be risky.
Counterspells
Effects that can counter your spells.
Devious Cover-Up may play well with avoiding milling yourself out, and the upside of Flip the Switch is relevant.
Discard
Effects that can force you discard cards from your hand.
Three discard effects, the Mind Rot comes with a free decayed token.
Disenchant
Effects that destroy artifacts or enchantments.
Frenzied Trapbreaker (the flip side of Outland Liberator) will likely destroy many artifacts and enchantments for free, in general there are more main deckable disenchant effects than usual.
Falter
Effects that make it so multiple creatures temporarily cannot block.
Only one medium falter effect, but remember it can flash it back immediately.
Fog
Effects that prevent combat damage for multiple or all creatures.
No cards in this format have this effect!
Haste
Effects that can grant haste to creatures, or creatures that have haste.
Life Gain
Gaining life!
Ambitious Farmhand // Seasoned Cathar
Blessed Defiance
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer
Intrepid Adversary
Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
Ritual Guardian
Sigarda's Splendor
Sunset Revelry
Arrogant Outlaw
Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker
Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton
Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter
Mask of Griselbrand
The Meathook Massacre
Dawnhart Rejuvenator
Rise of the Ants
Turn the Earth
Willow Geist
Angelfire Ignition
Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
Faithful Mending
Fleshtaker
Hungry for More
Liesa, Forgotten Archangel
Teferi, Who Slows the Sunset
The Celestus
Hostile Hostel // Creeping Inn
While much incidental lifegain is present, no major payoffs exist.
Mana Fixing
Effects that fix for colors.
The fixing is pretty standard, with a few colorless mana fixers and two green common fixers. The common land slot only includes Evolving Wilds.
Jack-o'-Lantern is unique in that it fixes from the graveyard, which may enable for off-color self mill Disturb/Flashback synergy.
Mana Ramp
Effects that ramp mana.
Some mana ramp exists but nothing to enable hugely costed spells.
Mass Pump
Effects that pump all of a player's creatures.
No mass pump at common should be noted for go-wide strategies, but Ritual of Hope is at uncommon. Defend the Celestus will frequently be used as mass pump, and Intrepid Adversary is a game-ending bomb.
Ping
Effects that can kill creatures with 1 toughness.
Neonate's Rush is likely to be maindecked to enable the Vampire opponent damage theme, so watch out for your X/1s.
Mill
Effects that can mill your opponent's deck.
Self
Consider
Covetous Castaway // Ghostly Castigator
Larder Zombie
Organ Hoarder
Otherworldly Gaze
Phantom Carriage
Dreadhound
Heirloom Mirror // Inherited Fiend
Deathbonnet Sprout // Deathbonnet Hulk
Eccentric Farmer
Tapping at the Window
Devoted Grafkeeper // Departed Soulkeeper
Ludevic, Necrogenius // Olag, Ludevic's Hubris
Only two targetted mill cards exist, but as expected in a Flashback/Disturb set, many cards mill your own library. These may be powerful for enabling your deck synergy.
Mind Control
Effects that steal your permanents, permanently.
One mind control exists, which is very powerful as usual.
Threaten
Effects that steal your creatures temporarily and grant them haste.
Only one threaten, but at common. Watch out for sacrifice effects.
Innistrad: Midnight Hunt Mechanics/Themes
Mechanic: Double Faced Cards
Ambitious Farmhand // Seasoned Cathar
Bereaved Survivor // Dauntless Avenger
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer
Delver of Secrets // Insectile Aberration
Mysterious Tome // Chilling Chronicle
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory
Ecstatic Awakener // Awoken Demon
Heirloom Mirror // Inherited Fiend
Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter
Vengeful Strangler // Strangling Grasp
Flame Channeler // Embodiment of Flame
Smoldering Egg // Ashmouth Dragon
Deathbonnet Sprout // Deathbonnet Hulk
Ludevic, Necrogenius // Olag, Ludevic's Hubris
Mystic Skull // Mystic Monstrosity
Hostile Hostel // Creeping Inn
This is not an exhaustive list as two major mechanics: Daybound/Nightbound and Disturb both use Double Faced Cards, and can be found in their respective sections.
These cards transform via activated and triggered abilities described on the card.
Mechanic: Day/Night
Daybound/Nightbound
Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute
Suspicious Stowaway // Seafaring Werewolf
Baneblade Scoundrel // Baneclaw Marauder
Curse of Leeches // Leeching Lurker
Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton
Shady Traveler // Stalking Predator
Fangblade Brigand // Fangblade Eviscerator
Harvesttide Infiltrator // Harvesttide Assailant
Reckless Stormseeker // Storm-Charged Slasher
Spellrune Painter // Spellrune Howler
Tavern Ruffian // Tavern Smasher
Village Watch // Village Reavers
Bird Admirer // Wing Shredder
Burly Breaker // Dire-Strain Demolisher
Hound Tamer // Untamed Pup
Outland Liberator // Frenzied Trapbreaker
Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler
Tovolar's Huntmaster // Tovolar's Packleader
Arlinn, the Pack's Hope // Arlinn, the Moon's Fury
Kessig Naturalist // Lord of the Ulvenwald
Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
Day/Night Switch Payoffs
Celestus Sanctifier
Gavony Dawnguard
Component Collector
Firmament Sage
Brimstone Vandal
Obsessive Astronomer
Sunstreak Phoenix
Sunrise Cavalier
Vadrik, Astral Archmage
The Celestus
Night Enabler/Payoffs
Day/Night is a new mechanic that tracks throughout the game. Once the day/night cycle is begun, either player can switch the game state on their own turn by either playing no spells to swap from day to night, or by playing two or more spells to swap from night to day at the end of their turn.
Daybound/Nightbound creatures will transform depending on the game state. All Daybound/Nightbound creatures are Werewolves with the exception of Curse of Leeches and Arlinn, the Pack's Hope.
Several payoffs exist for switching between night and day, which are listed here. When they enter the battlefield, they begin the overal global Day/Night cycle for the remainder of the game.
Unnatural Moonrise can switch to night at instant speed, and two cards have payoff for the game state being in the Night, which are listed.
Theme: Wolves/Werewolves
All Wolves/Werewolves
Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute
Suspicious Stowaway // Seafaring Werewolf
Baneblade Scoundrel // Baneclaw Marauder
Graveyard Trespasser // Graveyard Glutton
Shady Traveler // Stalking Predator
Fangblade Brigand // Fangblade Eviscerator
Harvesttide Infiltrator // Harvesttide Assailant
Lambholt Harrier
Reckless Stormseeker // Storm-Charged Slasher
Spellrune Painter // Spellrune Howler
Tavern Ruffian // Tavern Smasher
Village Watch // Village Reavers
Bird Admirer // Wing Shredder
Bounding Wolf
Burly Breaker // Dire-Strain Demolisher
Hound Tamer // Untamed Pup
Outland Liberator // Frenzied Trapbreaker
Pestilent Wolf
Primal Adversary
Snarling Wolf
Tireless Hauler // Dire-Strain Brawler
Tovolar's Huntmaster // Tovolar's Packleader
Arlinn, the Pack's Hope // Arlinn, the Moon's Fury
Kessig Naturalist // Lord of the Ulvenwald
Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
Werewolf Payoffs
Pack's Betrayal
Village Watch // Village Reavers
Hound Tamer // Untamed Pup
Howl of the Hunt
Tovolar's Huntmaster // Tovolar's Packleader
Kessig Naturalist // Lord of the Ulvenwald
Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
Unnatural Moonrise
Werewolf Hate
All wolves and werewolf creatures are listed here. There is a lot of overlap with the Day/Night mechanic.
There are several tribal payoffs for Wolves and Werewolves which are listed here as well.
Two hate cards exist which punish werewolves.
Mechanic: Disturb
Disturb
Beloved Beggar // Generous Soul
Chaplain of Alms // Chapel Shieldgeist
Lunarch Veteran // Luminous Phantom
Mourning Patrol // Morning Apparition
Baithook Angler // Hook-Haunt Drifter
Galedrifter // Waildrifter
Malevolent Hermit // Benevolent Geist
Overwhelmed Archivist // Archive Haunt
Covert Cutpurse // Covetous Geist
Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
Devoted Grafkeeper // Departed Soulkeeper
Payoffs
Ominous Roost
Patrician Geist
Phantom Carriage
Shipwreck Sifters
Unblinking Observer
Lord of the Forsaken
Willow Geist
Devoted Grafkeeper // Departed Soulkeeper
Old Stickfingers
Rootcoil Creeper
Hate Cards
Creatures with Disturb can be cast for their Disturb cost from your graveyard, and enter the battlefield transformed.
There are several payoffs for Disturb. All transformed Disturb cards are also Spirits.
The Mill section provides a list of self mill options to enable Disturb as a payoff.
Several cards punish Disturb cards by exiling them or otherwise, and are listed here.
Mechanic: Flashback
Flashback
Homestead Courage
Memory Deluge
Otherworldly Gaze
Secrets of the Key
Crawl from the Cellar
Rotten Reunion
Abandon the Post
Electric Revelation
Light Up the Night
Seize the Storm
Dryad's Revival
Path to the Festival
Rise of the Ants
Shadowbeast Sighting
Storm the Festival
Tapping at the Window
Turn the Earth
Angelfire Ignition
Arcane Infusion
Can't Stay Away
Corpse Cobble
Croaking Counterpart
Dire-Strain Rampage
Diregraf Rebirth
Faithful Mending
Galvanic Iteration
Ghoulcaller's Harvest
Hallowed Respite
Hungry for More
Join the Dance
Rite of Harmony
Rite of Oblivion
Sacred Fire
Siphon Insight
Unnatural Moonrise
Wake to Slaughter
Winterthorn Blessing
Payoffs
Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
Ominous Roost
Patrician Geist
Phantom Carriage
Lord of the Forsaken
Willow Geist
Devoted Grafkeeper // Departed Soulkeeper
Rootcoil Creeper
Hate Cards
Instants and Sorceries with Flashback can be cast from the graveyard for their Flashback cost.
The Mill section provides a list of self mill options to enable Flashback as a payoff.
Several cards punish Flashback cards by exiling them from the graveyard, and are listed here.
Mechanic: Decayed/Zombies
Decayed
Falcon Abomination
Flip the Switch
Poppet Stitcher // Poppet Factory
Revenge of the Drowned
Startle
Ghoulish Procession
Gisa, Glorious Resurrector
Hobbling Zombie
Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia
No Way Out
Rotten Reunion
Tainted Adversary
Ghoulcaller's Harvest
Zombie/Decayed Payoffs
Larder Zombie
Skaab Wrangler
Champion of the Perished
Crawl from the Cellar
Siege Zombie
Bladestitched Skaab
Sacrifice Outlets
Creatures with Decayed cannot block and are sacrificed after attacking. Several cards create 2/2 Zombie creature tokens with decayed as an additional effect.
Listed here are payoffs both for Zombie creature types and for having a large amount of creatures. Since you can still use Decayed tokens to activate abilities indefinitely, these cards are easier to use with a large amount of Decayed.
Cards that require the sacrifice of a creature are also listed here, as decayed tokens enable this easily.
Mechanic: Coven
Coven
Ambitious Farmhand // Seasoned Cathar
Candlegrove Witch
Candletrap
Duelcraft Trainer
Ritual Guardian
Ritual of Hope
Sungold Barrage
Augur of Autumn
Candlelit Cavalry
Contortionist Troupe
Dawnhart Mentor
Duel for Dominance
Harvesttide Sentry
Might of the Old Ways
Dawnhart Wardens
Sigarda, Champion of Light
Enablers
Coven is an ability that triggers if you control three or more creatures with different powers.
Obiviously any creature is technically an enabler for Coven, but some unique power creatures in White and Green are listed as Enablers that make it easier than normal to achieve a Coven boardstate.
Theme: Vampires
All Vampires
Arrogant Outlaw
Bat Whisperer
Bloodtithe Collector
Slaughter Specialist
Stromkirk Bloodthief
Vampire Interloper
Bloodthirsty Adversary
Falkenrath Perforator
Falkenrath Pit Fighter
Famished Foragers
Mounted Dreadknight
Voldaren Ambusher
Voldaren Stinger
Florian, Voldaren Scion
Vampire Socialite
Vampire Payoffs
Damage Payoff
There are many Vampire tribal creature cards, with some payoffs for controlling multiple Vampires.
Vampire creatures also overlap with an unnamed mechanic (identical to Spectacle from Ravnica Allegiance) that triggers if an opponent lost life this turn. Neonate's Rush is an easy way to enable these cards.