Deceive the Messenger

one blue mana Instant

Target creature gets -3/-0 until end of turn.

Amass Orcs 1. (Put a +1/+1 counter on an Army you control. It's also an Orc. If you don't control an Army, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token first.)

"Tell Gandalf that he must seek my aid at once." —Saruman

Add to list

Showing The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth#47

Price

0.15 $

Foil 0.23 $

9 printings · up to 0.27 $

Daily estimate from Scryfall, not a shop quote.

View onScryfall EDHREC

Buy this printingTCGplayer Cardmarket Cardhoarder

Deceive the Messenger rulings

2023-06-16
Amass abilities are now written as "amass [subtype] N." Previous cards with amass have received errata to say "amass Zombies N."
2023-06-16
To amass Orcs N, if you don't control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black Orc Army creature token. Then you choose an Army creature you control and put N +1/+1 counters on it. If that Army isn't already an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
2023-06-16
Amass Zombies works the same way, except you create a 0/0 black Zombie Army creature token if you don't control an Army. If the Army creature you chose isn't already a Zombie, it becomes a Zombie in addition to its other types. By combining cards with amass Orcs and amass Zombies, you can end up with an Orc Zombie Army.
2023-06-16
In the rare case that you control multiple Army creatures (perhaps because you played a creature with changeling) while you amass Orcs, you choose which of your Army creatures to put the +1/+1 counters on. If that creature isn't an Orc, it becomes an Orc in addition to its other types.
2023-06-16
If you don't control an Army, the Orc Army token you create enters the battlefield as a 0/0 creature before receiving counters. Any abilities that trigger when a creature with a certain power enters the battlefield, such as that of Mentor of the Meek, will see the token enter as a 0/0 creature before it gets +1/+1 counters.
2023-06-16
Some spells and abilities that amass Orcs may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't amass Orcs.
2023-06-16
Some cards refer to the "amassed Army." That means the Army creature you chose to receive counters, even if no counters were placed on it for some reason.

Deceive the Messenger keyword rules

Amass Rule 701.44

To amass [subtype] N means “If you don’t control an Army creature, create a 0/0 black [subtype] Army creature token. Choose an Army creature you control. Put N +1/+1 counters on that creature. If it isn’t a [subtype], it becomes a [subtype] in addition to its other types.”

A player “amassed” after the process described in rule is complete, even if some or all of those actions were impossible.

The phrases “the Army you amassed” and “the amassed Army” refer to the creature you chose, whether or not it received counters.

Some older cards were printed with amass N without including a subtype. Those cards have received errata in the Oracle card reference so that they read “amass Zombies N.”