How Daybound and Nightbound Work in Magic: The Gathering Arena

Innistrad is the latest Magic: The Gathering and MTG Arena hitting card game and it introduced some new mechanics including Daybound and Nightbound. Terms are an important part of the Werewolf revolving theme set and will come up quite often if you build a deck around Lycanthropes. But what exactly do they mean and how are they used? Let’s unpack it all to help you build a deck worthy of the night. Or the day. Whatever you like.

What is Daybound and Nightbound?

The Daybound and Nightbound cards introduce a day and night cycle into Magic. Until one comes into play, the game is neither. Think of it as a neutral framework. In order to switch the setting to day or night, cards linked to day or night must be played. If a day-bound card is played, it becomes day, but specific conditions must be met to make it night. Cards with the ability can even be double-sided and will flip to the corresponding side depending on whether it is night or day. But what is a double-sided card?

Double-sided cards

Double-sided cards do not have the typical card holder. Instead, the back is a different creature with new abilities and card text. Whether it’s day or night, you’ll pay the card’s face-up mana cost. He arrives on the battlefield on the day side if it is day and on the night side if it is dark.

Other abilities

There are other cards with text that can tell when they hit the battlefield, make them day or vice versa. Switching between them can also trigger a card’s ability. It all depends on what the text on the card says.

Make the day

In order to make day for the first time, a permanent card with the day must appear on the battlefield. Once it’s daylight, it has to be dark to go back. If a card with the Nightbound ability is on the field and a player casts two or more spells during their turn, it becomes day the next turn.

Make the night

It changes to night when the text on a card reads: “If a player does not cast any spells on their own turn, it becomes night on the next turn”.

Odd rules

If a creature with day and another with night appear on the battlefield at the same time, and it is neither day nor night, it becomes day. When in doubt, it always becomes the first day.