#gomazoa

Fog is an iconic card in Magic, and leaving a single green mana available is enough to bluff many seasoned players. There are even decks built around the mechanic as a way to stall the game in order to get something ready, such as a combo to win.

There are also one-sided effects like this, with the added benefit of getting a bonus when damage (to you) is prevented. I’m going to pause for just a moment to say that I tried to pick examples that either prevented all damage or prevented all damage from one side (rather than just from a single creature), and I still got 49 cards worth highlighting. That’s a lot of Fog. So some cards may simply be mentioned without an image. Please forgive me, or use this handy link to gatherer.

Fog isn’t only available in green. Black has a version called Darkness. 

Red doesn’t have an exact match to Fog, but it does have some things worth looking into. Red is a bit more risky, but has Fighting Chance, where you flip a coin for each blocker to see if they deal damage (A great combo with Chance Encounter, btw), or red can sacrifice a Snow-covered Mountain for Glacial Crevasses to ensure prevention without flipping a coin, or you could use Impulsive Maneuvers (preferably with Krark’s Thumb) to ensure your creatures attack for double damage while your opponents’ creatures attack for 0. This only takes care of attackers, not blockers, the opposite of Fighting Chance, but can be quite effective at making attacking less appealing to your opponents, since they don’t know what will deal damage, and you do before declaring blockers.

Statecraft is basically blue’s only option for wide-range abilities like this, though Fog Banks and Gomazoas do stop damage at a one-to-one ratio.

Even colorless has an option, though basically a more expensive Glacial Crevasses. Dolmen Gate is also an option, though only preventing damage to your attacking creatures, not preventing any incoming damage when you are defending.

White is the closest behind green for options. Holy Day is a color swap, same cost, same effect, also instant, just like Darkness in Black. But white also has Pollen Lullaby, with the possible benefit of not untapping their attackers, well worth one extra mana if it works. Harmless Assault costs 4, but only works on attacking creatures, meaning it’s a good way to let an opponent leave themselves open, or to block without risking your own creatures. Sadly, it does mean that you can’t use it on the offensive, unlike Encircling Fissure, which prevents damage from creatures controlled by one opponent. Angelsong is also an option, and is a bit more flexible than some in that it has Cycling in case you need a different type of card more. There are a few more white cards worth mentioning, mostly on creatures, so that will be later in this article. Lastly, if you want to use the damage that would have been dealt to you offensively, there are options like Channel Harm, which would still trigger Selfless Squire by preventing the original damage and creating a new source... this is also kind of helpful with red’s penchant for doubling damage, as the original damage is prevented but double that much damage can be dealt to one creature.

I’m going to hold off on highlighting green, just because there is so much of it in a few varieties, and move on to multicolor options.

Energy Arc has untaps the creatures it is preventing the damage of, so can be used as an untap spell instead of just having it be a Fog. Batwing Brume prevents combat damage but may also be used to hurt someone for one point for each creature they sent your way, which can be helpful even if you don’t have white, as it may kill them before their creatures deal damage to you.

Angus Mackenzie prevents all combat damage and is a fairly nice repeatable effect, and is a Legendary Creature so could be a commander if you feel so inclined. Radiant Kavu is also a multicolor creature, though not legendary, but it does prevent damage from blue and black creatures, meaning your creatures can potentially still deal damage without taking damage.

Since I’m bringing up creatures, now seems a good time to get back to some monocolor options that aren’t exactly a match to Fog (your opponent can see most of these on the table, waiting for their abilities to be activated), but are still handy ways to prevent most potential damage. Selfless Squire was already mentioned above, but bears repeating since nearly everything else in this article can be used to pump it.

Frontline Strategist is a good combat trick, still costing only one mana like a Fog or Holy Day, but a Morphed creature is almost always met with suspicion. Kami of False Hope is a creature that only costs one white mana and can be sacrificed at instant speed, but your opponent will be able to see it on the board before you can trigger its ability, which you can only do once. Knight-Captain of Eos is a great, repeatable effect, but requires Soldiers and mana. If your opponent sees you’re out of either, they are more likely to start swinging in at full force, making the Knight great for decks which have a lot of Soldiers, and just a bit more helpful (and quite a bit more expensive) than a regular Fog.

Green has quite a few options, so we’ll start with one that reads as being possible every 3rd turn. Spore Flower can be good in a game that gives you some time to collect a few spore counters before you need fear being attacked, but if you’re being attacked each turn the Spore Flower is unlikely to hold out for long alone. A dedicated Fungus deck with something like Sporesower Thallid finds this option appealing, though, because of how readily repeatable it is, though, despite only having one toughness.

Spike Weaver can naturally be repeated 3 times, and is a bit more sturdy than Spore Flower. Green is good at adding additional +1/+1 counters to continue the Fog effects, with something like Primal Cocoon being thematically and synergistically appropriate.

Dawnstrider is a card that summoning sickness matters, as does the number of cards in your hand. But again, a repeatable effect shouldn’t be overlooked, even on a meager 1/1.

Haze Frog is a bit high on casting cost for the one time effect, but it does come with a creature, and it has Flash. Best of all, Haze Frog specifies OTHER creatures, meaning it can still be used to potentially block and kill one thing. Spore Frog is, like many we’ve mentioned, a humble 1/1. It has a non-repeatable effect, but can be used the same turn it comes out.

After talking about the creature cards this effect is on, it’s worth mentioning how many creature synergies there are cards with this effect for. There’s enough options for you to build a deck around it, so it’s basically one-sided prevention.

- Spiders.

- Wolves/Werewolves

- Tramplers

- Green creatures in general

- Red creatures (for a cost)

- Make sure you have at least 4 power

- Speaking of 4 power

- Or creatures that got a permanent pump.

Tangle and Spore Cloud both keep attackers blocked, but the Spore Cloud also taps blockers, which can be quite a helpful thing when playing in a multiplayer game, especially if you want your opponents to be open for your own attack. Clinging Mists is also helpful if you’re below 5 life, and has the added benefit of tapping the attackers, in case they have vigilance.

Druid’s Deliverance prevents combat damage to you, not to creatures, but then lets you make a copy of a token you have. Defend the Hearth and Commencement of Festivities both cost two and prevent combat damage to players, making it political in a multiplayer game, but still not protecting creatures from harm.

Terrifying Presence is noteworthy became it allows one creature to still deal combat damage, which is quite useful when combined with a Lure effect to kill off a few choice blockers. Serene Sunset can be used in much the same manner, but potentially leaving more of your creatures to deal damage (though cost can become a factor).

Revealing Wind is fairly straightforward as a 3-mana Fog in most cases, but does have the benefit of working well against Morph.

Blunt the Assault can be quite powerful, getting you life for each creature on the battlefield. Respite isn’t quite as powerful, only giving you life for each attacking creature, but this can be used to increase your life total significantly when attacking with a token deck.

Lull and Haze of Pollen both allow for the card to be cycled, which is good when you’re ahead and have little reason to prevent combat damage.

Finally, at the end, because it comes back after it was used, Moment’s Peace has Flashback, allowing it to be cast once from the graveyard.

One of the things I love most about Stuffy Doll is that it can go into any color deck, and make it work well. So I’ll be going through some options in WUBRG order, mentioning some multicolor highlights along the way.

White

One of the best options in White is possibly Guilty Conscience. Whenever it deals damage, it is dealt that much damage... so it deals that much damage and is dealt that much damage. Though this may seem like an infinite loop, it will stop once the chosen player is dead, as Stuffy Doll can no longer deal damage to them because they are removed from the game by dying.

White also has a lot of ways to gain Lifelink (or similar effects, like Spirit Link), which on a Stuffy Doll can still get you two life a turn, assuming you aren’t given a chance to block with it.

Speaking of a chance to block, some opponents may use a go-wide strategy, thinking your creature can only get in the way of one. Don’t let that stop you! There are a few instants that let a creature block any number of creatures, and Entangler is an enchantment that lets you block everything (without evasion) each turn. They attack with 40 Saprolings? Good! You’re about to deal 40 damage to the chosen player.

And when evasion doesn’t allow you to block, Pariah can reroute any damage to you to your Stuffy Doll instead. Channel Harm does a similar effect, but at instant speed.

Red is perhaps the best complement to white for Stuffy Doll, allowing direct damage and a great symbiosis of lifegain and direct damage.

Blue

Blue’s main trick is to protect the Doll. One -1/-1 counter and the doll has 0 toughness and goes to the graveyard. Bounce can also be used to choose a new player when you’ve taken care of the first, counterspells can protect it from Pacifism and similar effects. If you want to complicate combat for your opponents, there are a few Jellyfish (Gomazoa, Guard Gomazoa) or Fog Bank-type effects to dissuade opponents from sending attacks your way.

 Blue also has Clone effects, such as Followed Footsteps, which also allow you to create other Stuffy Dolls, so when you are attacked you choose which player will actually be taking the damage.

Since Blue is the most reactionary color, make sure not to tap Stuffy Doll until the end of the turn of the player before you. Not only will the Doll be available to block, but you can have something like Ophidian Eye to give it additional purpose.

Honestly, Blue mostly uses the Stuffy Doll just as support, rather than as a win condition. You can make it a more central part of the deck by adding Green for +1/+1 counter theme, but we’ll get to that later.

Black

Stuff Doll is indestructible, so though it won’t be killing creatures on its own, it may last longer than most creatures. Damnation can clear a board that’s getting too big for Stuffy doll, along with other, similar effects.

With these other creatures dying, feel free to give Stuffy Doll a more active role than just getting survivor’s guilt. Eternal Thirst gives it a +1/+1 counter whenever a creature controlled by your opponent dies, and with the path cleared, Stuffy Doll can become a beater.

If you’re playing a multiplayer game, Assault Suit allows your Doll to go around the table and either attack or use its tap ability to deal with the chosen player. Sadly, this does remove it as a blocker for you, but does pump it up a bit. Why do I bother bringing that up in the Black section? Ragged Veins has Flash, so if someone does attack or use the ability of your Doll, they are the controller, and they feel the pain inflicted upon it. Binding Agony does the same thing, but not with Flash, means one damage from the Stuffy Doll is 2 damage to its controller, and it normally deals one to itself and one to an opponent, so 2 to chosen player and 4 to controller.

Black mixes well with Red for direct damage and keeping the threats limited to hits your Doll can take.

Red

Red loves Stuffy Doll.

You tap your Doll to deal one damage to it, but Dictate of the Twin Gods says “No, that should be two!” Furnace of Rath overhears and says, “FOUR!” Angrath’s Marauders doubles it again to eight. And then the Stuffy Doll tries to deal that 8 damage, but it’s again octupled to 64. And yes, having all 3 out would be rare, but is possible. But even a single one of these makes the tap ability of Stuffy Doll deal 4 damage to a player instead. Blocking with the Stuffy Doll can quickly turn deadly.

Direct damage, even not doubled, can be fatal quickly. Star of Extinction or Blasphemous Act are great ways to deal large amounts of damage across the board. (Tamanoa and Soulfire Grand Master are great reasons to add a few more colors if taking this approach. Just Stuffy, Soulfire, and Tamanoa out when you cast the Star would net you 120 life, and that’s ignoring anything your opponent has).

Red goes well with white for lifelink, or with green to make your doll a creature that needs to be blocked.

Green

Green is fun for changing how you use Stuff Doll. You can still use it the traditional way, dealing damage out one at a time, but why would you when you can make a Stuffy Doll into a stuffy dreadnaut? Rite of Passage can make Stuffy Doll start making trades when blocking, before you start attacking in. Putting a Lure on a Stuffy Doll means all the possible blockers will be intercepting it, racking up the damage quickly.

If you are collecting +1/+1 counters, make sure to include a Crowned Ceratok, so even being chump-blocked doesn’t stop the damage from going through.

Also, if you’re playing green and want some creature tokens in case your opponent goes wide, perhaps add a Druid’s Call to make sure when your Doll taps (for its ability or attacking) you’re getting a squirrel to replace it as a blocker.

Green likes white for adding vigilance when it’s attacking, so it can still block, or red to pump it or hit it, or even blue to use things like Vorel to make it the growing threat on the board. 

If you want to multi-color, putting it with other creatures with similar abilities brings you into Naya (red, white, green). Enrage is bringing out a lot of options with Ixalan, so be sure to pick some up. Gishath doesn’t go well with the Doll, as it will pass right over it when triggered, so perhaps check out Marath or Samut instead.

If doing a two-color deck, green/blue is good for pumping up a Stuffy Doll. If in Commander, I suggest Ezuri, Claw of Progress. Use blue cards to find the Doll right away, and green to ramp and cast the doll sooner.

For red/white, you have a lot of options, but stay away from Gisela, Blade of Goldknight. If your Stuffy Doll would be receiving one damage, it actually takes no damage, due to the prevention rounding up. This is avoidable with anything that deals more than one damage, or if doubling damage by other means, but is a significant interference in using a Stuffy Doll. Avoid Iroas for much the same reason, though limited to combat, but any amount of damage. Razia or Aurelia are probably best, one allowing you to redirect damage to the Doll, and the other allowing your Doll multiple combats to trigger.