The Battlefield

Kaalia of the Vast

$2.03

Master of Cruelties

$4.18

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Kaalia of the Vast + Master of Cruelties

Overview

When Kaalia of the Vast attacks a player, her triggered ability may put Master of Cruelties from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that same opponent. The effect that puts Master onto the battlefield attacking is allowed even though attackers have already been declared , because effects that put creatures onto the battlefield attacking are handled by rule . If Master ends up unblocked, Master’s triggered ability will trigger and (if it resolves) set that player’s life total to 1 before combat damage is dealt; Master assigns no combat damage this combat and other attackers assign and deal damage normally under and . Ruling [2013-04-15] confirms that another creature entering the battlefield attacking does not retroactively remove Master’s attacking status if Master was already attacking alone.

Step 1

Declare attackers: You declare Kaalia of the Vast as an attacker against an opponent (this is during the declare attackers step; see ).

Step 2

Kaalia’s attack triggers: Kaalia’s triggered ability “Whenever Kaalia attacks an opponent, you may put an Angel, Demon, or Dragon creature card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that opponent” triggers and goes on the stack (Kaalia’s oracle text).

Step 3

Kaalia’s ability resolves: When Kaalia’s triggered ability resolves it puts Master of Cruelties onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that opponent. Putting a creature onto the battlefield attacking after attackers were declared is handled by rule (effects can put creatures onto the battlefield attacking).

Step 4

Interaction with "can only attack alone": The restriction on Master of Cruelties that it “can only attack alone” is a restriction relevant to declaring attackers during ; because Master was not declared as an attacker during the declare attackers step, the fact attackers have already been declared does not automatically make Kaalia’s ability illegal. Ruling [2013-04-15] is relevant to how additional entering attackers affect Master.

Step 5

Declare blockers step: Players proceed to the declare blockers step and blockers are declared. If Master is not blocked, Master’s triggered ability (“Whenever this creature attacks a player and isn't blocked, that player's life total becomes 1. This creature assigns no combat damage this combat.”) will trigger when it meets the condition of attacking a player and being unblocked.

Step 6

Resolve triggered ability: The triggered ability (if it resolves) sets the defending player’s life total to 1. That happens before the combat damage step, because it triggers and resolves in the steps before combat damage is assigned and dealt (see and which govern combat damage assignment and dealing).

Step 7

Combat damage step: Master assigns no combat damage this combat (its own oracle text). Other attacking creatures assign and deal combat damage normally under and , and because Master’s ability already set the player's life to 1 (if it resolved), other attackers may then cause that player to lose the game as normal when damage is dealt.

Resolution

Kaalia can put Master of Cruelties onto the battlefield tapped and attacking the opponent Kaalia attacked; Master will be an attacking creature even though attackers were already declared because putting creatures onto the battlefield attacking is covered by . If Master is unblocked, its triggered ability will trigger and (if it resolves) set that player’s life total to 1 before combat damage is dealt; Master deals no combat damage and other attacking creatures assign and deal damage normally . See Ruling [2013-04-15] and the other rulings for edge details.

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