gatherer logo
Stabbing Pain

Card Name

Stabbing Pain

Mana Cost

Type

Instant

Rarity

Common

rules Text

Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. Tap that creature.

Flavor Text

"You can take the fight out of nearly any creature if you know where its soft spot is." —Guttor, flesh-warper

Legal Formats

Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pauper, Vintage

Not Legal Formats

Alchemy, Brawl, Explorer, Historic, Pioneer, Standard

Rulings

(8/15/2010)
You may target any creature with Stabbing Pain. It's okay if it's already tapped.
(8/15/2010)
If Stabbing Pain targets an untapped creature with 1 toughness, that creature gets -1/-1, then it becomes tapped, then (after Stabbing Pain resolves) it's put into the graveyard as a state-based action. Similarly, if Stabbing Pain targets an untapped creature with 1 less than lethal damage marked on it (such as a 3/3 creature with 2 damage marked on it), that creature gets -1/-1, then it becomes tapped, then (after Stabbing Pain resolves) it's destroyed as a state-based action. In each case, any abilities that trigger when that creature becomes tapped will trigger.