Stabbing Pain

Instant, B (1)

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

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

Illus. Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai

Gatherer Card Rulings?, Legality?

• 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.

• Legal in Vintage (Type 1)
• Legal in Legacy (Type 1.5)
• Legal in Extended (Type 1.X)
• Legal in Classic (MTGO)
• Legal in Commander
• Legal in Modern