Flat Tax

Usage and Strategy
Flat Tax is one of the game's most powerful ramp tools, allowing expensive late game cards to be played out as early as turn 6. It's primarily used in ramp decks and played in conjunction with other ramp cards like Westwind Channeler and Lucrative Expedition. Decks centered around Flat Tax have included Flat Tax Heldim and Flat Tax Ashgerdy.

Flat Tax is best used as a ramp tool, with the most opportune times to play it being at 5 mana and 9 mana, to best take advantage of the cost reduction next turn. Its targets are usually on and off affinity cards of 8 mana and above, consisting of powerful threats like High King's Commander and Gal'Arax, the Unceasing as well as stabilizing tools such as Titan Of The Old Ways and Devourer of Worlds. For this purpose, card draw and tutors such as Glory of the Recruits that increase the probability of having ramp targets in hand work well in the same deck as Flat Tax.

A more niche use of Flat Tax may be to increase the cost of cards in the opponent's hand. This is usually only worth using in conjunction with having ramp targets, but may be useful against decks focused on playing a large number of cheap cards in the early game, such as Ashgerdy Aggro and Vriktik Actions.

Note that Flat Tax's effect only affects cards in each players' hand at time of play, so the cost of newly drawn cards afterwards will not be affected.

History and Changes


Flat Tax is a Week 1 card, and like others from the first two weeks, was released before the first wave of alpha testers were invited in June of 2018.

Before being updated on June 14, 2018, Flat Tax's effect originally affected the cost of cards in both player's hands at time of play permanently. This is a very powerful and centralizing effect, often bricking the opponent's hand with overcosted cards while the Flat Tax player puts out turn after turn of undercosted threats.