Mystery Booster Commander Edition Release Notes
Compiled by Eric Levine
Document last modified July 29, 2026
PDF Download Links:
English
The Release Notes include information concerning the release of a new Magic: The Gathering set, as well as a collection of clarifications and rulings involving that set's cards. It's intended to make playing with the new cards more fun by clearing up the common misconceptions and confusion inevitably caused by new mechanics and interactions. As future sets are released, updates to the Magic rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Rules to find the most up-to-date rules.
The "General Notes" section includes information about card legality and explains some of the mechanics and concepts in the set.
The "Card-Specific Notes" sections contain answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about cards in the set. Items in the "Card-Specific Notes" sections include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed.
General Notes
Card Legality
With over 2,000 cards available, each Mystery Booster Limited event will be an unpredictable new experience! We've included a wide range of cards from previous sets, including many favorites that appeared in previous Mystery Booster releases. (Yes, even some of the playtest cards.) We've also got some reprints showing up in Future Sight frames for the first time, some first-time printed versions of Alchemy cards, and 60 new cards you've (mostly) never seen before!
Cards in Mystery Booster Commander Edition come from a wide variety of places and hence have differing format legalities. With very few exceptions, inclusion in Mystery Booster Commander Edition doesn't change what formats a card is legal in.
All reprints in Mystery Booster Commander Edition remain legal in formats where they were already legal.
The 59 new cards in Mystery Booster Commander Edition, plus one card that was previously only available on digital platforms and doesn't have the acorn symbol on it, (MBC collector numbers 1–60) are legal in Commander, Legacy, and Vintage. They are not legal in the Standard, Pioneer, or Modern formats.
The 121 playtest cards in Mystery Booster Commander Edition aren't legal for tournament play outside of Mystery Booster Limited events. See "Playtest Cards" below for details.
There are ten cards in Mystery Booster Commander Edition which are printed with the acorn symbol at the bottom of the cards (MBC collector numbers 61–70). Like all cards with the acorn symbol, these are not legal in Constructed formats. See "Alchemy Cards" below for details.
Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Formats for a complete list of formats and their permitted card sets and banned lists.
Go to Magic.Wizards.com/Commander for more information on the Commander variant.
Go to Locator.Wizards.com to find an event or store near you.
Game Variant: Commander Draft
Commander Draft combines aspects of Booster Draft and Commander. Rather than build a deck beforehand, players draft and build a Commander Draft deck as part of the experience. Each player needs three booster packs to draft. All players should sit around the table in a random order. To begin, each player opens one booster pack. Each player chooses two cards from the pack and puts them face down in front of them, then passes the remaining cards to the player on their left. Each player takes two cards from the pack they were passed and places those cards face down in front of them, forming a single face-down pile of drafted cards. Each player passes the remaining cards to their left, repeating this process until all cards from the first round of booster packs have been drafted. Then players open their second pack, repeating the above procedure, except this time passing cards to the right. For the third booster pack, players once again pass to the left.
The sixty cards each player has drafted form their "card pool." Using those cards (and as many basic lands as desired), each player builds a deck of at least 60 cards, including their commander. As with Constructed Commander decks, the deck can include only cards allowed by the color identity of its commander. However, unlike Constructed Commander decks, decks in Commander Draft can include more than one copy of any card, so don't be afraid to draft multiples.
Mystery Booster Commander Edition includes plenty of possible commanders, and we wanted to make it easier for you to play your favorites. In Commander Draft events using Mystery Booster Commander Edition boosters, you can treat any eligible commander that has one or fewer colors in its color identity and doesn't already have partner as though it has partner. (See "Returning Mechanic: Partner," below.) This opens up some never-before-seen partner pairs for you to try. Mix, match, and find your favorite pairings!
Although there are a large number of legendary creatures in Mystery Booster Commander Edition, you might get to the end of the draft and realize you don't have the right one to lead your deck. Never fear—the rules have you covered! We've made it so that you can always play a two-color deck in the colors of your choosing. In the rare case where you draft cards for a two-color deck but only have a commander that has one of those colors (and no other colors) in its color identity, you can choose a color to add to your deck's color identity. This doesn't affect the color identity or any characteristics of the actual commander you chose. (Technically, that color ends up on an emblem that lives in the command zone for the purpose of effects that care, like Command Tower's mana ability. In practice, you will never interact with this emblem.) You'll just put that single monocolored commander in your command zone alongside your 59-card Commander Draft deck. In the really, really, extremely rare case where you draft cards for a two-color deck but have no monocolored commanders that cover either of those colors for you, you can choose two colors to add to your deck's color identity. In that case, you'll put no cards at all into your command zone; you'll just have your 60-card Commander Draft deck. Either way, if you're adding one or more colors to your deck's color identity, you'll tell the other players in the game which colors you chose as commanders are revealed before the game begins.
Once each player has their deck, they play a traditional Commander game. This draft format is optimized for eight players drafting and then splitting into two games of four players, but there's no wrong way to play
Returning Mechanic: Partner
Partner is a keyword ability that allows your Commander or Commander Draft deck to have two commanders, provided both of them have partner.
Akroma, Vision of Ixidor
{5}{W}{W}
Legendary Creature — Angel
6/6
Flying, first strike, vigilance, trample
At the beginning of each combat, until end of turn, each other creature you control gets +1/+1 if it has flying, +1/+1 if it has first strike, and so on for double strike, deathtouch, haste, hexproof, indestructible, lifelink, menace, protection, reach, trample, vigilance, and partner.
Partner
Krark, the Thumbless
{1}{R}
Legendary Creature — Goblin Wizard
2/2
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, flip a coin. If you lose the flip, return that spell to its owner's hand. If you win the flip, copy that spell, and you may choose new targets for the copy.
Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
- Other than the partner exception for Commander Draft events that use Mystery Booster Commander Edition (see above), the rules for partner haven't changed since partner's last appearance.
- If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Akroma and Krark are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with white and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with blue, black, or green.
- Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
- To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander. (In a Mystery Booster Commander Edition Commander Draft, if you're treating an eligible creature as though it has partner, the same principle applies; no changes to its characteristics will cause it to stop being your commander.)
- Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional
the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined. - If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
- An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
- You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.
New Ability Word: Rulebreaker
They say rules were made to be broken. Usually, we don't like applying that adage to Magic rules, but they also say there's an exception to every rule. I don't know who's responsible for all of these silly adages, but I know that Mystery Booster Commander Edition features the debut of the rulebreaker ability word, which groups abilities that change the rules of deck construction if the card with that ability is your commander.
Seluma, Light of Aysen
{4}{W}
Legendary Creature — Angel Warrior
4/4
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander can have Angel cards of any color identity and any basic land cards.
Flying
Whenever Seluma deals combat damage to a player, return target Angel creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield.
Whtz, the Bibliophile
{1}{W}{U}
Legendary Creature — Homunculus
1/3
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander has no maximum deck size.
{3}, {T}: You draw a card and gain 1 life. This ability costs {3} less to activate if you had 200 or more cards in your starting deck.
- The effect of a card's rulebreaker ability applies only if that card is designated as your deck's commander and functions only before the game begins.
- Rulebreaker abilities don't affect any format-specific deckbuilding restrictions other than ones they explicitly mention. For example, while a deck with Seluma, Light of Aysen as its commander can include a copy of Fallen Angel (an Angel card whose color identity is black), it can't break other deckbuilding restrictions, such as the rule that allows only one of any card with the exception of basic lands or the rule that requires a Constructed Commander deck to contain exactly 100 cards.
Playtest Cards
Mystery Booster Commander Edition includes 121 "playtest cards," each of which first featured in a previous Mystery Booster release, created by some of the brightest (and silliest) minds in Studio X. They're not printed in normal Magic frames, they've undergone minimal rules scrutiny, they haven't been tested for balance, and they have varying degrees of seriousness.
Common Black Removal (Playtest)
{2}{B}{B}
Instant
Choose one. Destroy target creature, then —
• Create a Food token.
• Create a Treasure token.
• Put a menace counter on a creature you control.
• That creature's controller mills cards equal to its power.
Panglacial Shinobi (Playtest)
{2}{U}
Creature — Wurm Ninja
1/3
Library ninjutsu {1}{U} ({1}{U}, Shuffle an unblocked attacker you control into its owner's library: Put this card onto the battlefield from your library tapped and attacking. Activate only while searching your library.)
Whenever Panglacial Shinobi deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
- Playtest cards aren't legal for play in any tournament format other than Mystery Booster Limited formats. On the other hand, we expect they will spice up a wide variety of non-tournament games (as long as everyone's on the same page about using them!).
- For many playtest cards, you'll need to make a generous assumption that basic game rules would be updated to allow them to work. Existing rulings in the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com will provide some guidance for fitting these cards into the existing rules structure.
Alchemy Cards
Mystery Booster Commander Edition also includes printed versions of some cards originally created for digital play on Magic: The Gathering Arena in the Alchemy format. These cards have all been printed with the acorn symbol introduced in Unfinity and are not legal for play in most tournament formats. They are, however, legal for play in Mystery Booster Limited formats, so if you happen to have one in your Draft or Sealed deck, have fun with it!
Oracle of the Alpha
{2}{U}
Creature — Bird Wizard
2/3
Flying
When Oracle of the Alpha enters the battlefield, conjure the Power Nine into your library, then shuffle.
Whenever Oracle of the Alpha attacks, scry 1.
Euru, Acorn Scrounger
{2}{B}{G}
Legendary Creature — Squirrel Soldier
3/3
When Euru enters, you may forage. When you do, conjure a card named Chitterspitter onto the battlefield. (To forage, exile three cards from your graveyard or sacrifice a Food.)
Whenever one or more Squirrels you control deal combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice a token. If you do, put an acorn counter on each permanent you control named Chitterspitter.
Returning Non-Tabletop Keyword Action: Conjure
Some playtest and Alchemy cards in this release instruct players to conjure one or more cards. Conjure is a mechanic that appears on digital-only cards on MTG Arena and was designed specifically for digital play. As you might imagine, this means conjuring cards in games of tabletop Magic is a fun and interesting challenge!
Pinchy McStingbutt (Playtest)
{2}{B}
Creature — Scorpion
1/3
Deathtouch
Whenever Pinchy McStingbutt deals combat damage to a player, conjure a card named Death of a Thousand Stings, Lethal Sting, or Stinging Shot at random into your hand and reveal it. (Treat conjured cards like cards.)
Overcooked
{2}{R}
Enchantment
Players can't gain life.
Celebration — At the beginning of your end step, create a Food token. If two or more nonland permanents entered the battlefield under your control this turn, instead conjure a card named Food Fight onto the battlefield.
- To conjure a card in a game of tabletop Magic, use the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com to find the official text for the card you're conjuring. Then put the appropriate conjured card into the appropriate zone.
- A conjured card's owner is the player who was instructed to conjure it.
- You do not need to own an actual copy of a card in order to conjure it, and a conjured card does not need to obey format legality or deckbuilding restrictions. For example, in a game of Mystery Booster Commander Edition Limited, Overcooked can conjure Food Fight onto the battlefield, even though the card Food Fight isn't found in Mystery Booster Commander Edition and isn't normally legal in the Limited format.
- Conjured cards are not tokens. Treat conjured cards just as you would treat regular cards. They can move between zones just like any other card and continue to exist for the duration of the game. At the end of the game, make sure to remove all conjured cards from your deck.
- You can represent conjured cards using objects from outside the game so long as the game state remains clear and understandable to all players. You might need to get creative. For example, while a conjured card is in a public zone, you can represent it by writing on a piece of paper or using some kind of token. But if a conjured card is put into a hidden zone, you must add a card to that zone which, while face down, is indistinguishable from other cards in your deck.
Mystery Booster Commander Edition Card-Specific Notes
Arzakon
{W}{U}{B}{R}{G}
Legendary Planeswalker — Arzakon
4
+2: Arzakon deals 3 damage to any other target.
−3: Create a Black Lotus token. (It's a {0} artifact with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add three mana of any one color.")
−7: Each player shuffles their hand and graveyard into their library, then draws seven cards.
Arzakon can be your commander.
- Arzakon's second ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Black Lotus in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Black Lotus can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Ashaya's Enduring Bond
{1}{R}{G}
Legendary Sorcery
(You may cast a legendary sorcery only if you control a legendary creature or planeswalker.)
Discover X, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast this spell. (Exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card with that mana value or less. Cast it without paying its mana cost or put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom in a random order.)
Ashaya's Enduring Bond can be your commander.
- If Ashaya's Enduring Bond is your commander, it's subject to all of the normal rules for a commander. Casting it costs an additional
for each previous time you've cast it from the command zone this game. If it goes to your graveyard or to exile (including when it goes to the graveyard after resolving), you may put it into the command zone. If it would be put into your hand or library, you may put it into the command zone instead. - You can't cast a legendary sorcery unless you control a legendary creature or a legendary planeswalker. Once you begin to cast a legendary sorcery, losing control of your legendary creatures and planeswalkers won't affect that spell.
- Other than the casting restriction, the legendary supertype on a sorcery carries no additional rules.
- When you discover, you must exile cards. The only optional part of the ability is whether you cast the exiled card or put it into your hand.
- You exile the cards face up. All players will be able to see them.
- If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it.
- If the discovered card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
- If you can't cast the discovered card (perhaps because there are no legal targets for the spell), you'll put it into your hand.
- The mana value of a split card is determined by the combined mana cost of its two halves. If discover allows you to cast a split card that doesn't have fuse, you may cast either half (as long as its mana value is less than or equal to the effect's discover value) but not both halves.
- If you discover a card you could cast using one of two sets of characteristics (such as an adventurer card, split card, or modal double-faced card), you might be able to cast that card with either set of characteristics depending on the effect's discover value. For example, if you discover 4 and reveal Galvanic Giant (an adventurer card from Wilds of Eldraine with a mana value of 4), you could cast Galvanic Giant, but not Storm Reading (its Adventure, which has a mana value of 7). If you discover 7 and reveal Galvanic Giant, you could cast either Galvanic Giant or Storm Reading.
Autumn Willow, Harmony
{3}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Avatar
3/3
Hexproof
When Autumn Willow enters, create a 1/1 green Forest Dryad land creature token. (It's affected by summoning sickness.)
Whenever you tap a land creature for mana, add an additional {G}.
- Autumn Willow's last ability triggers only if you activate a mana ability of a land creature including
in its cost. Mana abilities that don't include the symbol and instead say "Tap an untapped creature you control" or similar won't cause Autumn Willow's last ability to trigger, even if the creature you tapped this way was a land creature. Similarly, it won't trigger if you tap a land creature to activate a mana ability of another object (even if that mana ability also includes ). - Autumn Willow's last ability is a triggered mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
Balefang the Unslayable
{3}{R}{R}
Legendary Creature — Demon Dragon
5/5
Flying, trample, protection from Angels and from Archons
Players can't gain life.
When Balefang enters, target opponent creates a tapped Baneslayer Angel token. The token is goaded for the rest of the game. (It's a {3}{W}{W} 5/5 Angel creature with flying, first strike, lifelink, and protection from Demons and from Dragons.)
- Balefang's last ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Baneslayer Angel in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Baneslayer Angel can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
- If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature that player controls that's been goaded is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack a player, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack that player.
- If the creature doesn't meet any of the above exceptions and can attack, it must attack a player other than the controller of the spell or ability that goaded it if able. If the creature can't attack any of those players but could otherwise attack, it must attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, a battle an opponent protects, or the player who goaded it.
- Being goaded isn't an ability the creature has. Once it's been goaded, it must attack as detailed above even if it loses all abilities.
- Attacking with a goaded creature doesn't cause it to stop being goaded. If there is an additional combat phase that turn, or if another player gains control of it before it stops being goaded, it must attack again if able.
- If a creature you control has been goaded by multiple opponents, it must attack one of your opponents that hasn't goaded it, as that fulfills the maximum number of goad requirements. If a creature you control has been goaded by each of your opponents, the creature must attack an opponent (rather than a planeswalker or battle), but you choose which opponent it attacks.
Chief Magistrate of Mercadia
{4}{R}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Noble
3/3
When Chief Magistrate of Mercadia enters, you become the monarch.
At the beginning of your upkeep, create a 2/1 red Goblin creature token with haste. Then if you're the monarch, for each creature token you control, create a token that's a copy of it.
- The game starts with no monarch. As a player becomes the monarch, the current monarch (if any) ceases being the monarch. There is never more than one monarch at a time.
- There are two inherent triggered abilities associated with being the monarch. These triggered abilities have no source and are controlled by the player who was the monarch at the time the abilities triggered. The full texts of these abilities are "At the beginning of the monarch's end step, that player draws a card" and "Whenever a creature deals combat damage to the monarch, its controller becomes the monarch."
- If the triggered ability that causes the monarch to draw a card goes on the stack and a different player becomes the monarch before that ability resolves, the first player will still draw the card.
- If the monarch leaves the game during another player's turn, that player becomes the monarch. If the monarch leaves the game during their turn, the next player in turn order becomes the monarch.
- If combat damage dealt to the monarch causes that player to lose the game, the triggered ability that causes the controller of the attacking creature to become the monarch doesn't resolve. In most cases, the controller of the attacking creature will still become the monarch as it is likely their turn.
- Each of the tokens created by Chief Magistrate of Mercadia's last ability copies the original characteristics of the token it's copying as stated by the effect that created that token.
- If a creature token you control is copying something else, then the new token enters as whatever that creature token copied.
- Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied token will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters" or "[this creature] enters with" abilities of the copied token will also work.
Chira, All In
{3}{R}
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue
3/3
Whenever you discard one or more cards at random, select one or more targets at random, choose one or more modes at random, flip one or more coins, or roll one or more dice, put a +1/+1 counter on Chira and create a tapped Treasure token.
- Chira's ability will trigger only when an effect instructs you to flip one or more coins, roll one or more dice, or take one of the other listed actions at random. You can't decide to discard a card at random when you're simply instructed to discard a card in order to get Chira's ability to trigger.
Dragon's Smile
{5}{R}{R}
Legendary Artifact — Vehicle
4/5
Flying
Once during each of your turns, you may pay {0} rather than pay the mana cost for a spell you cast from exile.
Whenever Dragon's Smile deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles that many cards from the top of their library. You may play those cards this turn.
Crew 3
- If you cast a spell for an alternative cost of
, you can't pay any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those. - You follow all timing rules and pay all costs (although sometimes you'll just pay
) for cards played with the permission granted by Dragon's Smile's triggered ability. For example, if one of the exiled cards is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
Ekthi, Contaminator Priest
{3}{W}
Legendary Creature — Phyrexian Cleric
3/3
Other Phyrexians you control get +1/+1.
Each Equipment you control has living weapon. (Whenever an Equipment you control enters, create a 0/0 black Phyrexian Germ creature token, then attach that Equipment to it.)
- Ekthi's first ability affects permanents you control with the Phyrexian creature type. It doesn't refer to cards with Phyrexian mana in their costs or rules text or cards printed in the Phyrexian language.
- The Phyrexian Germ token enters as a 0/0 creature and the Equipment becomes attached to it before state-based actions would cause the token to die. Abilities that trigger when the token enters see that a 0/0 creature entered the battlefield. Once the Phyrexian Germ token is no longer equipped, it will die and subsequently cease to exist unless another effect raises its toughness above 0.
- If an Equipment has two instances of living weapon, each will trigger when the Equipment enters. The first will resolve, create a Phyrexian Germ token, and attach the Equipment to it. When the second resolves, it will create another Phyrexian Germ token and attach the Equipment to it, leaving the first Phyrexian Germ token with no Equipment attached. In this case, the first token will be put into your graveyard and subsequently cease to exist unless another effect raises its toughness above 0.
- If a single living weapon trigger causes two Phyrexian Germs to be created (due to an effect such as that of Doubling Season), the Equipment becomes attached to one of them. The other will be put into your graveyard and subsequently cease to exist unless another effect raises its toughness above 0.
- The Phyrexian creature type was introduced in 2021. Many older cards were updated in Oracle at that time to add that creature type, add the creature type to tokens they create, or have the creature type if they become creatures due to an ability. A full list of cards with the Phyrexian creature type can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Elda, Conjurer of Spectacle
{2}{G}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
2/2
The first nonlegendary creature spell you cast each turn has demonstrate. (When you cast that spell, you may copy it. If you do, choose an opponent to also copy it. Each copy becomes a token.)
- You choose whether to make a copy as the demonstrate ability resolves. This happens before the original spell resolves. Your copy goes on the stack above the original spell.
- If you choose to copy a spell with demonstrate, you then immediately choose an opponent. They copy the spell, and that copy goes on top of the stack.
- If the spell requires targets (perhaps because it's a mutating creature spell), you choose the target of the original spell as you cast it. If you create a copy of the spell, you may choose new targets for the copy as you create that copy. Similarly, the opponent you chose to create a copy may choose new targets for that copy as it's created. In other words, your opponent will know the targets of your original spell and your copy when choosing the new targets, if any, for their copy.
- If you cast a spell with demonstrate and both you and an opponent copy it, the opponent's copy will resolve first, then your copy will resolve, and finally the original spell will resolve.
- If you cast the spell and choose not to copy it, no opponent will get to copy it either.
The Everforger
{6}
Legendary Artifact Creature — Construct
4/5
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander can have artifact creature and Equipment cards of any color identity and any basic land cards.
Whenever you cast an artifact creature or Equipment spell, you may copy that spell. Do this only once each turn. (The copy becomes a token.)
- The Everforger's last ability and the copy it creates resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger. They resolve even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.
- The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "cast." Abilities that trigger when a player casts a spell won't trigger.
- If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy has the same value of X.
- You can't choose to pay any additional costs for a copied spell. However, effects based on any additional costs that were paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy.
- Any choices made when the spell resolves won't have been made yet when it's copied. Any such choices will be made separately when the copy resolves.
- A resolving copy of a permanent spell becomes a token. That token isn't "created" and won't interact with abilities that care about tokens becoming created.
Feroz, Ulgrotha's Warden
{3}{G}{W}{U}
Legendary Planeswalker — Feroz
5
+2: Create two 1/1 blue Bird creature tokens with flying.
0: Draw a card. You may put a permanent card with mana value 4 or less from your hand onto the battlefield.
−7: Create a Feroz's Ban token. (It's a {6} artifact with "Creature spells cost {2} more to cast.")
Feroz, Ulgrotha's Warden can be your commander.
- If a permanent card in your hand has
in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value. - Feroz's last ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Feroz's Ban in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Feroz's Ban can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Flitwing, Lyev Detective
{2}{U}
Legendary Creature — Faerie Detective
1/1
Flying
If you would create one or more tokens, you may create that many Clue tokens instead. (They're artifacts with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
- The tokens' characteristics are entirely replaced by Clue artifact tokens with "
, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card." They don't have any other abilities the tokens would have been created with. Anything else specified in the effect creating the tokens (such as tapped, "That token gains haste," or "Exile that token at end of combat") still applies. - If an effect would put a noncreature permanent onto the battlefield attacking or blocking, it enters but it's never considered to be an attacking or blocking permanent. For example, suppose you control Flitwing and Hero of Bladehold (a creature with battle cry and "Whenever this creature attacks, create two 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens that are tapped and attacking.") As Hero of Bladehold's last ability resolves, if you choose to apply Flitwing's replacement effect to that ability, you'll create two Clue tokens that are tapped, but not attacking.
Glava, Five-Advents Mage
{5}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
5/5
Whenever you cast a permanent spell with {X} in its mana cost or activate an ability with {X} in its activation cost that isn't a mana ability, you may have the value of X become 5. Do this only once each turn.
- Suppose you control Glava and cast Endless One, a creature spell with mana cost
and "This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it." You can choose 0 as the value of X as you cast the spell, pay {0} to cast it, and the mana value of that spell is 0 immediately after you cast it. Glava's ability triggers. When the ability resolves, you can choose to have the value of X become 5. If you do, the mana value of Endless One on the stack becomes 5, and Endless One will enter with five +1/+1 counters on it. - Spells with additional costs that include
won't be affected by Glava's ability. must be in the spell's mana cost. - An ability with a cost that includes X, but not the mana symbol
, won't be affected. - Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities are activated abilities and will have a colon in their reminder text. Triggered abilities (starting with "when," "whenever," or "at") that ask a player to pay
aren't affected. - Glava's ability doesn't change the amount of mana you have to pay.
- If a permanent has an ability that triggers when it's cast that references the value of X, you choose whether to have the value of X become 5 before or after that ability resolves (based on the order in which you choose to put the triggered abilities on the stack).
- If the number of targets a spell or activated ability has is dependent on the value of X, those targets are chosen during the casting of that spell or activation of that ability. Changing the value of X later with Glava's ability won't affect the number of targets that spell has.
- If the effect of a spell or activated ability would divide an amount of damage that's dependent on the value of X among one or more targets, the division of that damage is declared during the casting of that spell or activation of that ability. Changing the value of X later with Glava's ability won't affect the amount of damage distributed. The same is true for spells and activated abilities that distribute a number of counters dependent on the value of X among one or more targets.
- Regardless of choices made for Glava's ability, X is 0 for the purpose of determining the mana value of a permanent with
in its mana cost once it's on the battlefield
Grakk the Pacifist
{1}{W}
Legendary Creature — Orc
4/3
Grakk can't attack or block.
Whenever you cast an Aura spell that targets a creature an opponent controls, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.
- Grakk's last ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.
Grandmother Goby
{2}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Merfolk Wizard
2/2
Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, counter that spell. Create a number of 1/1 blue Merfolk creature tokens equal to the amount of mana spent to cast that spell.
- The Merfolk tokens are created even if the spell isn't countered by Grandmother Goby's ability. This may happen because the spell can't be countered, because it's already been countered, or because it's already been removed from the stack by the time Grandmother Goby's ability resolves.
Greensleeves
{4}{G}{G}
Legendary Planeswalker — Greensleeves
5
+2: Create a Giant Badger token. (It's a {1}{G}{G} 2/2 Badger creature with "Whenever this token blocks, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.")
−3: Mill three cards. Put all permanent cards from among them into your hand.
−8: Until end of turn, creatures you control have base power and toughness 8/8 and gain trample.
Greensleeves can be your commander.
- Greensleeves's first ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Giant Badger in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Giant Badger can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Gustha Ebbasdotter
{3}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
3/3
Protection from red
Whenever you cast your first spell during each opponent's turn, draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
- Gustha Ebbasdotter's last ability resolves before the spell that causes it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.
- The cards you put on top of your library can be from the three you just drew or ones that were already in your hand.
Homer, the Hermit
{B}{G}{U}
Legendary Creature — Crab Druid
0/9
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, any number of target players each mill X cards, where X is twice the number of Crabs, Lobsters, Nautiluses, Starfish, and/or Trilobites you control.
- The value of X is calculated only once, as Homer's ability resolves.
- A landfall ability triggers whenever a land you control enters for any reason. It triggers whenever you play a land, as well as whenever a spell or ability puts a land onto the battlefield under your control.
- A landfall ability doesn't trigger if a permanent already on the battlefield becomes a land.
- Whenever a land you control enters, each landfall ability of the permanents you control will trigger. You can put them on the stack in any order. The last ability you put on the stack will be the first one to resolve. (As a result, you can have those abilities resolve in the order of your choosing.)
Istvan, Butcher of Eln
{1}{B}{B}{B}
Legendary Creature — Human
1/3
Istvan attacks each combat if able.
Prevent all damage that would be dealt to Istvan by creatures.
Whenever a creature an opponent controls dies, put two +1/+1 counters on Istvan.
- If Uncle … er, Istvan can't attack for any reason (such as being tapped), then he doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having him attack, you're not forced to pay that cost, so he doesn't have to attack in that case either.
Itazura, Lingering Wick
{2}{U}{R}
Legendary Creature — Spirit
1/5
At the beginning of your upkeep, exile the top three cards of your library. Each opponent secretly chooses a number 0 or greater. Then those numbers are revealed. Choose an opponent with the highest number. Itazura deals that much damage to them, then they may cast a spell from among those cards without paying its mana cost. You put a card from among them that wasn't cast this way into your hand.
- Cards are exiled face up by default. Your opponents will know what the three exiled cards are when they secretly choose their numbers, and they'll know which card you put into your hand at the end.
- For each player to secretly choose a number, that player should write down their chosen number without showing it to anyone else. Each player then keeps their number secret until all players simultaneously reveal their numbers.
- The chosen opponent may cast the spell while Itazura's ability is resolving and still on the stack. They can't wait to cast it later in the turn.
- If a spell has
in its mana cost, the chosen opponent must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. - The opponent who casts a spell "without paying its mana cost" can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. They can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the spell.
Jabs, Mistress of Mockery
{2}{R}
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue
2/3
If a triggered ability of a permanent you control but don't own triggers, that ability triggers an additional time.
- Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at" in their reminder text. Replacement effects are unaffected by Jabs's ability. For example, a 1/1 creature you don't own that enters under your control "with a +1/+1 counter on it" won't receive an additional +1/+1 counter.
- Abilities that apply "as [this creature] enters" or "as [this creature] is turned face up" are also unaffected by Jabs's ability.
- Jabs's ability doesn't copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger an additional time. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to put counters on a permanent, are also made individually.
- If a triggered ability is linked to a second ability, additional instances of that triggered ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to "the exiled card," it refers to all cards exiled by instances of the triggered ability.
- In some cases involving linked abilities, an ability requires information about "the exiled card." When this happens, the ability gets multiple answers. If these answers are being used to determine the value of a variable, the sum is used. For example, if Elite Arcanist's enters ability triggers twice, two cards are exiled. The value of X in the activation cost of Elite Arcanist's other ability is the sum of the two cards' mana values. As the ability resolves, you create copies of both cards and can cast none, one, or both of the copies in any order.
Jandor, Fortuned Traveler
{1}{R}{G}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Citizen
2/4
Each Beast, Camel, Horse, Elephant, and Wolf creature you control is a Mount in addition to its other types and has saddle 2. (Tap any number of other creatures you control with total power 2 or more: That Mount becomes saddled until end of turn. Saddle only as a sorcery.)
Whenever a saddled creature you control attacks, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn. Draw a card. Create a Food token.
- "Saddled" isn't an ability that a creature has. It's just something true about that creature. It won't stop being saddled until the turn ends or it leaves the battlefield.
- Creatures with saddle can attack or block as normal even if they aren't saddled.
- If a permanent becomes a copy of a saddled Mount, the copy won't be saddled.
- You may activate a permanent's saddle ability even if that permanent is already saddled.
- Once Jandor's last ability triggers, it doesn't matter what happens to the saddled creature after that. Even if that creature is no longer on the battlefield or no longer a creature when the ability resolves, you'll still draw a card and create a Food token.
Joven and Chandler
{2}{R}{R}{R}
Legendary Creature — Human Rogue
3/3
Whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, put a number of +1/+1 counters equal to that artifact's mana value on Joven and Chandler.
{R}{R}{R}, {T}: Gain control of target artifact until end of turn. Untap it. It gains haste until end of turn.
- Use the mana value of the artifact as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how many +1/+1 counters to put on Joven and Chandler.
Kuroki, Thief of Talents
{4}{B}
Legendary Creature — Spirit
4/4
Menace
At the beginning of your end step, target opponent may draw four cards. If they do, look at that player's hand and you may cast a spell from their hand without paying its mana cost. If they don't, put two +1/+1 counters on Kuroki.
- If the target opponent has three or fewer cards in their library, they can still choose to draw four cards. If they do, you'll still be able to cast a spell from their hand without paying its mana cost, but once Kuroki's ability finishes resolving, state-based actions will be checked and that opponent will (in most cases) lose the game since they attempted to draw a card from an empty library. At that point, they'll leave the game along with the spell you cast from their hand. (They probably shouldn't have chosen to draw four cards, but that's not your problem anymore.)
- You cast the spell while Kuroki's ability is resolving and still on the stack. You can't wait to cast it later in the turn.
- If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it.
- If a spell has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
- You only put counters on Kuroki if the opponent declines to draw four cards. You don't put counters on Kuroki if they choose to draw four cards but you don't cast a spell from their hand.
Lyna, Veil of Vengeance
{W}{U}{B}
Legendary Creature — Soltari Cleric
2/3
Shadow (This creature can block or be blocked by only creatures with shadow.)
Whenever a creature you control with shadow deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
{3}: Put a shadow counter on another target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.
- If an attacking creature has multiple evasion abilities, such as shadow and flying, a creature can block it only if that creature satisfies all of the appropriate evasion abilities. For example, a creature with shadow and reach could block a creature with shadow and flying, but a creature with only shadow or only reach could not block a creature with shadow and flying.
- A permanent with a shadow counter on it has shadow.
- Once a creature has been blocked, that creature remains blocked and will deal and be dealt combat damage even if it gains or loses shadow or if the blocking creature gains or loses shadow.
- Multiple instances of shadow on the same creature are redundant.
The Madcap Jester
{1}{U}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature — Clown Wizard
3/2
Whenever The Madcap Jester attacks, each opponent exiles the top card of their library.
Whenever a spell or ability you control causes one or more cards to be exiled from an opponent's library, you may play those cards until the end of your next turn. Mana of any type can be spent to cast spells this way.
- You follow all timing rules and pay all costs for cards played with the permission granted by The Madcap Jester's last ability. For example, if one of the exiled cards is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
Massimo, the Magician
{U}{R}{W}
Legendary Creature — Cat Wizard
3/2
Whenever Massimo or another creature you control enters, exile up to one target instant or sorcery card with mana value 1 from your graveyard. If a card is exiled this way, that creature gains "Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, copy the exiled card. You may cast the copy without paying its mana cost."
- If a card in a graveyard has
in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value. - You may cast the copy only while the granted ability is resolving and still on the stack. You can't wait to cast it later in the turn.
- If the spell you cast has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. - If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.
- If you don't want to cast the copy, you can choose not to; it ceases to exist the next time state-based actions are performed.
Matoc, Lavamancer
{3}{R}
Legendary Creature — Human Barbarian Wizard
2/3
Whenever a source you control deals damage, if at least one permanent or player was dealt exactly 2 of that damage, exile the top card of your library. You may play it until the end of your next turn.
{R}, {T}, Exile two cards from your graveyard: Matoc deals 2 damage to any other target.
- You follow all timing rules and pay all costs for cards played with the permission granted by Matoc's first ability. For example, if the exiled card is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
- If a source you control deals exactly 2 damage to multiple permanents and/or players at the same time, Matoc's triggered ability will trigger only once. For example, if you cast a spell that deals 2 damage to each player and each creature and there are four creatures on the battlefield, Matoc's triggered ability will trigger once.
Maular, the Next Evolution
{5}{G}{G}
Legendary Creature — Dinosaur Mutant
10/10
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander can have creature cards with mana value 7 or greater of any color identity and any basic land cards.
Whenever a creature you control with mana value 7 or greater attacks, double its power and toughness until end of turn.
- If a card in a player's deck has
in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value. Similarly, if a creature on the battlefield has in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value. - To double a creature's power and toughness, it gets +X/+Y, where X is its power and Y is its toughness as that effect begins to apply.
Meatsqueak, Hoard Lord
{2}{G}
Legendary Creature — Squirrel
2/3
Whenever another creature dies, create a Food token. This ability triggers only once each turn. (It's an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: You gain 3 life.")
For every seven Foods you control, Squirrels you control get +3/+3.
- Creatures you control won't get any bonus from the last ability if you control between zero and six Foods. If you control between seven and thirteen Foods, Squirrels you control get +3/+3. If you control between fourteen and twenty Foods, Squirrels you control get +6/+6, and so on.
Miss Highwater
{2}{B}{B}
Legendary Creature — Demon Advisor
5/3
Menace
Whenever Miss Highwater deals combat damage to a player who doesn't have a contract counter, they may discard their hand. If they do, they draw seven cards and get a contract counter. For as long as they have a contract counter, when they lose the game, for each artifact and creature they controlled, create a token that's a copy of it.
- The tokens created by Miss Highwater's delayed triggered ability copy exactly what was printed on the original permanent and nothing else (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that permanent is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on. If it is a Vehicle, it is not crewed. If it is an Equipment, it is not attached to any creature.
- If one of the permanents being copied is a token, the token that's created copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that created the token.
- If one of the permanents being copied is copying something else, then the token enters as whatever that permanent copied.
- Any enters abilities of the copied permanent will trigger when the associated token enters. Any "as [this permanent] enters" or "[this permanent] enters with" abilities of the copied permanent will also work.
- Once Miss Highwater's triggered ability resolves, it doesn't matter what happens to Miss Highwater after that. When that player loses the game while they have a contract counter on them, the player who controlled the original triggered ability (usually the player who controlled Miss Highwater at the time) will create the tokens. If that player is no longer in the game at that time, the delayed trigger won't be put onto the stack at all.
The Muckslinger Gang
{1}{B}{R}{G}
Legendary Creature — Goblin Lizard Beast
3/3
Each other creature you control gets +3/+3 as long as it's not attacking or blocking.
Creature spells you control and creature cards you own in any zone other than the battlefield or the stack get +3/+3.
- Once a creature becomes an attacking creature, it's attacking until the end of combat step ends or another effect removes it from combat. The same is true for blocking creatures.
Nivea, Beloved Battlemage
{2}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard Warrior
3/1
Whenever a creature you control becomes blocked, you may untap it and remove it from combat.
{5}{W}{W}{W}, Sacrifice Nivea: Create an Akroma, Angel of Wrath token. (She's a {5}{W}{W}{W} legendary 6/6 Angel creature with flying, first strike, vigilance, trample, haste, and protection from black and from red.)
- Nivea's last ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Akroma, Angel of Wrath in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Akroma, Angel of Wrath can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Olag and Miau, New Friends
{W}{B}{G}
Legendary Creature — Zombie Cat
3/3
Whenever another Zombie you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target Cat you control.
Whenever another Cat you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on target Zombie you control.
At the beginning of your end step, each opponent loses life equal to the number of tapped Cats and/or Zombies you control.
- A tapped creature that's both a Cat and a Zombie counts only once for Olag and Miau's last ability.
Olinda the Oblivious
{3}{B}
Legendary Creature — Skunk Rogue
3/3
Whenever Olinda enters or attacks, for each opponent, put an odor counter on up to one target creature that player controls without an odor counter on it. Each of those creatures has "At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 2 life" for as long as it has an odor counter on it. (They continue to smell after Olinda has left the battlefield.)
- As the reminder text indicates, whether the targeted creature has the triggered ability depends only on whether it still has an odor counter on it, not on whether Olinda is on the battlefield.
- The ability gained by the creature triggers at the beginning of the creature's controller's upkeep, not Olinda's controller's upkeep. The player who controls the creature at the time the ability triggers is the one who loses 2 life.
- If all odor counters on a creature are moved to another creature, the triggered ability won't follow them. The first creature no longer has the ability because it no longer has any odor counters on it. The second creature doesn't have the ability because the effect of Olinda's ability never applied to it.
- Once all odor counters are moved off of a creature, the duration of the effect applying the granted ability ends. Putting another odor counter on it by any means other than Olinda's ability won't cause the granted ability to start applying again.
- If a creature ends up with more than one odor counter on it, the triggered ability still triggers only once in that creature's controller's upkeep.
Rikala, Homarid King
{1}{G}{U}
Legendary Creature — Lobster Noble
0/4
At the beginning of your upkeep, put a tide counter on Rikala. Then if there are four or more tide counters on Rikala, remove them.
Creatures you control get +1/+0 for each tide counter on Rikala.
Whenever you tap an Island for mana, if there are three or more tide counters on Rikala, add an additional {U}.
- If you add a fourth (or subsequent) tide counter to Rikala at any time other than as the first ability is resolving, that counter will stay on Rikala. The check to see if the tide is high and counters should be removed happens only as that ability is resolving.
- Rikala's last ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
Sahir, Visitor in Darkness
{1}{B}{B}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
3/3
Eminence — At the beginning of your upkeep, Sahir deals 1 damage to you. This ability triggers only if Sahir is in the command zone or on the battlefield.
Whenever a source you control deals exactly 1 damage to you and whenever a spell or ability you control causes you to lose exactly 1 life, put a +1/+1 counter on Sahir. If this is the second time this ability has resolved this turn, draw a card.
- A source dealing exactly 1 damage to you will cause Sahir's last ability to trigger only once, even though you also lose exactly 1 life. This is because the source dealing you damage isn't what's causing you to lose life. (That's a job for the rules!)
Sash and Waistcoat, Unmen
{1}{U}
Legendary Creature — Insect Rogue
2/2
Whenever a face-down creature attacks one of your opponents, it can't be blocked this combat.
{3}: Manifest the top card of your library. Any player may activate this ability but only as a sorcery. (To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it's a creature card.)
- Once Sash and Waistcoat's first ability triggers, it will still resolve even if the creature it refers to is no longer face down. That creature won't be able to be blocked during that combat.
- The words "you" and "your" in an activated ability refer to the player who activated the ability. As Sash and Waistcoat's activated ability resolves, that player manifests the top card of their own library.
- To manifest a card, put it onto the battlefield face down. It becomes a 2/2 face-down creature card with no name, mana cost, or creature types. It's colorless and has a mana value of 0. Other effects that apply to the permanent can still grant it any characteristics it doesn't have or change the characteristics it does have.
- Any time you have priority, you may turn a manifested creature you control face up by revealing that it's a creature card (ignoring any copy effects or type-changing effects that might be applying to it) and paying its mana cost. This is a special action. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to.
- If a manifested creature would have morph or disguise if it were face up, you may also turn it face up by paying its morph cost or disguise cost.
- Unlike a face-down creature that was cast using a morph or disguise ability, a manifested creature may still be turned face up after it loses its abilities if it's a creature card.
- If a double-faced card is manifested, it will be put onto the battlefield face down. While face down, it can't transform. If the front face of the card is a creature card, you can turn it face up by paying its mana cost. If you do, its front face will be up.
- Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it's turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn't cause any enters abilities to trigger.
- Because face-down creatures don't have a name, they can't have the same name as any other creature, even another face-down creature.
- A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent and Auras and Equipment that were attached to that permanent aren't affected unless the new characteristics of the object change the legality of those targets or attachments.
- Turning a permanent face up or face down doesn't change whether that permanent is tapped or untapped.
- If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or the game ends.
- You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can be easily differentiated from each other. You're not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield to confuse other players. The order in which they entered the battlefield should remain clear, as well as what ability caused them to be face down. (This includes morph, manifest, disguise, cloak, and a few other effects that turn cards face down.) Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.
- If something tries to turn a face-down instant or sorcery card on the battlefield face up, reveal that card to show all players it's an instant or sorcery card. The permanent remains on the battlefield face down. Abilities that trigger when a permanent turns face up won't trigger, because even though you revealed the card, it never turned face up.
Selenia, the Cursed Heart
{4}{W}{B}
Legendary Creature — Angel Warrior
2/5
Flying, lifelink
If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.
When Selenia dies, create a legendary black Aura Curse enchantment token named Selenia's Curse attached to target opponent. The token has enchant player and "If enchanted player would lose life, they lose twice that much life instead."
- In the rare case where you control two Selenias, life you gain is multiplied by four. Three Selenias means life you gain is multiplied by eight, and so on.
- If an effect would set your life total to a specific number that's higher than your current life total, that effect causes you to gain life equal to the difference. Selenia will then double the amount of life that effect would cause you to gain. For example, if you have 3 life and an effect says that your life total "becomes 10," you would gain 7 life. Selenia doubles that to 14, so your life total will actually become 17.
- The ability of the Selenia's Curse token doesn't change the amount of damage dealt to the enchanted player. For example, if a 1/1 creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to that player, they would lose 2 life, but you'd still gain only 1 life since only 1 damage was dealt.
Sifa Grent
{3}{B}{R}
Legendary Planeswalker — Sifa
4
Whenever a creature dies, target opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
+1: Goad up to two target creatures.
−6: Each opponent exiles the top two cards of their library. Until end of turn, you may play those cards without paying their mana costs.
Sifa Grent can be your commander.
- If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature that player controls that's been goaded is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under that player's control continuously since the turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having a creature attack a player, its controller isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack that player.
- If the creature doesn't meet any of the above exceptions and can attack, it must attack a player other than the controller of the spell or ability that goaded it if able. If the creature can't attack any of those players but could otherwise attack, it must attack a planeswalker an opponent controls, a battle an opponent protects, or the player that goaded it.
- Being goaded isn't an ability the creature has. Once it's been goaded, it must attack as detailed above even if it loses all abilities.
- Attacking with a goaded creature doesn't cause it to stop being goaded. If there is an additional combat phase that turn, or if another player gains control of it before it stops being goaded, it must attack again if able.
- If a creature you control has been goaded by multiple opponents, it must attack one of your opponents that hasn't goaded it, as that fulfills the maximum number of goad requirements. If a creature you control has been goaded by each of your opponents, the creature must attack an opponent (rather than a planeswalker or battle), but you choose which opponent it attacks.
- You follow all timing rules for cards played with the permission granted by Sifa Grent's last loyalty ability. For example, if one of the exiled cards is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
- If you cast a spell "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast it.
- If a spell has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.
Thomil, the Destroyer
{3}{B}{B}
Legendary Planeswalker — Thomil
4
+2: Create a 2/2 black Zombie creature token.
0: You may sacrifice a creature. If you do, add {B}{B}{B}.
−5: Create a Lord of the Pit token. (It's a {4}{B}{B}{B} 7/7 Demon creature with flying, trample, and "At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice another creature. If you can't, this token deals 7 damage to you.")
Thomil, the Destroyer can be your commander
- Thomil, the Destroyer's second ability isn't a mana ability. It uses the stack and can be responded to.
- Thomil, the Destroyer's third ability creates a token that's a copy of the card Lord of the Pit in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Lord of the Pit can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Tolabow, Loch Rascal
{2}{U}{U}
Legendary Creature — Otter
3/2
Rulebreaker — If Tolabow, Loch Rascal is your commander, the color identity of instant and sorcery cards in your deck can include one color of your choice not in your commander's color identity, and your deck can have any basic land cards.
Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, create a 1/1 blue and red Otter creature token with prowess. (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, it gets +1/+1 until end of turn.)
- Tolabow, Loch Rascal has received an update to its Oracle text. The updated text appears above. Specifically, the new text expands the color identity of a deck with Tolabow as its commander by a single color for the purpose of instant and sorcery cards only. For example, if Tolabow is your commander and your chosen color is green, your deck may contain instant and sorcery cards with blue and/or green in their color identity, but not instant and sorcery cards with white, black, or red.
- As a more specific example, if Tolabow is your commander and your chosen color is green, your deck may contain Giant Growth (a green instant) and/or Memory's Journey (a blue instant with a green flashback cost), but it can't include Wild Hunger (a green instant with a red flashback cost).
- Tolabow's last ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack without resolving.
- The spell that causes Tobalow's last ability to trigger won't cause the prowess ability of the Otter token that's created to trigger.
Tresserhorn's Lord, Returned
{2}{U}{B}{R}
Legendary Creature — Zombie Noble
10/4
Trample, indestructible
When Tresserhorn's Lord enters, sacrifice him unless you sacrifice three creatures, pay 3 life, and have target opponent draw three cards.
Whenever you sacrifice a creature, draw a card.
- If you sacrifice Tresserhorn's Lord for any reason (including as part of the effect of his first triggered ability), his last triggered ability will trigger. If you sacrifice him at the same time as one or more other creatures, his last ability will trigger for each of those creatures, including himself. (Why you would sacrifice your good buddy is a mystery to me.)
Tsagan, Raider Warlord
{R}{W}{B}
Legendary Creature — Dinosaur Berserker
1/4
Double strike
Start your engines! (If you have no speed, it starts at 1. It increases once on each of your turns when an opponent loses life. Max speed is 4.)
Whenever Tsagan attacks, creatures you control get +1/+0 until end of turn for each creature you control with first strike or double strike.
Max speed — Tsagan has deathtouch and other creatures you control have first strike.
- You may be thinking "Wasn't this originally an Alchemy card?" If so, you're correct. (If not, now you know!)
- Start your engines! isn't a triggered ability. Increasing your speed to 1 is something that happens as a state-based action as soon as you control a permanent with the ability. Notably, this includes gaining control of a permanent with the ability that another player controls.
- Your speed doesn't change until a spell or ability says so, such as the inherent triggered ability that cares about opponents losing life during your turn. Notably, losing control of permanents with start your engines! doesn't affect your speed.
- Each player tracks their speed (or lack thereof) separately. Increasing your speed has no effect on whether another player has speed.
- If an effect needs to know what a player's speed is and that player doesn't have a speed, their speed is considered 0.
- A player "has max speed" if their speed is 4.
- "Max speed — [ability]" means "As long as you have max speed, this object has [ability]."
The Unluckiest Planeswalker
{2}{R}
Legendary Planeswalker
4
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander can have Aura cards of any color identity and any basic land cards.
+1: Add one mana of any color. When you spend this mana to cast an Aura spell this turn, create a 1/1 red Gremlin creature token.
−3: Discard your hand, then draw cards equal to twice the number of Auras you control. For each Aura attached to you, attach it to an opponent of your choice.
The Unluckiest Planeswalker can be your commander.
- The Unluckiest Planeswalker's last loyalty ability doesn't target the player the Aura will enchant, so an opponent with hexproof or shroud can be chosen this way. For each of those Auras, the chosen player must be able to legally be enchanted by that Aura, so an opponent with protection from you can't be chosen this way.
Uugguu, the Omniplasm
{B}{G}{U}
Legendary Creature — Ooze
2/2
Whenever another nontoken Ooze creature you control dies, create two tokens that are copies of that creature, except they're 2/2 and they aren't legendary.
- The tokens created by Uugguu's ability copy exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing else, with the listed exceptions (unless that creature is copying something else; see below). They don't copy whether that creature was tapped or untapped, whether it had any counters on it or Auras and Equipment attached to it, or any non-copy effects that changed its power, toughness, types, color, or so on.
- If the creature being copied is copying something else, then the tokens enter as whatever that permanent copied, with the listed exceptions.
- Any "When this creature enters" abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the associated token enters. Any "as [this creature] enters" or "[this creature] enters with" abilities of the copied creature will also work.
Valko Indorian
{3}{B}
Legendary Creature — Human Wizard
2/4
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander can have Phyrexian cards of any color identity and any basic land cards.
Phyrexian creatures you control have menace and lifelink.
- Valko's rulebreaker ability refers to the Phyrexian creature type. It doesn't refer to cards with Phyrexian mana in their costs or rules text or cards printed in the Phyrexian language.
- The Phyrexian creature type was introduced in 2021. Many older cards were updated in Oracle at that time to add that creature type, add the creature type to tokens they create, or have the creature type if they become creatures due to an ability. A full list of cards with the Phyrexian creature type can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Venser, Visionary Traveler
{3}{W}{U}
Legendary Planeswalker — Venser
4
Each nontoken creature you control that wasn't cast from your hand enters with two additional +1/+1 counters on it.
+1: Exile up to one other target permanent you control. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control.
−2: For each opponent, return up to one target nonland permanent that player controls to its owner's hand.
Venser, Visionary Traveler can be your commander.
- Venser's first ability applies to nontoken creatures you control that you cast from zones other than your hand as well as nontoken creatures you control that enter without being cast at all.
- The card exiled by Venser's first loyalty ability will return to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step even if Venser is no longer on the battlefield.
- If the permanent that returns to the battlefield has any abilities that trigger at the beginning of the end step, those abilities won't trigger that turn.
- Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners' graveyards. Equipment attached to the exiled permanent will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist. Once the exiled permanent returns, it's considered a new object with no relation to the object that it was.
- If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.
Whtz, the Bibliophile
{1}{W}{U}
Legendary Creature — Homunculus
1/3
Rulebreaker — A deck with this commander has no maximum deck size.
{3}, {T}: You draw a card and gain 1 life. This ability costs {3} less to activate if you had 200 or more cards in your starting deck.
- Even when you don't have a maximum deck size, we recommend making sure you can shuffle and search your deck in a reasonable amount of time and that it doesn't simply topple over during gameplay. Even homunculi know their limits.
Worzel, the Protector
{1}{W}{W}{W}
Legendary Planeswalker — Worzel
4
0: Create a 1/1 white Cat creature token with "{T}: Put a loyalty counter on each planeswalker you control."
−1: Look at the top six cards of your library. You may reveal a planeswalker or basic Plains card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
−8: Create ten Scryb Sprites tokens. (They're {G} 1/1 Faerie creatures with flying.)
Worzel, the Protector can be your commander.
- Worzel's last loyalty ability creates tokens that are copies of the card Scryb Sprites in the Oracle card reference. Official text for Scryb Sprites can be found using the Gatherer card database at Wizards.com.
Yume, Chronicler of Valor
{1}{W}
Legendary Creature — Human Druid
1/2
The first spell you cast during each of your turns has assist. When you cast that spell, if another player spent mana to cast it, you and that player each draw a card. (As you cast a spell with assist, you may choose another player. They may pay some or all of the generic mana in the spell's cost.)
- You may reveal any card from your hand and discuss how it would be paid for as a spell with assist before you begin to cast the spell. Targets are chosen for that spell before you choose another player to help you pay for it and before that player has committed any mana to doing so.
- Only the generic mana portion of a spell's cost can be paid with assist. Any colored mana costs must be paid by the spell's controller, even if the assisting player paid mana of that color.
- If an effect says that "mana of any type may be spent to cast" a spell with assist, the player casting that spell must still pay for the colored mana in that spell's total cost. That cost doesn't become generic.
Mystery Booster Commander Edition Alchemy Card-Specific Notes
Case of the Lost Witness
{1}{U}
Enchantment — Case
When this Case enters, conjure four cards named Fblthp, the Lost into your library, then shuffle. Draw a card.
To solve — You control a legendary Homunculus.
Solved — You may look at the top card of your library any time and you may play lands and cast spells from the top of your library.
- "To Solve — [condition]" means "At the beginning of your end step, if [condition] and this Case is not solved, it becomes solved."
- "Solved — [static ability]" means "As long as this Case is solved, [static ability]." Static abilities are written as statements, such as "Creatures you control get +1/+1" or "Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost
less to cast." - "To solve" abilities will check for their condition twice: once when the ability would trigger, and once when it resolves. If the condition isn't true at the beginning of your end step, the ability won't trigger at all. If the condition isn't true when the ability resolves, the Case won't become solved.
- Once a Case becomes solved, it stays solved until it leaves the battlefield.
- Cases don't lose their other abilities when they become solved.
- Being solved is not part of a permanent's copiable values. A permanent that becomes a copy of a solved Case is not solved. A solved Case that somehow becomes a copy of a different Case stays solved.
- Case of the Lost Witness's solved ability lets you look at the top card of your library whenever you want (with one restriction—see below), even if you don't have priority. This action doesn't use the stack. Knowing what that card is becomes part of the information you have access to, just like you can look at the cards in your hand.
- If the top card of your library changes while you're casting a spell, playing a land, activating an ability, or taking a special action, you can't look at the new top card until you finish doing so. This means that if you cast the top card of your library, you can't look at the next one until you're done paying for that spell.
- You pay all costs and follow all timing restrictions for cards played from the top of your library with the permission granted by Case of the Lost Witness's solved ability. For example, if the top card of your library is a land card, you may play it only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
Emerald Collector
{1}{U}
Creature — Human Pirate
1/2
Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player, draw a card.
When you draw your third card in a turn, conjure a card named Mox Emerald into your hand. This ability triggers only once.
{2}{G}: This creature has base power and toughness 4/4 until end of turn.
- For the purposes of Emerald Collector's second ability, it doesn't matter whether Emerald Collector was on the battlefield when the first or second card was drawn. If it's not on the battlefield when the third card is drawn, the ability can't trigger at all that turn.
- If an effect instructs you to draw multiple cards, the ability triggers after you draw whichever is the third one for the turn. It goes on the stack after you've drawn and looked at all the cards and finished resolving the spell or ability that caused you to draw them.
- If a card or ability instructs you to put cards into your hand without specifically using the word "draw," it's not a card drawn.
- Emerald Collector's last ability overwrites all previous effects that set its power or toughness to specific values. Other effects that set its power and/or toughness to a specific value that start to apply after the ability resolves will overwrite that part of the ability.
- Effects that modify Emerald Collector's power and/or toughness without setting those values will apply no matter when they started to take effect. The same is true for counters that change its power and/or toughness.
Euru, Acorn Scrounger
{2}{B}{G}
Legendary Creature — Squirrel Soldier
3/3
When Euru enters, you may forage. When you do, conjure a card named Chitterspitter onto the battlefield. (To forage, exile three cards from your graveyard or sacrifice a Food.)
Whenever one or more Squirrels you control deal combat damage to a player, you may sacrifice a token. If you do, put an acorn counter on each permanent you control named Chitterspitter.
- If you don't have enough cards in your graveyard or a Food on the battlefield, you can't choose to forage.
Jet Collector
{1}{G}
Creature — Merfolk Scout
2/2
At the beginning of your second main phase, if there are four or more cards in your graveyard, conjure a card named Mox Jet into your hand. This ability triggers only once.
{X}{B}: Return target creature card with mana value X from your graveyard to the battlefield with a finality counter on it. Activate only as a sorcery.
- Jet Collector's first ability will trigger only at the beginning of the second main phase you have in a turn. It won't trigger during your third, fourth, or other additional main phases in a single turn in cases where effects somehow cause you to have more than two main phases.
- If there aren't four or more cards in your graveyard when your second main phase begins, the ability won't trigger at all. You won't be able to put more cards into your graveyard during your second main phase in time to have that ability trigger.
- If there aren't four or more cards in your graveyard when Jet Collector's first ability tries to resolve, the ability won't do anything. In that case, since the ability already triggered, it won't trigger again in your future second main phases.
- If a creature card in your graveyard has
in its mana cost, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value. - Finality counters work on any permanent, not only creatures. If a permanent with a finality counter on it would be put into a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead.
- Finality counters don't stop permanents from going to zones other than the graveyard from the battlefield. For example, if a permanent with a finality counter on it would be put into its owner's hand from the battlefield, it does so normally.
- Finality counters aren't keyword counters, and a finality counter doesn't give any abilities to the permanent it's on. If that permanent loses its abilities and then would go to a graveyard, it will still be exiled instead.
- Multiple finality counters on a single permanent are redundant.
Oracle of the Alpha
{2}{U}
Creature — Bird Wizard
2/3
Flying
When this creature enters, conjure the Power Nine into your library, then shuffle.
Whenever this creature attacks, scry 1.
- The "Power Nine" are Ancestral Recall, Black Lotus, Mox Emerald, Mox Jet, Mox Pearl, Mox Ruby, Mox Sapphire, Time Walk, and Timetwister.
- You might think Yargle, Glutton of Urborg is part of the "Power Nine" because he has a power of 9. You would be wrong, but we encourage you not to debate this in front of Yargle.
Overcooked
{2}{R}
Enchantment
Players can't gain life.
Celebration — At the beginning of your end step, create a Food token. If two or more nonland permanents entered the battlefield under your control this turn, instead conjure a card named Food Fight onto the battlefield.
- Spells and abilities that cause players to gain life still resolve while Overcooked is on the battlefield. No player will gain life, but any other effects of that spell or ability will happen.
- If an effect says to set a player's life total to a number that's higher than the player's current life total while Overcooked is on the battlefield, the player's life total doesn't change.
- Celebration abilities only care if two or more nonland permanents entered the battlefield under your control in a turn. They won't get more powerful if more than two permanents entered the battlefield under your control in a turn.
- The permanents that entered the battlefield don't need to remain on the battlefield or under your control. Celebration abilities are checking for past events, not the current game state.
Pearl Collector
{2}{B}
Creature — Human Warlock
3/3
Deathtouch, lifelink
At the beginning of your second main phase, if you gained 4 or more life this turn, conjure a card named Mox Pearl into your hand. This ability triggers only once.
{2}{W}: Another target creature perpetually gains lifelink.
- Pearl Collector's triggered ability will trigger only at the beginning of the second main phase you have in a turn. It won't trigger during your third, fourth, or other additional main phases in a single turn in cases where effects somehow cause you to have more than two main phases.
- If you haven't gained 4 or more life this turn when your second main phase begins, the ability won't trigger at all. You won't be able to gain life during your second main phase in time to have that ability trigger.
- Perpetual modifications persist beyond zone changes. It doesn't matter if a card is discarded, dies, bounced to hand, or even exiled and returned to the game later. Perpetual effects last until the end of the game.
- Multiple instances of lifelink on a single object are redundant.
Sapphire Collector
{2}{R}
Creature — Human Mercenary
3/3
Prowess
When you cast your second noncreature spell in a turn, conjure a card named Mox Sapphire into your hand. This ability triggers only once.
{2}{U}: Target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost.
- For the purposes of Sapphire Collector's second ability, it doesn't matter whether Sapphire Collector was on the battlefield when your first noncreature spell was cast that turn. If it's not on the battlefield when your second noncreature spell of the turn is cast, the ability can't trigger at all that turn.
- If you cast an instant or sorcery spell with
in its mana cost with flashback, you still choose the value of X as part of casting the spell and pay that cost. - If you cast a spell with flashback, you can't pay any alternative costs. You can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the spell has any mandatory additional costs, you must pay those to cast the spell with flashback.
- If a card has multiple instances of flashback, you may choose any of its flashback costs to pay.
- If a card with no mana cost gains flashback, it has no flashback cost. It can't be cast this way.
Magic: The Gathering, Magic, and Eldraine are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the USA and other countries. ©2026 Wizards.