Magic: The Gathering—Commander (2015 Edition) Release Notes

Compiled by Matt Tabak, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Carsten Haese, Eli Shiffrin, Zoe Stephenson, and Thijs van Ommen

Document last modified July 31, 2015

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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. They're 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 As future sets are released, updates to the Magic rules may cause some of this information to become outdated. If you can't find the answer you're looking for here, please contact us at http://company.wizards.com/contactus.

The "General Notes" section includes release information and explains the mechanics and concepts in the set.

The "Card-Specific Notes" section contains 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" section include full card text for your reference. Not all cards in the set are listed. Notably, none of the cards that have been released in previous Magic products are listed.

GENERAL NOTES

Release Information

The Magic: The Gathering—Commander (2015 Edition) release consists of five different game packs. Each game pack contains a deck with 100 cards plus an oversized foil commander card. The five decks are "Call the Spirits," "Seize Control," "Plunder the Graves," "Wade into Battle," and "Swell the Host."

Release date: November 13, 2015

Go to Wizards.com/Locator to find an event or store near you.

New Cards and Format Legality

There are fifty-six cards within the Magic: The Gathering—Commander (2015 Edition) decks that are completely new to the Magic game. These cards are legal for play in the Commander, Vintage, and Legacy formats only. They aren't legal for play in the Standard or Modern formats.

The other cards in this release are legal for play in any format that already allows those cards. That is, appearing in this release doesn't change a card's legality in any format.

For more information about Magic formats, please visit Magic.Wizards.com/Rules. For information about the format legality of a specific card, please visit Gatherer.Wizards.com, search for the card, and check the "Sets & Legality" tab.

What Is Commander?

Created and popularized by fans, Commander is a casual format in which each player's deck is led by the legendary creature of his or her choice. It's usually played in casual Free-for-All multiplayer games, although two-player games are also popular. Each player starts at 40 life. Each deck contains exactly 100 cards, including a legendary creature chosen as the deck's commander. Commander is also a "singleton" format: other than basic lands, each card must have a different English name.

A recommended banned list for the Commander format is maintained by the rules committee at MTGCommander.net, not by Wizards of the Coast. On Magic Online, the Commander format follows that banned list.

Using Your Commander

The legendary creature card chosen as your deck's commander plays a prominent role in games, often appearing on the battlefield multiple times.

Your commander begins the game in the command zone, a game area created for the Commander format and now also used for nontraditional Magic cards (including plane, scheme, and conspiracy cards) and for emblems created by planeswalkers. The other ninety-nine cards are shuffled and become your library.

You may cast your commander from the command zone. Each time you do, it costs 2 more to cast for each time you previously cast it from the command zone that game.

If your commander would be exiled or put into your hand, graveyard, or library from anywhere, you may choose to put it into the command zone instead.

Your commander's color identity determines the other cards that can be in your deck. A card's color identity includes its color, as defined by its mana cost or color indicator, and the colors of any colored mana symbols in the rules text.

Color identity is established before the game begins and doesn't change during the game, even if your commander becomes a different color.

During the game, if mana that isn't a color in your commander's color identity would be added to your mana pool, that much colorless mana is added to your mana pool instead.

In addition to the normal rules regarding winning and losing the game, the Commander format has one other rule: A player who has been dealt 21 or more combat damage by the same commander over the course of the game loses the game.

Players should keep track of combat damage dealt to them by each commander over the course of the game.

This rule includes a player's own commander, which can deal combat damage to its owner if the commander is controlled by another player or if combat damage gets redirected to that player.

Alternate Mulligan Rule

The Commander variant uses an alternate mulligan rule: Each time a player takes a mulligan, rather than shuffling his or her entire hand of cards into his or her library, that player exiles any number of cards from his or her hand. Then the player draws a number of cards equal to one less than the number of cards he or she exiled this way. Once a player keeps an opening hand, that player shuffles all cards he or she exiled this way into his or her library.

Leaving the Game

Unlike two-player games, multiplayer games can continue after a player loses and leaves the game.

When a player leaves the game, all permanents, spells, and other cards owned by that player also leave the game.

If that player controlled any abilities or copies of spells that were waiting to resolve, they cease to exist.

If that player controlled any permanents owned by another player, the effects that gave control of them to the player who left end. If this doesn't give control of them to a different player (perhaps because they entered the battlefield under the control of the player who left), they're exiled.

Oversized Commanders

Each Magic: The Gathering—Commander (2015 Edition) deck comes with an oversized foil card that corresponds to the commander of that deck. This card is for fun only and isn't required for Commander game play.

You must have the traditional Magic card version of your commander, even if you use the oversized card.

As long as your commander is in a public zone, such as the command zone or the battlefield, you may substitute the oversized card for the traditional Magic card.

If your commander is in a hidden zone, such as your library or your hand, use the traditional Magic card.

Theme: Experience Counters

The five commanders in this release each have an ability that gives you experience counters and another ability that refers to the number of experience counters you have.

Ezuri, Claw of Progress

2GU

Legendary Creature — Elf Warrior

3/3

Whenever a creature with power 2 or less enters the battlefield under your control, you get an experience counter.

At the beginning of combat on your turn, put X +1/+1 counters on another target creature you control, where X is the number of experience counters you have.

Experience counters are the second kind of counters a player can have, joining poison.

All experience counters are identical, no matter how you got them. For example, Ezuri's last ability will count experience counters that you got from the first ability, from another ability, from proliferating, and so on.

Each game pack includes a card labeled "Experience" with the suggestion "Place your experience counters here." This card isn't required for play. It's simply a convenient spot to put your experience counters, which can be represented with dice, glass beads, or other small items.

New Ability: Myriad

Myriad is a new triggered ability that effectively lets a creature attack in all possible directions.

Caller of the Pack

5GG

Creature — Beast

8/6

Trample

Myriad (Whenever this creature attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may put a token that's a copy of this creature onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker he or she controls. Exile the tokens at end of combat.)

The official rules for myriad are as follows:

702.115. Myriad

702.115a Myriad is a triggered ability that may also create a delayed triggered ability. "Myriad" means "Whenever this creature attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may put a token that's a copy of this creature onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker he or she controls. If you put one or more tokens onto the battlefield this way, exile the tokens at end of combat."

702.115b If a creature has multiple instances of myriad, each triggers separately.

The term "defending player" in the myriad rules (or any other ability of an attacking creature) refers to the player the creature with myriad was attacking at the time it became an attacking creature this combat, or the controller of the planeswalker the creature was attacking at the time it became an attacking creature this combat.

If the defending player is your only opponent, no tokens are put onto the battlefield.

You choose whether each token is attacking the player or a planeswalker he or she controls as the token is created.

Although the tokens enter the battlefield attacking, they were never declared as attackers. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks won't trigger, including the myriad ability of the tokens. If there are any costs to have a creature attack, those costs won't apply to the tokens.

The token creatures all enter the battlefield at the same time.

Each token copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing else. It doesn't copy whether that creature 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, and so on.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work.

If myriad creates more than one token for any given player (due to an effect such as the one Doubling Season creates), you may choose separately for each token whether it's attacking the player or a planeswalker he or she controls.

Cycle: "Confluences"

This release includes a cycle of modal spells that allow you to choose three modes. Unlike previous modal cards, these spells allow you to choose the same mode more than once.

Wretched Confluence

3BB

Instant

Choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once.

Target player draws a card and loses 1 life.

Target creature gets -2/-2 until end of turn.

Return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.

You choose the modes as you cast the spell. Once modes are chosen, they can't be changed.

If a mode requires a target, you can select that mode only if there's a legal target available. Ignore the targeting requirements for modes you don't choose. Each time you select that mode, you can choose a different target, or you can choose the same target.

No matter which combination of modes you choose, you always follow the instructions of a Confluence in the order they are written. If the same mode is chosen more than once, you choose their relative order as you cast the spell. For example, say you chose the first mode of Wretched Confluence twice, once targeting you and once targeting another player (in that order), and the third mode once. When Wretched Confluence resolves, you draw a card and lose 1 life, then the other player does so, then the target creature card is returned to your hand.

No player can cast spells or activate abilities in between the modes of a resolving spell.

If a Confluence is copied, the effect that creates the copy will usually allow you to choose new targets, but you can't choose new modes.

If all targets for the chosen modes become illegal before the Confluence resolves, the spell will be countered and none of its effects will happen. If at least one target is still legal, the spell will resolve but will have no effect on any illegal targets.

CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES

Æthersnatch

4UU

Instant

Gain control of target spell. You may choose new targets for it. (If that spell becomes a permanent, it enters the battlefield under your control.)

Æthersnatch can target any spell, even one without targets.

If you gain control of an instant or sorcery spell, it will be put into its owner's graveyard as it resolves.

You may change any or none of the spell's targets. If you change a target, you must choose a legal target for the spell. If you can't, you must leave the target unchanged (even if the current target is illegal). Notably, if you were originally chosen as a "target opponent" for a spell you gain control with Æthersnatch, you are now an illegal target as you aren't your own opponent.

Combat damage dealt by a commander is tracked without regard to who controlled the commander at the time it dealt damage. For example, say a commander deals 10 combat damage to a player, leaves the battlefield, is recast, and you gain control of it with Æthersnatch. If it deals another 11 combat damage to that same player, he or she will lose the game.

If you gain control of a commander spell, the commander's owner chooses whether to put it in the command zone if it later leaves the battlefield.

Anya, Merciless Angel

3RW

Legendary Creature — Angel

4/4

Flying

Anya, Merciless Angel gets +3/+3 for each opponent whose life total is less than half his or her starting life total.

As long as an opponent's life total is less than half his or her starting life total, Anya has indestructible.

Damage dealt to Anya is tracked even if Anya has indestructible. For example, if Anya is dealt what would be lethal damage and Anya loses indestructible (perhaps because each opponent's life total is too high), it will be destroyed the next time state-based actions are performed. However, the check for whether a creature dealt damage by a source with deathtouch is destroyed happens only the first time that state-based actions are performed after that damage-dealing event.

If damage is dealt to Anya and to your opponents at the same time, Anya may gain indestructible and/or extra toughness before state-based actions are checked. Similarly, if damage is dealt to Anya by a source with lifelink controlled by an opponent, Anya may lose indestructible and/or toughness before state-based actions are checked.

If a player's starting life total is odd (Commander Vanguard? Sweet.), half that player's life total will be a fraction, and that's okay. For example, if an opponent's starting life total is 41, half that number is 20 ½. If that player's life total is 20 or less, Anya will have indestructible.

Arjun, the Shifting Flame

4UR

Legendary Creature — Sphinx Wizard

5/5

Flying

Whenever you cast a spell, put the cards in your hand on the bottom of your library in any order, then draw that many cards.

Arjun's triggered ability will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger.

After Arjun's ability triggers, players may cast instants and activate activated abilities. Each time you cast an instant spell in response, Arjun's ability triggers again.

Awaken the Sky Tyrant

3R

Enchantment

When a source an opponent controls deals damage to you, sacrifice Awaken the Sky Tyrant. If you do, put a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield.

If Awaken the Sky Tyrant isn't on the battlefield as its ability resolves, you can't sacrifice it. You won't get the Dragon in that case.

Awaken the Sky Tyrant will trigger once for each source an opponent controls that deals damage to you, but you can sacrifice it only once.

Bastion Protector

2W

Creature — Human Soldier

3/3

Commander creatures you control get +2/+2 and have indestructible.

Bastion Protector's ability applies to any commander creature you control, whether you own it or not.

Bastion Protector's ability doesn't apply to commanders that aren't currently creatures.

Blade of Selves

2

Artifact — Equipment

Equipped creature has myriad. (Whenever it attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may put a token that's a copy of that creature onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker he or she controls. Exile the tokens at end of combat.)

Equip 4

If a creature has multiple instances of myriad, each triggers separately. You'll get two tokens per opponent other than the defending player.

If the tokens aren't creatures (perhaps because the equipped creature was an animated land), they'll enter the battlefield but they won't be attacking. You'll still exile those tokens at end of combat.

Bloodspore Thrinax

2GG

Creature — Lizard

2/2

Devour 1 (As this enters the battlefield, you may sacrifice any number of creatures. This creature enters the battlefield with that many +1/+1 counters on it.)

Each other creature you control enters the battlefield with an additional X +1/+1 counters on it, where X is the number of +1/+1 counters on Bloodspore Thrinax.

If Bloodspore Thrinax enters the battlefield at the same time as other creatures you control, those creatures won't get additional +1/+1 counters from Bloodspore Thrinax's last ability. Those creatures also can't be devoured by Bloodspore Thrinax.

Centaur Vinecrasher

3G

Creature — Plant Centaur

1/1

Trample

Centaur Vinecrasher enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the number of land cards in all graveyards.

Whenever a land card is put into a graveyard from anywhere, you may pay GG. If you do, return Centaur Vinecrasher from your graveyard to your hand.

If Centaur Vinecrasher and a land card are put into your graveyard at the same time, Centaur Vinecrasher's last ability will trigger.

Command Beacon

Land

T: Add 1 to your mana pool.

T, Sacrifice Command Beacon: Put your commander into your hand from the command zone.

If you cast a commander from your hand, the additional cost based on the number of times you've cast it from your command zone (sometimes referred to as the "commander tax") doesn't apply.

If your commander isn't in the command zone (or you're not playing Commander) as the last ability resolves, nothing happens.

Corpse Augur

3B

Creature — Zombie Wizard

4/2

When Corpse Augur dies, you draw X cards and you lose X life, where X is the number of creature cards in target player's graveyard.

You choose the target player as the ability goes on the stack, but you determine the value of X as that ability resolves. If you target yourself and Corpse Augur is still in the graveyard, its ability will count itself.

Dawnbreak Reclaimer

4WW

Creature — Angel

5/5

Flying

At the beginning of your end step, choose a creature card in an opponent's graveyard, then that player chooses a creature card in your graveyard. You may return those cards to the battlefield under their owners' control.

If any opponent has a creature card in his or her graveyard as Dawnbreak Reclaimer's ability resolves, then you must choose one of those cards. You can't choose a different opponent with no creature cards in his or her graveyard to avoid returning one of those cards.

If there are no creature cards in any opponent's graveyard as Dawnbreak Reclaimer's ability resolves, you'll still have the option to return a creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. You choose which opponent will choose a creature card in your graveyard.

Daxos the Returned

1WB

Legendary Creature — Zombie Soldier

2/2

Whenever you cast an enchantment spell, you get an experience counter.

1WB: Put a white and black Spirit enchantment creature token onto the battlefield. It has "This creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of experience counters you have."

The power and toughness of the tokens will change as the number of experience counters you have does.

The ability that defines the token's power and toughness is part of the token's copiable values. Copies of the token will also have that ability.

Putting an enchantment creature token onto the battlefield won't cause Daxos's first ability to trigger. On the other hand, constellation abilities trigger whenever an enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, so those abilities will trigger.

Daxos's Torment

3B

Enchantment

Constellation — Whenever Daxos's Torment or another enchantment enters the battlefield under your control, Daxos's Torment becomes a 5/5 Demon creature with flying and haste in addition to its other types until end of turn.

Although Daxos's Torment will become a creature after it enters the battlefield, it doesn't enter as a creature. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature enters the battlefield won't trigger.

If the triggered ability resolves while Daxos's Torment is already a creature, that ability will override any effects that set its power or toughness to a specific value. Effects that modify power or toughness without directly setting them to a specific value will continue to apply.

Deadly Tempest

4BB

Sorcery

Destroy all creatures. Each player loses life equal to the number of creatures he or she controlled that were destroyed this way.

Creatures that aren't destroyed this way (perhaps because they regenerated or have indestructible) don't count toward the life lost.

Dread Summons

XBB

Sorcery

Each player puts the top X cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. For each creature card put into a graveyard this way, you put a 2/2 black Zombie creature token onto the battlefield tapped.

If a creature card has an ability that replaces going to the graveyard with moving somewhere else "instead," that card won't count toward the number of Zombies you get. Conversely, creature cards with a triggered ability that removes them from the graveyard when they're put there from anywhere (or your library) will count toward that number.

Dream Pillager

5RR

Creature — Dragon

4/4

Flying

Whenever Dream Pillager deals combat damage to a player, exile that many cards from the top of your library. Until end of turn, you may cast nonland cards exiled this way.

The cards are exiled face up.

Casting a card this way follows the normal rules for casting the card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if one of the cards is a creature card, you can cast that card only during your main phase while the stack is empty.

If you cast an instant or sorcery card this way, it will go to your graveyard after it resolves or is countered. It won't return to exile.

Any cards you don't cast will remain exiled.

Exiling all the cards from your library this way won't cause you to lose the game. You'll lose only if you attempt to draw a card from an empty library.

Ezuri's Predation

5GGG

Sorcery

For each creature your opponents control, put a 4/4 green Beast creature token onto the battlefield. Each of those Beasts fights a different one of those creatures.

Players can't cast spells or activate any abilities in between the Beasts entering the battlefield and fighting the other creatures. If the Beasts entering the battlefield cause any abilities to trigger, those abilities will be put onto the stack after Ezuri's Predation is finished resolving.

You choose which Beast is fighting which creature an opponent controls.

Each of the "fights" happens at the same time.

If Ezuri's Predation creates more than one token for any given creature (due to an effect such as the one Doubling Season creates), the extra tokens won't fight any creature.

Fiery Confluence

2RR

Sorcery

Choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once.

Fiery Confluence deals 1 damage to each creature.

Fiery Confluence deals 2 damage to each opponent.

Destroy target artifact.

If the first or second modes are chosen multiple times, each of those modes represents a separate damage-dealing event. For example, if your opponent casts Fiery Confluence choosing the second mode three times, and you control Guardian Seraph (a creature with the ability "If a source an opponent controls would deal damage to you, prevent 1 of that damage"), you'll be dealt a total of 3 damage.

Gigantoplasm

3U

Creature — Shapeshifter

0/0

You may have Gigantoplasm enter the battlefield as a copy of any creature on the battlefield except it gains "X: This creature has base power and toughness X/X."

The activated ability Gigantoplasm gives itself becomes part of its copiable values. Unless the ability is overwritten by another copy effect, a creature that's a copy of Gigantoplasm will have that ability.

Gigantoplasm copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing more (unless that creature is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature is tapped or untapped, whether it has any counters on it or Auras attached to it, or any non-copy effects that have changed its power, toughness, types, color, etc.

If Gigantoplasm isn't a creature (perhaps because it copied a land that had temporarily become a creature), you can still activate the ability "X: This creature has base power and toughness X/X." However, this ability won't have any effect, and it won't turn Gigantoplasm into a creature.

The activated ability overwrites all previous effects that set Gigantoplasm's base power and/or toughness to specific values. Other effects that set its base power and/or toughness that start to apply after the ability resolves (including ones created by subsequent activations of the ability) will overwrite the effect of the ability.

Effects that modify Gigantoplasm's power and/or toughness, such as the effect of Giant Growth or Glorious Anthem, will apply to Gigantoplasm no matter when they started applying. The same is true for counters that affect its power and/or toughness and effects that switch its power and toughness.

If the chosen creature has X in its mana cost, X is 0. The ability that Gigantoplasm gives itself doesn't affect an X in its mana cost.

If the chosen creature is copying something else (for example, if the chosen creature is another Gigantoplasm), then Gigantoplasm enters the battlefield as whatever the chosen creature was copying (plus any abilities it gained as part of the copy process, if applicable).

If the chosen creature is a token, Gigantoplasm copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield. Gigantoplasm isn't a token, even if it's copying one.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when Gigantoplasm enters the battlefield. Any "as [this creature] enters the battlefield" or "[this creature] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the chosen creature will also work.

If Gigantoplasm somehow enters the battlefield at the same time as another creature, it can't become a copy of that creature. You may only choose a creature that's already on the battlefield.

You can choose not to copy anything. In that case, Gigantoplasm enters the battlefield as a 0/0 Shapeshifter creature, and is probably put into the graveyard immediately.

Grasp of Fate

1WW

Enchantment

When Grasp of Fate enters the battlefield, for each opponent, exile up to one target nonland permanent that player controls until Grasp of Fate leaves the battlefield. (Those permanents return under their owners' control.)

If Grasp of Fate leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, no nonland permanents will be exiled.

Auras attached to exiled nonland permanents will be put into their owners' graveyards. Equipment attached to exiled creatures will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on exiled nonland permanents will cease to exist.

If a token is exiled, it ceases to exist. It won't be returned to the battlefield.

The exiled cards return to the battlefield immediately after Grasp of Fate leaves the battlefield. Nothing happens between the two events, including state-based actions.

In a multiplayer game, if Grasp of Fate's owner leaves the game, the exiled cards will return to the battlefield. Because the one-shot effect that returns the cards isn't an ability that goes on the stack, it won't cease to exist along with the leaving player's spells and abilities on the stack.

Great Oak Guardian

5G

Creature — Treefolk

4/5

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)

Reach

When Great Oak Guardian enters the battlefield, creatures target player controls get +2/+2 until end of turn. Untap them.

Great Oak Guardian's last ability targets only the player, not any creatures. Creatures with shroud that player controls will be affected, for example.

Any creatures controlled by the player that are already untapped will just get +2/+2 until end of turn.

Herald of the Host

3WW

Creature — Angel

4/4

Flying, vigilance

Myriad (Whenever this creature attacks, for each opponent other than defending player, you may put a token that's a copy of this creature onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that player or a planeswalker he or she controls. Exile the tokens at end of combat.)

The copies created by the myriad ability enter the battlefield tapped even though they'll have vigilance.

Illusory Ambusher

4U

Creature — Cat Illusion

4/1

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.)

Whenever Illusory Ambusher is dealt damage, draw that many cards.

Creatures may be dealt damage greater than their toughness. If a source deals 5 damage to Illusory Ambusher, you'll draw five cards.

If Illusory Ambusher blocks a creature with trample, that creature's controller can assign any amount of damage from 1 to that creature's power to Illusory Ambusher. Excess damage doesn't have to be assigned to the defending player.

Kalemne's Captain

3WW

Creature — Giant Soldier

5/5

Vigilance

5WW: Monstrosity 3. (If this creature isn't monstrous, put three +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes monstrous.)

When Kalemne's Captain becomes monstrous, exile all artifacts and enchantments.

Once a creature becomes monstrous, it can't become monstrous again. If Kalemne's Captain is already monstrous, the activated ability won't do anything.

Monstrous isn't an ability that the creature has. It's just something true about that creature. If the creature stops being a creature or loses its abilities, it continues to be monstrous.

An ability that triggers when a creature becomes monstrous won't trigger if that creature isn't on the battlefield when its monstrosity ability resolves.

Karlov of the Ghost Council

WB

Legendary Creature — Spirit Advisor

2/2

Whenever you gain life, put two +1/+1 counters on Karlov of the Ghost Council.

WB, Remove six +1/+1 counters from Karlov of the Ghost Council: Exile target creature.

The ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from an attacking creature with lifelink or 4 life from Faith's Fetters.

A creature with lifelink dealing combat damage is a single life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, the ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause the ability to trigger, even though it causes your team's life total to increase.

Kaseto, Orochi Archmage

1GU

Legendary Creature — Snake Wizard

2/2

GU: Target creature can't be blocked this turn. If that creature is a Snake, it gets +2/+2 until end of turn.

Once a creature has been legally blocked, activating Kaseto's ability targeting that creature won't cause it to become unblocked. It will give it +2/+2 if it's a Snake, though.

Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest

3BG

Legendary Creature — Insect Shaman

2/2

Flying

Whenever a player sacrifices another permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.

If a permanent is sacrificed to pay a cost of a spell or ability, Mazirek's ability will resolve before that spell or ability. Conversely, if a permanent is sacrificed during the resolution of a spell or ability, that spell or ability will finish resolving before Mazirek's ability is put onto the stack.

Mazirek itself doesn't allow any player to sacrifice any permanents. Its ability triggers whenever a player sacrifices a permanent because some other spell, ability, or cost instructed the player to do so.

A legendary creature that dies because of the "legend rule" isn't sacrificed. The same is true for a planeswalker that is affected by the "planeswalker uniqueness rule."

Meren of Clan Nel Toth

2BG

Legendary Creature — Human Shaman

3/4

Whenever another creature you control dies, you get an experience counter.

At the beginning of your end step, choose target creature card in your graveyard. If that card's converted mana cost is less than or equal to the number of experience counters you have, return it to the battlefield. Otherwise, put it into your hand.

If Meren of Clan Nel Toth leaves the battlefield at the same time as other creatures you control die, its first ability will trigger for each of those creatures.

You can't choose to put the creature card into your hand if its converted mana cost is less than or equal to the number of experience counters you have as the last ability resolves.

If a creature card in your graveyard has X in its mana cost, X is 0.

Meteor Blast

XRRR

Sorcery

Meteor Blast deals 4 damage to each of X target creatures and/or players.

Meteor Blast can't target the same creature or player more than once.

Meteor Blast can't deal damage to both a player and a planeswalker he or she controls this way. Meteor Blast also can't deal damage to more than one planeswalker controlled by the same player this way.

If some but not all of Meteor Blast's targets have become illegal by the time it tries to resolve, it will deal damage to the remaining legal targets. Illegal targets won't be affected.

Mirror Match

4UU

Instant

Cast Mirror Match only during the declare blockers step.

For each creature attacking you or a planeswalker you control, put a token that's a copy of that creature onto the battlefield blocking that creature. Exile those tokens at end of combat.

A token created by Mirror Match will be blocking the creature it's copying even if that creature can't be blocked or has an ability that would stop the token creature from blocking it (such as menace or protection). This is also true even if the token creature has an ability that would stop it from being declared as a blocker.

Although the tokens enter the battlefield blocking, they were never declared as blockers. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature blocks won't trigger. If there are any costs to have a creature block, those costs won't apply to the tokens.

If the tokens aren't creatures (perhaps because the attacking creature was an animated land), they'll enter the battlefield but they won't be blocking. Attacking creatures that weren't otherwise blocked will remain unblocked.

The delayed triggered ability that exiles the tokens will trigger at end of combat no matter what happens to the original creature.

If Mirror Match creates more than one token for any given attacking creature (due to an effect such as the one Doubling Season creates), each of those tokens will enter the battlefield blocking the creature it's a copy of. All of those tokens will be exiled by the delayed triggered ability.

Each token copies exactly what was printed on the original creature and nothing else (unless that permanent is copying something else or is a token; see below). It doesn't copy whether that creature 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, and so on.

If the copied creature has X in its mana cost, X is 0.

If the copied creature is copying something else, then the token enters the battlefield as whatever that creature copied.

If the copied creature is a token, the token created by Mirror Match copies the original characteristics of that token as stated by the effect that put the token onto the battlefield.

Any enters-the-battlefield abilities of the copied creature will trigger when the token enters the battlefield. Any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities of the copied creature will also work.

Mizzix of the Izmagnus

2UR

Legendary Creature — Goblin Wizard

2/2

Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell with converted mana cost greater than the number of experience counters you have, you get an experience counter.

Instant and sorcery spells you cast cost 1 less to cast for each experience counter you have.

You finish casting a spell, including paying its costs, before Mizzix's first ability triggers. The ability that gives you the experience counter will resolve before the spell that caused it to trigger.

Mizzix's last ability doesn't change the mana cost or converted mana cost of any spell. It changes only the total cost you pay.

Mizzix's last ability can't reduce the amount of colored mana you pay for a spell. It reduces only the generic component of that cost.

If there are additional costs to cast a spell, or if the cost to cast a spell is increased by an effect (such as the one created by Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's ability), apply those increases before applying cost reductions.

The cost reduction can apply to alternative costs such as flashback costs.

If an instant or sorcery spell you cast has X in its mana cost, you choose the value of X before calculating the spell's total cost. For example, if that spell's mana cost is XR and you have one experience counter, you could choose 5 as the value of X and pay 4R to cast the spell.

Mizzix's Mastery

3R

Sorcery

Exile target card that's an instant or sorcery from your graveyard. For each card exiled this way, copy it, and you may cast the copy without paying its mana cost. Exile Mizzix's Mastery.

Overload 5RRR (You may cast this spell for its overload cost. If you do, change its text by replacing all instances of "target" with "each.")

If Mizzix's Mastery exiled multiple cards, you may cast the copies in any order. The last copy you cast will be the first one to resolve.

If you don't cast one of the copies (perhaps because there are no legal targets available or you don't want to), the copy will cease to exist.

Mizzix's Mastery is still on the stack as it resolves. If you pay the overload cost, Mizzix's Mastery won't be copied.

The copies are created and cast during the resolution of Mizzix's Mastery. You can't wait to cast them later in the turn. Timing restrictions based on the copy's type are ignored. Other restrictions (such as "Cast [this name] only during combat") are not.

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 the copy has X in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X.

The cards remain exiled no matter what happens to the copies.

Oreskos Explorer

1W

Creature — Cat Scout

2/2

When Oreskos Explorer enters the battlefield, search your library for up to X Plains cards, where X is the number of players who control more lands than you. Reveal those cards, put them into your hand, then shuffle your library.

The value of X is determined as Oreskos Explorer's triggered ability resolves.

If no player controls more lands than you do, you'll still search and shuffle your library, although you can't find any cards.

Pathbreaker Ibex

4GG

Creature — Goat

3/3

Whenever Pathbreaker Ibex attacks, creatures you control gain trample and get +X/+X until end of turn, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.

The value of X is calculated as Pathbreaker Ibex's ability resolves. Notably, if you attack with two Pathbreaker Ibex (and control no other creatures), the first ability to resolve will give those Ibex +3/+3. The second ability will then give them +6/+6.

In some unusual cases, the greatest power among creatures you control may be negative. This is bad for you. For example, if the greatest power among creatures you control when the ability resolves is -2, creatures you control will get -2/-2 until end of turn.

Righteous Confluence

3WW

Sorcery

Choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once.

Put a 2/2 white Knight creature token with vigilance onto the battlefield.

Exile target enchantment.

You gain 5 life.

If the third mode is chosen multiple times, each of those modes represents a separate life-gaining event. For example, if the third mode is chosen three times, and you control Karlov of the Ghost Council (a creature with the ability "Whenever you gain life, put two +1/+1 counters on Karlov of the Ghost Council."), Karlov's ability will trigger three times, for a total of six +1/+1 counters.

Rite of the Raging Storm

3RR

Enchantment

Creatures named Lightning Rager can't attack you or planeswalkers you control.

At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player puts a 5/1 red Elemental creature token named Lightning Rager onto the battlefield. It has trample, haste, and "At the beginning of the end step, sacrifice this creature."

If Rite of the Raging Storm leaves the battlefield before attackers are declared, creatures named Lightning Rager can attack you or planeswalkers you control.

Scourge of Nel Toth

5BB

Creature — Zombie Dragon

6/6

Flying

You may cast Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard by paying BB and sacrificing two creatures rather than paying its mana cost.

Casting Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard by paying the alternative cost doesn't change when you can cast it. You can cast it only at the normal time you could cast a creature spell.

If you cast Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard, it is a spell and can be countered.

As soon as you start to cast Scourge of Nel Toth from your graveyard, it moves to the stack. At that point, it's too late for an opponent to prevent you from casting it by removing it from your graveyard. It's also too late for players to try to destroy the creatures you sacrifice to pay for the spell.

Scytheclaw

5

Artifact — Equipment

Living weapon (When this Equipment enters the battlefield, put a 0/0 black Germ creature token onto the battlefield, then attach this to it.)

Equipped creature gets +1/+1.

Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, that player loses half his or her life, rounded up.

Equip 3

Scytheclaw's triggered ability triggers and resolves after combat damage is dealt. For example, if the Germ token deals 1 combat damage to a player with 10 life, combat damage will reduce that player's life total to 9. Then Scytheclaw's ability will cause the player to lose 5 life, leaving the player at 4.

Like other Equipment, each Equipment with living weapon has an equip cost. You can pay this cost to attach an Equipment to another creature you control. Once the Germ token is no longer equipped, it will be put into your graveyard and subsequently cease to exist, unless another effect raises its toughness above 0.

Seal of the Guildpact

5

Artifact

As Seal of the Guildpact enters the battlefield, choose two colors.

Each spell you cast costs 1 less to cast for each of the chosen colors it is.

You must choose two different colors.

Seal of the Guildpact's last ability doesn't change the mana cost or converted mana cost of any spell. It changes only the total cost you pay.

Seal of the Guildpact's last ability can't reduce the amount of colored mana you pay for a spell. It reduces only the generic component of that cost.

If there are additional costs to cast a spell, or if the cost to cast a spell is increased by an effect (such as the one created by Thalia, Guardian of Thraben's ability), apply those increases before applying cost reductions.

The cost reduction can apply to alternative costs such as evoke costs.

If a spell you cast has X in its mana cost, you choose the value of X before calculating the spell's total cost. For example, if that spell's mana cost is XRG and you've chosen red and green, you could choose 5 as the value of X and pay 3RG to cast the spell.

Skullwinder

2G

Creature — Snake

1/3

Deathtouch (Any amount of damage this deals to a creature is enough to destroy it.)

When Skullwinder enters the battlefield, return target card from your graveyard to your hand, then choose an opponent. That player returns a card from his or her graveyard to his or her hand.

Skullwinder's enters-the-battlefield ability targets only the card in your graveyard. If that card is an illegal target as the ability tries to resolve, the ability will be countered and none of its effects will happen. No cards will be returned to any player's hand.

Synthetic Destiny

4UU

Instant

Exile all creatures you control. At the beginning of the next end step, reveal cards from the top of your library until you reveal that many creature cards, put all creature cards revealed this way onto the battlefield, then shuffle the rest of the revealed cards into your library.

Creature tokens you exile this way will count toward the number of creature cards you put onto the battlefield.

If you put your commander in the command zone instead of exiling it, it will still count toward the number of creature cards you put onto the battlefield.

The cards you exile will stay in exile. They're not part of the group you shuffle into your library.

The creature cards will enter the battlefield simultaneously.

If the number of creatures you exile is greater than the number of creature cards remaining in your library, you'll wind up revealing your entire library, putting all creature cards revealed that way onto the battlefield, then shuffling your library.

If you don't reveal any noncreature cards this way (perhaps because all the creature cards you needed were on top of your library), you still shuffle your library.

Thief of Blood

4BB

Creature — Vampire

1/1

Flying

As Thief of Blood enters the battlefield, remove all counters from all permanents. Thief of Blood enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it for each counter removed this way.

Experience counters aren't removed from players this way, but loyalty counters are removed from planeswalkers.

If more than one Thief of Blood enters the battlefield at the same time, you can apply the replacement effect of any of them. That one will enter with additional +1/+1 counters due to its own ability and the others will not.

Verdant Confluence

4GG

Sorcery

Choose three. You may choose the same mode more than once.

Put two +1/+1 counters on target creature.

Return target permanent card from your graveyard to your hand.

Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle your library.

A permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker card.

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