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_Magic: The Gathering -- Commander_(TM) Frequently Asked Questions Compiled by Matt Tabak, with contributions from Laurie Cheers, Lee Sharpe, Eli Shiffrin, and Thijs van Ommen Document last modified May 17, 2011 An FAQ is a collection of clarifications and rulings involving the cards in a new _Magic: The Gathering_(R) set. It's intended to make playing with these 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 As future sets are released, updates to the _Magic_(TM) rules may cause some of this information to become outdated.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 www.wizards.com/customerservice This FAQ has two sections, each of which serves a different purpose. The first section ("General Notes") explains the new mechanics and concepts in the set. The second section ("Card-Specific Notes") contains answers to the most important, most common, and most confusing questions players might ask about brand-new 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. None of the cards that have been printed in previous _Magic_ products are listed. ----- GENERAL NOTES ***Release Information*** The _Magic: The Gathering -- Commander_ release consists of five different decks: "Heavenly Inferno," "Mirror Mastery," "Counterpunch," "Political Puppets," and "Devour for Power." Each deck includes a 100-card singleton deck and three oversized foil commander cards. _Magic: The Gathering -- Commander_ official release date: June 17, 2011 Release events will be held June 17-19, 2011. Go to www.wizards.com/locator to find an event or store near you. ----- ***New Cards*** Fifty-one cards within the _Magic: The Gathering -- Commander_ release are completely new to the _Magic_ game. These cards are legal for play in the Vintage and Legacy formats. They aren't legal for play in the Standard or Extended formats. The other cards in the _Magic: The Gathering -- Commander_ decks are legal for play in any format that already allows those cards. That is, appearing in this product doesn't change a card's legality in any format. For more information on Magic formats, please visit www.wizards.com/MagicFormats For information about the format legality of a specific card, please visit gatherer.wizards.com search for the card, then check the "Legality" tab. ----- ***Overview*** Created by and popularized by fans, Commander is usually played as a Free-for-All multiplayer casual format, although two-player games are also popular. Each player starts at 40 life, and each player's deck is led by a legendary creature designated as that deck's commander. That commander determines what cards are allowed in the rest of the deck. A recommended banned list for the Commander format is maintained by the rules committee at mtgcommander.net not by Wizards of the Coast. ----- ***Commander Deck Construction*** * Commander decks are exactly 100 cards, including the deck's commander. * The deck's commander must be a legendary creature. * Other than basic lands, each card must have a different English name. * A commander's color identity includes its colors, as defined by its mana cost or characteristic-defining abilities, and also the colors of any colored mana symbols in its rules text. * The colors of colored mana symbols found only in reminder text aren't part of a commander's color identity. * A card can't be included in your deck if any mana symbol in its mana cost or rules text is a color not in your commander's color identity. A card also can't be included in your deck if it has a characteristic-defining ability defining it to be a color not in your commander's color identity. * A card with one or more basic land types can't be included in your deck if it could produce mana of a color not in your commander's color identity. * During the game, if mana would be added to your mana pool that isn't a color in your commander's color identity, that much colorless mana is added to your mana pool instead. * Color identity is established before the game begins. ----- ***Using Your Commander*** Commanders often appear on the battlefield multiple times throughout the game. * 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 (vanguard, plane, and scheme cards) and for emblems created by planeswalkers. The other 99 cards are shuffled and become your library. * You may cast your commander from the command zone. Each time you do this, it costs {2} more to cast for each time you previously cast it from the command zone that game. * If your commander would be put into your graveyard from anywhere or be exiled from anywhere, you may choose to put it into the command zone instead. In addition to the normal rules regarding winning and losing the game, the Commander format adds this additional rule: A player that's 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, who 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 leaves the game (because that player lost the game or conceded). * 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 that 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_ game pack comes with three oversized foil commander cards that correspond to traditional cards in the game pack. Only one of these can be the deck's commander during a given game. * You must have the traditional _Magic_ card version of your commander. * When the 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 hand, use the traditional _Magic_ card. * The oversized cards are only for fun and aren't required for Commander game play. ----- ***New Ability Word: Join Forces*** Join forces is an ability word. It appears in italics at the beginning of abilities that allow all players to contribute mana toward an overall effect. (An ability word has no rules meaning.) Alliance of Arms {W} Sorcery Join forces -- Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player puts X 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens onto the battlefield, where X is the total amount of mana paid this way. * The opportunity to pay mana happens when the join forces ability resolves. If the join forces ability is on a spell, and that spell is countered, none of that spell's effects will occur, so no player will have the opportunity to pay mana. * Each player in turn order gets one opportunity to pay any amount of mana. Once all players have had this opportunity, the join forces ability continues resolving. * The mana paid for the join forces ability of a spell doesn't change that spell's converted mana cost. The converted mana cost of Alliance of Arms, for example, is always 1. * None of the join forces abilities have targets. Each player may pay mana, and each player will benefit from the four sorceries with a join forces ability. * One creature (Mana-Charged Dragon) has a join forces triggered ability. * Spells with join forces abilities ignore the spell's mana cost when determining the total effect. For example, the {W} spent to cast Alliance of Arms will not add 1 to the total mana paid for the join forces ability. * Spells with join forces abilities will have the same effect for each player based on the total amount of mana paid for those abilities. It doesn't matter how much mana any individual player paid. ----- ***New Keyword: Hexproof*** Hexproof is a new name for an existing ability. The rules for hexproof are as follows: 702.11. Hexproof 702.11a Hexproof is a static ability. 702.11b "Hexproof" on a permanent means "This permanent can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control." 702.11c "Hexproof" on a player means "You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control." 702.11d Multiple instances of hexproof on the same permanent or player are redundant. * A permanent with hexproof can still be the target or spells or abilities controlled by that permanent's controller or that player's teammates. The same is true for a player with hexproof. * Aura spells target a permanent or player. You can't cast an Aura spell targeting an opponent's permanent with hexproof. * Auras on the battlefield don't target anything. Granting hexproof to a permanent or player doesn't cause opponents' Auras to become unattached. ----- ***Cycle: Vows*** Vows are a cycle of Auras that can be used aggressively to boost your creatures or can be used politically to boost an opposing creature while making sure it doesn't attack you. Vow of Duty {2}{W} Enchantment -- Aura Enchant creature Enchanted creature gets +2/+2, has vigilance, and can't attack you or a planeswalker you control. * Each Vow can enchant a creature you control. If an opponent gains control of such a creature, you'll still control the Vow and that creature won't be able to attack you or a planeswalker you control. ----- CARD-SPECIFIC NOTES Acorn Catapult {4} Artifact {1}, {T}: Acorn Catapult deals 1 damage to target creature or player. That creature's controller or that player puts a 1/1 green Squirrel creature token onto the battlefield. * If the creature or player is an illegal target when the ability tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. No Squirrel will be created. * If the ability resolves, but the damage is prevented or redirected, the targeted player or the controller of the targeted creature puts the Squirrel token onto the battlefield, regardless of how much damage was dealt or what the damage was ultimately dealt to. ----- Animar, Soul of Elements {U}{R}{G} Legendary Creature -- Elemental 1/1 Protection from white and from black Whenever you cast a creature spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Animar, Soul of Elements. Creature spells you cast cost {1} less to cast for each +1/+1 counter on Animar. * The triggered ability triggers only when a creature spell is cast, after costs are paid. The counter put on Animar for each creature spell cast won't affect the cost of that creature spell, only future ones. * The triggered ability will resolve before the creature spell does. * If the creature spell is countered, you'll still put a +1/+1 counter on Animar. ----- Archangel of Strife {5}{W}{W} Creature -- Angel 6/6 Flying As Archangel of Strife enters the battlefield, each player chooses war or peace. Creatures controlled by players who chose war get +3/+0. Creatures controlled by players who chose peace get +0/+3. * Archangel of Strife's second and third abilities are linked. Similarly, its second and fourth abilities are linked. The bonus a player's creatures get depends only on the choice that player made when Archangel of Strife entered the battlefield. * The active player chooses war or peace first, followed by each other player in turn order. Each player will know what previous players chose when making his or her choice. * Archangel of Strife's bonuses apply immediately. Depending on your choice, Archangel of Strife will enter the battlefield as either a 9/6 or 6/9 creature. * If there are two Archangels of Strife on the battlefield, and you choose war for one and peace for the other, your creatures get +3/+3. * As soon as Archangel of Strife leaves the battlefield, the bonus stops applying. If it returns to the battlefield, players will be able to make new choices. ----- Avatar of Slaughter {6}{R}{R} Creature -- Avatar 8/8 All creatures have double strike and attack each turn if able. * If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature 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, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either. * If there are multiple combat phases in a turn, creatures must attack only in the first one in which they're able to. ----- Basandra, Battle Seraph {3}{R}{W} Legendary Creature -- Angel 4/4 Flying Players can't cast spells during combat. {R}: Target creature attacks this turn if able. * While Basandra, Battle Seraph is on the battlefield, players can't cast any spells during the combat phase, including permanent spells with flash. * Players may still activate abilities during combat. * If, during a player's declare attackers step, a creature 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, the player isn't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack in that case either. ----- Celestial Force {5}{W}{W}{W} Creature -- Elemental 7/7 At the beginning of each upkeep, you gain 3 life. * In a Two-Headed Giant game, this ability triggers once at the beginning of each team's upkeep. ----- Champion's Helm {3} Artifact -- Equipment Equipped creature gets +2/+2. As long as equipped creature is legendary, it has hexproof. (It can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control.) Equip {1} * It's possible for a Champion's Helm you control to be attached to a creature an opponent controls (if an opponent gains control of your equipped creature, for example). In this case, the creature couldn't be the target of spells or abilities you control, as you are an opponent of the controller of the creature with hexproof. ----- Chaos Warp {2}{R} Instant The owner of target permanent shuffles it into his or her library, then reveals the top card of his or her library. If it's a permanent card, he or she puts it onto the battlefield. * The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield. If a token is shuffled into a player's library this way, that player shuffles before revealing the top card of that library. * If the permanent is an illegal target by the time Chaos Warp tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will occur. No library will be shuffled and no card will be revealed. * A permanent card is a card with one or more of the following card types: artifact, creature, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. * If the revealed card is a permanent card but can't enter the battlefield (perhaps because it's an Aura with nothing to enchant), it remains on top of that library. * If the revealed card is not a permanent card, it remains on top of that library. ----- Collective Voyage {G} Sorcery Join forces -- Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player searches his or her library for up to X basic land cards, where X is the total amount of mana paid this way, puts them onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffles his or her library. * You may find any number of basic lands up to X, including zero. However, searching and shuffling your library is not optional. * See also "Join Forces" in the General Notes section above. ----- Command Tower Land {T}: Add to your mana pool one mana of any color in your commander's color identity. * The color identity of your commander is set before the game begins and doesn't change during the game, even your commander is in a hidden zone (like the hand or library) or an effect changes your commander's color. * If your commander is a card like Kozilek, Butcher of Truth that has no colors in its color identity, Command Tower's ability produces no mana. * In formats other than Commander, Command Tower's ability produces no mana. ----- Crescendo of War {3}{W} Enchantment At the beginning of each upkeep, put a strife counter on Crescendo of War. Attacking creatures get +1/+0 for each strife counter on Crescendo of War. Blocking creatures you control get +1/+0 for each strife counter on Crescendo of War. * In a Two-Headed Giant game, the first ability triggers once during each team's upkeep. ----- Damia, Sage of Stone {4}{G}{U}{B} Legendary Creature -- Gorgon Wizard 4/4 Deathtouch Skip your draw step. At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have fewer than seven cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference. * The number of cards in your hand is checked at the beginning of your upkeep before you have the opportunity to cast spells and activate abilities. If you have seven or more cards in your hand at that time, Damia's last ability won't trigger. * After the ability has triggered but before it resolves, you have the opportunity to cast spells and activate abilities. * When Damia's triggered ability tries to resolve, if you have seven or more cards in your hand, it will have no effect. If you have fewer than seven cards in your hand, you'll determine the difference and draw that many cards. * Effects can modify the number of cards you'll draw. For example, if you have four cards in your hand and control Thought Reflection ("If you would draw a card, draw two cards instead."), you'll draw six cards. ----- Death by Dragons {4}{R}{R} Sorcery Each player other than target player puts a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying onto the battlefield. * If the player is an illegal target when Death by Dragons tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. No player will put a Dragon token onto the battlefield. * If Death by Dragons resolves, the player who's targeted is the only one who won't put a Dragon token onto the battlefield. ----- Dread Cacodemon {7}{B}{B}{B} Creature -- Demon 8/8 When Dread Cacodemon enters the battlefield, if you cast it from your hand, destroy all creatures your opponents control, then tap all other creatures you control. * If you put Dread Cacodemon directly onto the battlefield from your hand, perhaps because of Kaalia of the Vast's ability, its ability won't trigger. ----- Edric, Spymaster of Trest {1}{G}{U} Legendary Creature -- Elf Rogue 2/2 Whenever a creature deals combat damage to one of your opponents, its controller may draw a card. * A creature controlled by an opponent that deals combat damage to another opponent will cause Edric's ability to trigger. The creature's controller chooses whether to draw a card. * When a creature you control deals combat damage to one of your opponents, you may draw a card. ----- Flusterstorm {U} Instant Counter target instant or sorcery spell unless its controller pays {1}. Storm (When you cast this spell, copy it for each spell cast before it this turn. You may choose new targets for the copies.) * Storm is an ability previously seen in the _Scourge_(TM) set and _Time Spiral_(TM) block. * The copies created by the storm ability are put directly onto the stack -- they aren't cast. That means the storm ability of the copies won't trigger and the copies don't contribute to the count of spells cast this turn. * Each storm spell with a target allows you to change the target for each copy of that spell. You make that choice for each copy individually. * When counting spells cast in a turn, you do count spells that were cast face down, spells cast from zones other than a hand, and spells that were countered. * A copy of a spell can be countered, just like any other spell, but each copy has to be countered individually. Countering a storm spell won't counter the copies of it. * When a spell like Twincast copies a spell that has storm, the copied spell's storm ability doesn't trigger. You get just one new spell. ----- Homeward Path Land {T}: Add {1} to your mana pool. {T}: Each player gains control of all creatures he or she owns. * The owner of a card is the player who started the game with that card in his or her deck. * The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield. ----- Hydra Omnivore {4}{G}{G} Creature -- Hydra 8/8 Whenever Hydra Omnivore deals combat damage to an opponent, it deals that much damage to each other opponent. * The damage dealt by Hydra Omnivore as a result of its triggered ability is not combat damage (and doesn't cause the ability to trigger again). ----- Kaalia of the Vast {1}{W}{B}{R} Legendary Creature -- Human Cleric 2/2 Flying Whenever Kaalia of the Vast attacks an opponent, you may put an Angel, Demon, or Dragon creature card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking that opponent. * Kaalia's ability doesn't trigger if it attacks a planeswalker. * The creature card is already tapped and attacking as it's put onto the battlefield. Any abilities that trigger when a creature becomes tapped or when a creature attacks won't trigger for that card. * If the opponent Kaalia attacked is no longer in the game when its ability resolves, you may put an Angel, Demon, or Dragon creature card onto the battlefield tapped, but it won't be attacking anyone and it won't be an attacking creature. ----- Karador, Ghost Chieftain {5}{B}{G}{W} Legendary Creature -- Centaur Spirit 3/4 Karador, Ghost Chieftain costs {1} less to cast for each creature card in your graveyard. During each of your turns, you may cast one creature card from your graveyard. * If Karador is your commander, calculate any cost increases, including the one based on the number of times you've cast Karador from the command zone, before considering Karador's cost-reduction ability. * If you somehow cast Karador from a graveyard, its cost-reduction ability won't count itself. * Although Karador's second ability allows you to cast one creature card from your graveyard on each of your turns, it doesn't change when you can cast that card. Unless it has flash, the creature card must be cast during one of your main phases when the stack is empty. * Karador's second ability doesn't affect the costs you need to pay to cast that creature spell. * Karador's first ability functions on the stack. Karador's second ability functions only on the battlefield. * If you cast a creature card from your graveyard, then Karador leaves the battlefield, then returns to the battlefield, you may cast another creature card from your graveyard that turn. If you didn't cast a creature card from your graveyard while Karador was on the battlefield the first time, you may still cast only one creature card from your graveyard when it returns to the battlefield. ----- Magmatic Force {5}{R}{R}{R} Creature -- Elemental 7/7 At the beginning of each upkeep, Magmatic Force deals 3 damage to target creature or player. * The controller of Magmatic Force when its ability triggers always chooses the target, even when the ability triggers during another player's upkeep. * In a Two-Headed Giant game, this ability triggers once at the beginning of each team's upkeep. ----- Martyr's Bond {4}{W}{W} Enchantment Whenever Martyr's Bond or another nonland permanent you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices a permanent that shares a card type with it. * If Martyr's Bond and other nonland permanents are put into the graveyard from the battlefield at the same time, Martyr's Bond will trigger for itself and each of those other nonland permanents. * Each opponent must sacrifice only one permanent for each trigger, even if the nonland permanent you controlled that went to the graveyard had multiple types. For example, if an artifact creature you control is put into a graveyard from the battlefield, each opponent sacrifices exactly one artifact or creature, and that permanent doesn't need to be an artifact creature. ----- The Mimeoplasm {2}{G}{U}{B} Legendary Creature -- Ooze 0/0 As The Mimeoplasm enters the battlefield, you may exile two creature cards from graveyards. If you do, it enters the battlefield as a copy of one of those cards with a number of additional +1/+1 counters on it equal to the power of the other card. * You can't choose to exile just one creature card. * The two creature cards may come from the same graveyard or different graveyards. * You choose which one The Mimeoplasm is copying and which one determines how many +1/+1 counters are placed on The Mimeoplasm as The Mimeoplasm enters the battlefield. * Treat The Mimeoplasm as though it were the creature card it's copying entering the battlefield. Any "As [this card] enters the battlefield," "[This card] enters the battlefield with," and "When [this card] enters the battlefield" abilities of that creature card will work. * Specifically, if The Mimeoplasm enters the battlefield as a copy of a creature card that enters the battlefield with a number of +1/+1 counters, The Mimeoplasm will enter the battlefield with those +1/+1 counters and +1/+1 counters equal to the power of the other exiled card. ----- Minds Aglow {U} Sorcery Join forces -- Starting with you, each player may pay any amount of mana. Each player draws X cards, where X is the total amount of mana paid this way. * The card-drawing part of the effect is not optional. A player can't choose to draw fewer than X cards. * See also "Join Forces" in the General Notes section above. ----- Nin, the Pain Artist {U}{R} Legendary Creature -- Vedalken Wizard 1/1 {X}{U}{R}, {T}: Nin, the Pain Artist deals X damage to target creature. That creature's controller draws X cards. * You may choose a value for X that's greater than the creature's toughness. Its controller will draw that many cards. * The effect is not optional. The creature's controller can't choose to draw fewer than X cards. * If the creature is an illegal target when Nin's ability tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. No player will draw cards. * If the ability resolves, but the damage is prevented or redirected, the controller of the targeted creature will draw X cards, regardless of how much damage was dealt or what the damage was ultimately dealt to. * If the damage is lethal, the cards are drawn before the creature is destroyed (the next time state-based actions are checked). ----- Riddlekeeper {2}{U} Creature -- Homunculus 1/4 Whenever a creature attacks you or a planeswalker you control, that creature's controller puts the top two cards of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * Riddlekeeper doesn't impose a cost to attack. Creatures can attack you or a planeswalker you control even if their controller has no cards left in his or her library. ----- Riku of Two Reflections {2}{U}{R}{G} Legendary Creature -- Human Wizard 2/2 Whenever you cast an instant or sorcery spell, you may pay {U}{R}. If you do, copy that spell. You may choose new targets for the copy. Whenever another nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control, you may pay {G}{U}. If you do, put a token that's a copy of that creature onto the battlefield. * Each time the first ability triggers, you can pay {U}{R} only one time to get one copy of the spell. Each time the second ability triggers, you can pay {G}{U} only one time to get one token. * If the spell that caused Riku's first ability to trigger has left the stack by the time the ability resolves, you can still pay {U}{R}. If you do, you'll copy the spell as it last existed on the stack. * Riku's first ability triggers whenever you cast any instant or sorcery spell, regardless of whether that spell has targets. * If the copied spell has {X} in its mana cost, the value of X is copied. * If the copied spell is modal (that is, it says "Choose one --" or the like), the copy has the same mode as the original spell. You can't choose a different one. * You can't pay any additional costs for the copy. However, effects based on any additional costs paid for the original spell are copied as though those same costs were paid for the copy. Notably, if the original spell was kicked (or kicked a certain number of times), the copy will also be kicked (or kicked that many times). * If the creature that caused Riku's second ability to trigger has already left the battlefield by the time the ability resolves, you can still pay {G]{U}. If you do, you'll still put a token onto the battlefield. That token has the copiable values of the characteristics of that creature as it last existed on the battlefield. * As the token is created, it checks the printed values of the creature it's copying, as well as any copy effects that have been applied to it. * The copiable values of the token's characteristics are the same as the copiable values of the characteristics of the creature it's copying. * If the creature had {X} in its mana cost, X must be 0. Note this is different from an {X} found in the mana cost of a copied spell. ----- Ruhan of the Fomori {1}{R}{W}{U} Legendary Creature -- Giant Warrior 7/7 At the beginning of combat on your turn, choose an opponent at random. Ruhan of the Fomori attacks that player this combat if able. * Ruhan must attack the chosen player if able, not a planeswalker controlled by the chosen player. * If, during your declare attackers step, Ruhan is tapped, is affected by a spell or ability that says it can't attack, or hasn't been under your control continuously since your turn began (and doesn't have haste), then it doesn't attack. If there's a cost associated with having Ruhan attack the chosen player, you aren't forced to pay that cost, so it doesn't have to attack that player in that case either. * If Ruhan isn't forced to attack the chosen player for one of the above reasons but can still attack, you may choose to have Ruhan attack another player, attack a planeswalker, or not attack at all. * If your turn has multiple combat phases, Ruhan's ability triggers at the beginning of each of them. Ignore any choices made during previous combat phases. ----- Scythe Specter {4}{B}{B} Creature -- Specter 4/4 Flying Whenever Scythe Specter deals combat damage to a player, each opponent discards a card. Each player who discarded a card with the highest converted mana cost among cards discarded this way loses life equal to that converted mana cost. * Each opponent in turn order chooses a card to discard without revealing it, then all the chosen cards are discarded simultaneously. No one sees what the other players are discarding before deciding which card to discard. * If there are multiple cards tied for the highest converted mana cost, each player who discarded one of those cards will lose life equal to that converted mana cost. * If an opponent discards a split card, each side will be considered separately. For example, if the first opponent discards Wax/Wane (a split card with converted mana costs 1 and 1), a second opponent discards Giant Growth (converted mana cost 1), and all other opponents discard land cards, the first and second opponents each lose 1 life. * If Scythe Specter deals combat damage to multiple players simultaneously (perhaps because some of the combat damage was redirected to another player), its ability will trigger for each of those players. * In a Two-Headed Giant game, each member of the opposing team will be able to see the other's hand before deciding what to discard. If each member discards a card with the same converted mana cost, each player will lose that much life, resulting in the team losing life equal to twice that converted mana cost. ----- Sewer Nemesis {3}{B} Creature -- Horror */* As Sewer Nemesis enters the battlefield, choose a player. Sewer Nemesis's power and toughness are each equal to the number of cards in the chosen player's graveyard. Whenever the chosen player casts a spell, that player puts the top card of his or her library into his or her graveyard. * If the chosen player leaves the game, Sewer Nemesis's power and toughness each become 0. Unless another effect is raising its toughness above 0, it will be put into its owner's graveyard as a state-based action. ----- Skullbriar, the Walking Grave {B}{G} Legendary Creature -- Zombie Elemental 1/1 Haste Whenever Skullbriar, the Walking Grave deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it. Counters remain on Skullbriar as it moves to any zone other than a player's hand or library. * Skullbriar will get one +1/+1 counter each time it deals combat damage to a player (including you if its combat damage gets redirected), regardless of how much damage is dealt. * Skullbriar retains all counters, not just +1/+1 counters. * The counters that remain on Skullbriar as it changes zones aren't "placed" on Skullbriar. Effects like Doubling Season's and Melira, Sylvok Outcast's won't affect those counters. * Counters that adjust power and/or toughness affect Skullbriar's power and/or toughness in zones other than the battlefield. For example, a Skullbriar in the command zone with a +1/+1 counter on it will be 2/2. * Effects that last "for as long as that creature has a [kind of] counter on it," such as Aven Mimeomancer's, stop applying to Skullbriar once it leaves the battlefield. Even though Skullbriar retains the counters, it becomes a new object with no relation to its last existence in its previous zone. * Skullbriar's last ability only works if it has that ability in the zone it's moving from. For example, with Yixlid Jailer ("Cards in graveyards lose all abilities") on the battlefield, a Skullbriar with a counter on it in a graveyard loses that counter when it's put onto the battlefield. Conversely, that Skullbriar moving from the graveyard to the battlefield would retain that counter if Humility ("All creatures lose all abilities and are 1/1") were on the battlefield; if Skullbriar then left the battlefield with Humility still on the battlefield, it would lose the counter. * If a card becomes a copy of Skullbriar, counters will remain on that card when it leaves the battlefield (unless it goes to your hand or library). Once it does so, it stops being a copy of Skullbriar, so those counters will cease to exist when that card next changes zones. ----- Spell Crumple {1}{U}{U} Instant Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it on the bottom of its owner's library instead of into that player's graveyard. Put Spell Crumple on the bottom of its owner's library. * If a commander is countered this way, it will be put on the bottom of its owner's library. * If the spell is an illegal target when Spell Crumple tries to resolve, it will be countered and none of its effects will happen. Spell Crumple will be put into its owner's graveyard. * If the targeted spell can't be countered, it won't be put onto the bottom of its owner's library. Spell Crumple will still be put on the bottom of its owner's library. ----- Stranglehold {3}{R} Enchantment Your opponents can't search libraries. If an opponent would begin an extra turn, that player skips that turn instead. * If your opponent controls a Stranglehold and an effect says "You may search your library . . . If you do, shuffle your library," you can't choose to search, so you won't shuffle. * If your opponent controls a Stranglehold and an effect says "Search your library . . . Then shuffle your library," the search effect fails, but you will still have to shuffle. * Since opponents can't search libraries, they won't be able to find any cards in a library. The effect applies to all opponents and all libraries, including your library. If a spell or ability's effect has other parts that don't depend on searching for or finding cards, they will still work normally. * Effects that tell an opponent to reveal cards from a library or look at cards from the top of a library will still work. Only effects that use the word "search" will fail. * An "extra turn" means a turn created by a spell or ability. It doesn't refer to a turn taken in a sanctioned tournament after the time limit for the round has expired. * If an opponent's extra turn is created while Stranglehold is on the battlefield, but Stranglehold leaves the battlefield before that turn would begin, that opponent takes the extra turn as normal. ----- Tariel, Reckoner of Souls {4}{W}{B}{R} Legendary Creature -- Angel 4/7 Flying, vigilance {T}: Choose a creature card at random from target opponent's graveyard. Put that card onto the battlefield under your control. * The only target of this ability is the opponent. * The creature card is chosen at random from among creature cards in the target opponent's graveyard as the ability resolves. Players can respond to the ability knowing the targeted player, but they won't know which creature card is about to enter the battlefield. ----- Trench Gorger {6}{U}{U} Creature -- Leviathan 6/6 Trample When Trench Gorger enters the battlefield, you may search your library for any number of land cards, exile them, then shuffle your library. If you do, Trench Gorger's power and toughness each become equal to the number of cards exiled this way. * If you choose not to search, Trench Gorger will simply be 6/6. * While Trench Gorger's ability is on the stack, it's on the battlefield as a 6/6. * If Trench Gorger leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, you may still search your library. * After the ability resolves, Trench Gorger's power and toughness won't change if one of the exiled cards leaves exile. ----- Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter {4}{W}{B}{B} Legendary Creature -- Vampire 5/5 Flying, lifelink Sacrifice a creature: Put X +1/+1 counters on Vish Kal, Blood Arbiter, where X is the sacrificed creature's power. Remove all +1/+1 counters from Vish Kal: Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn for each +1/+1 counter removed this way. * Vish Kal's last ability doesn't deal damage. It doesn't cause you to gain any life from its lifelink ability. ----- Zedruu the Greathearted {1}{R}{W}{U} Legendary Creature -- Minotaur Monk 2/4 At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain X life and draw X cards, where X is the number of permanents you own that your opponents control. {R}{W}{U}: Target opponent gains control of target permanent you control. * The owner of a card is the player who started the game with that card in his or her deck. * The owner of a token is the player under whose control the token was put onto the battlefield. * If either the opponent or the permanent you control becomes an illegal target by the time Zedruu's last ability tries to resolve, the ability does nothing. ----- All trademarks are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. (C)2011 Wizards.
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