Exalted is a keyword ability that rewards you for attacking with just a single creature by giving that creature +1/+1. This bonus is cumulative for each permanent with exalted--the more you control, the bigger your creature will end up being.

Technical Explanation

Exalted is a triggered ability that reads: "Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn." A creature 'attacks alone' if it's the only creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase.

As a triggered ability, if multiple permanents you control have exalted, or if a single permanent you control has multiple instances of exalted, each instance triggers separately.

Implications

• Exalted uses multiple independent triggers each granting +1/+1; since each trigger is separate, an effect that counters or otherwise stops a single instance of the ability (such as Voidslime ) will only stop one of the +1/+1 bonuses, not all of them.

• Exalted will only trigger if you declare just one creature as an attacker during the declare attackers step of combat. If you attack with multiple creature, exalted will not trigger even if the other creatures are removed somehow and you're left with only one.

• Once exalted has triggered initially, it will not later re-check to see if the creature you attacked alone with is the only attacking creature you control. Increasing the number of attacking creatures (say, with Militia's Pride ) will neither stop the bonus from being granted initially, nor remove the bonus after the fact.

• In shared-turns multiplayer formats like Two-Headed Giant, exalted will only trigger if just one attacker is declared, and you control that creature. It won't trigger if your teammate's creatures attack alone, and it won't trigger if your teammate attacks with one or more creatures at the same time you attack with one.

Interactions

• ...with itself: As a triggered ability, exalted is cumulative; the bonuses from each individual instance of exalted add up. All of them added together will end up giving +X/+X, where X is the number of instances of exalted on permanents you control.

• ...with shroud: Exalted does not target, so shroud does not affect or stop it in any way.

Comprehensive Rules Entry

As of Magic 2013 the full, official rules for exalted are as follows:

702.81. Exalted

702.81a Exalted is a triggered ability. "Exalted" means "Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn."

702.81b A creature "attacks alone" if it's the only creature declared as an attacker in a given combat phase. See rule 506.5.