Abian, Luvion Usurper is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.
Official card text
As Abian, Luvion Usurper enters, you become Abian. (Your life total becomes equal to their loyalty. You can activate the loyalty abilities by spending or gaining life.) +3: Discard your hand, then draw cards equal to the greatest power among creatures you control. +1: Create a 3/2 red and green Spirit creature token. −X: You deal X damage to any target.
Complete guide
Step into the shoes of a powerful planeswalker literally with Abian, Luvion Usurper. This unique card allows you to merge your identity as a player with the permanent on the battlefield, tying your life total directly to your loyalty counters. It offers a high-risk, high-reward playstyle where your health becomes the fuel for your most devastating abilities.
Becoming the Planeswalker
As Abian, Luvion Usurper enters the battlefield, you become Abian. Your current life total is replaced by Abian's loyalty. From this point forward, any effect that would cause you to gain or lose life adds or removes loyalty counters from your permanent self. Because you are now a permanent, you are subject to effects that target planeswalkers or legendary permanents, and you exist as a red and green legendary planeswalker on the board.
Loyalty as Life
Activating loyalty abilities changes how you manage your resources. To use a +3 ability, you gain 3 life and add 3 loyalty counters. To use a -X ability, you lose X life and remove X loyalty counters. You cannot spend more life than you currently have to activate a minus ability. If an effect like 'Destroy target planeswalker' resolves against you, you leave the battlefield and resume being just a player, but your life total remains whatever your loyalty was at the moment of departure.
Strategy and Risks
Abian is powerful but fragile. Since you are a permanent, you can be attacked by creatures. Damage dealt to you by creatures causes you to lose that much life and removes that many loyalty counters. Common mistakes include forgetting that you are now a multicolored permanent, making you vulnerable to cards that specifically target colored permanents. Always ensure you have a board presence to protect your life total once you've transformed.
Interaction examples
Ugin, the IneffableIf you have become Abian, Luvion Usurper, you are a red and green permanent. If an opponent activates the -3 ability of Ugin, the Ineffable, they can target you. If the ability resolves, you are destroyed and leave the battlefield. You stop being a permanent and resume being a regular player, but the Abian card is put into your graveyard.
Ugin, the Spirit DragonSuppose you have 7 life (and thus 7 loyalty) as Abian. If an opponent activates the -X ability of Ugin, the Spirit Dragon where X is 7, you are a multicolored permanent with a mana value of 7. You will be exiled. Because you left the battlefield, you resume being just a player, and the Abian card moves to the exile zone.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Abian, Luvion Usurper
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
While Abian is on the battlefield, you're both a player and a permanent. You're a legendary planeswalker that's red and green.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect causes you to leave the battlefield, you resume being just a player. Your life total doesn't change. The Abian card that represented you moves to the appropriate zone.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect adds or removes loyalty counters from Abian, you also gain or lose that much life. Similarly, if an effect causes you to gain or lose life, that many loyalty counters are put on or removed from Abian.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
To activate your last ability, you can't pay more life than you have.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you control Abian but haven't become Abian, its loyalty abilities function as normal, drawing from its loyalty counters and not your life. Its last ability causes you, the player, to deal damage, although the source of the ability is Abian.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Abian, Luvion Usurper
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.