Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger 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
When Ajani enters, create a 2/1 white Cat Warrior creature token. Whenever one or more other Cats you control die, you may exile Ajani, then return him to the battlefield transformed under his owner's control. +2: Put a +1/+1 counter on each Cat you control. 0: Create a 2/1 white Cat Warrior creature token. When you do, if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, he deals damage equal to the number of creatures you control to any target. −4: Each opponent chooses an artifact, a creature, an enchantment, and a planeswalker from among the nonland permanents they control, then sacrifices the rest.
Complete guide
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger is a versatile transforming double-faced card that shifts from a dedicated creature commander to a powerful planeswalker. Representing Ajani's spark igniting, this card offers immediate board presence and a suite of abilities that punish opponents while rewarding your feline army.
Dual Nature of the Nacatl
Ajani starts as a 1/2 creature for two mana. When he enters the battlefield, he brings a 2/1 Cat Warrior token with him. His core mechanic is a triggered ability: if another Cat you control dies, you can exile Ajani and return him to the battlefield transformed as Ajani, Nacatl Avenger. Note that because he returns as a new object, he enters with his starting loyalty counters and can use a loyalty ability during your main phase.
Avenger's Arsenal
Once transformed, Ajani gains three loyalty abilities. His +2 reinforces your board by placing +1/+1 counters on every Cat you control. His 0 ability creates another 2/1 Cat Warrior; importantly, if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, a 'reflexive' triggered ability fires, dealing damage to any target based on your creature count. Finally, his -4 is a devastating board wipe that forces opponents to sacrifice all nonland permanents except for one of each major type.
Timing and Transitions
A common mistake involves timing. If Ajani transforms during combat because a Cat died, he enters the battlefield as a planeswalker immediately. However, you can only activate his loyalty abilities during your own main phase when the stack is empty. If he transforms on an opponent's turn, he must survive their turn before you can use his abilities. Additionally, if he transforms, he is a new object; any effects targeting the creature version will lose track of him.
Strategic Execution
Play Ajani early to establish a board. Use the Cat Warrior tokens as blockers to intentionally trigger his transformation. If you have a red permanent, use his 0 ability to pick off utility creatures or planeswalkers. When using his -4 ultimate, remember that opponents choose what to keep, so it is most effective when they have wide boards of multiple creatures or artifacts.
Interaction examples
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
Cat WarriorYou control Ajani and the Cat Warrior token he created. An opponent casts a spell to destroy the token. When the token dies, Ajani's ability triggers. You choose to exile him and return him to the battlefield as Ajani, Nacatl Avenger. He enters with 4 loyalty counters, ready to be used on your next main phase.
Professional Face-BreakerWith Ajani on his planeswalker side and Professional Face-Breaker (a red permanent) on the battlefield, you activate Ajani's 0 ability. First, you create a 2/1 Cat Warrior. Because you control a red permanent, a second ability triggers. You count your creatures (including the new token) and choose a target to deal that much damage to.
Esper SentinelYou activate Ajani's -4 ability. Your opponent controls two creatures, three artifacts, and an Esper Sentinel (which is both). The opponent must choose one artifact, one creature, one enchantment, and one planeswalker to keep. Since Esper Sentinel is an artifact creature, they could choose it as their artifact and another creature as their creature, or use it to fill both slots. All nonland permanents not chosen are sacrificed.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Each face of a transforming double-faced card has its own set of characteristics: name, types, subtypes, abilities, and so on. While a transforming double-faced permanent is on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that's currently up. The other set of characteristics is ignored.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Each transforming double-faced card in this set is cast with its front face up. In every zone other than the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of its front face. If it is on the battlefield, consider only the characteristics of the face that's up; the other face's characteristics are ignored.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The mana value of a transforming double-faced card is the mana value of its front face, no matter which face is up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
The back face of a transforming double-faced card usually has a color indicator that defines its color. Colorless back faces, such as lands, do not.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
In some rare cases, a spell or ability may cause Ajani, Nacatl Pariah to transform while it's a creature (front face up) on the battlefield. If this happens, Ajani, Nacatl Avenger won't have any loyalty counters on him and will subsequently be put into his owner's graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
You can activate one of Ajani, Nacatl Avenger's loyalty abilities the turn he enters the battlefield. However, you may do so only during one of your main phases when the stack is empty. For example, if Ajani, Nacatl Avenger enters the battlefield during combat, there will be an opportunity for your opponent to remove him before you can activate one of his abilities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
You don't choose a target for Ajani, Nacatl Avenger's second ability when you activate it. Rather, if you control a red permanent other than Ajani, Nacatl Avenger, a second "reflexive" ability triggers when you create a Cat Warrior creature token this way. You choose a target for that ability as it goes on the stack. Each player may respond to this triggered ability as normal.
Card named in this ruling
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
In a case where you create more than one Cat Warrior creature token with Ajani, Nacatl Avenger's second ability (for example, because of the effect of Doubling Season), the reflexive ability will trigger once for each Cat Warrior you made this way. If a replacement effect causes you to create different tokens instead (for example, the effect of Divine Visitation), the creation of those tokens won't cause the reflexive ability to trigger.
Card named in this ruling
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
When Ajani, Nacatl Avenger's last ability resolves, starting with the next opponent in turn order, each opponent in turn order chooses permanents they control. Each opponent will know the choices made by players who chose before them. They then sacrifice all of their unchosen nonland permanents simultaneously.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent with more than one type may be chosen as any of its types. For example, an artifact creature may be chosen as the artifact, the creature, or both. Choosing the same permanent twice this way has the same result as choosing it once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Lands can't be chosen and won't be sacrificed, even if they have any of the types referenced by Ajani, Nacatl Avenger's last ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If an opponent doesn't control any permanents of one of the types, they'll still choose the permanents of the types they do control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
In the Commander variant, a double-faced card's color identity is determined by the mana costs and mana symbols in the rules text of both faces combined. If either face has a color indicator or basic land type, those are also considered. For example, Ral, Monsoon Mage's color identity is blue and red, since its front face is red and its back face has a blue and red color indicator.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
A transforming double-faced card enters the battlefield with its front face up by default, unless a spell or ability instructs you to put it onto the battlefield transformed or allows you to cast it transformed, in which case it enters with its back face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
If you are instructed to put a card that isn't a double-faced card onto the battlefield transformed, it will not enter the battlefield at all. In that case, it stays in the zone it was previously in. For example, if a single-faced card is a copy of Ral, Monsoon Mage, choosing to exile that permanent during the resolution of its triggered ability will cause it to remain in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger + Nim Deathmantle + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Ajani, adding
. - 2When Ajani dies, Nim Deathmantle triggers, causing you to pay
to return Ajani from your graveyard to the battlefield, and attach Nim Deathmantle to it. - 3When Ajani enters the battlefield, its first ability triggers, creating a 2/1 Cat Warrior creature token.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the Cat Warrior, adding .
- 5When the Cat Warrior dies, Ajani's second ability triggers. Choose not to transform Ajani.
- 6Repeat.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Ajani, Nacatl Pariah // Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
