Ajani, the Greathearted 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
Creatures you control have vigilance. +1: You gain 3 life. −2: Put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control and a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.
Complete guide
Ajani, the Greathearted is a powerful support planeswalker that bolsters your board presence and keeps your life total healthy. Representing the Selesnya colors, he provides a passive defensive boost while actively strengthening your army and other planeswalkers.
A Constant Vigil
As long as Ajani, the Greathearted is on the battlefield, every creature you control has vigilance. This static ability means your creatures do not tap to attack, allowing them to exert pressure during your turn while remaining ready to block during your opponent's turn. This is particularly effective in decks that go wide with many small units.
Healing and Bolstering
Ajani's loyalty abilities offer a mix of recovery and aggressive scaling. His +1 ability provides a straightforward 3 life gain, helping you stabilize against aggressive strategies. His -2 ability is the centerpiece, placing a +1/+1 counter on every creature you control and a loyalty counter on every other planeswalker you control. Note that this ability affects all your creatures at once, making it high value the more units you have.
Resolution Details
When you activate the -2 ability, the game checks what permanents you control as the ability resolves. It puts +1/+1 counters on all your creatures and loyalty counters on your other planeswalkers. If a permanent happens to be both a creature and a planeswalker, it gets both types of counters. If Ajani himself has been turned into a creature by another effect, he will also receive a +1/+1 counter from his own ability.
Strategic Timing
The best time to play Ajani is when you already have a board presence. Because his -2 ability acts like a 'Super Proliferate' for your team, he is most effective when he can buff 3 or more creatures or at least one other planeswalker. Using him to immediately tick up the loyalty of a more vulnerable planeswalker can often put them out of range of an opponent's removal or burn spells.
Interaction examples
Elspeth, Storm SlayerWith both planeswalkers on the battlefield, you activate Ajani's -2 ability. All your creatures receive a +1/+1 counter. Additionally, Elspeth, Storm Slayer receives one loyalty counter because she is another planeswalker you control. This allows Elspeth to reach her ultimate abilities faster while Ajani also pumps the Soldier tokens she creates.
Tezzeret, Cruel CaptainIf you control Tezzeret, Cruel Captain and activate Ajani's -2 ability, Tezzeret gains a loyalty counter. If Tezzeret's emblem has turned an artifact into a Robot creature, that artifact creature will also receive a +1/+1 counter from Ajani. This interaction highlights how Ajani supports diverse strategies by buffing both the pilot (the planeswalker) and the tools (the creatures).
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ajani, the Greathearted
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a planeswalker you control is also a creature (most likely because it’s Gideon), that planeswalker receives both a +1/+1 counter and a loyalty counter as Ajani’s last ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If Ajani is somehow a creature as his last ability resolves, he’ll get a +1/+1 counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Teferi, Master of Time + Ajani Steadfast + Ajani, the Greathearted + Doubling Season
- 1Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 2Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 3Activate Teferi's third loyalty ability by removing ten loyalty counters from it, causing you to take two extra turns after this one.
- 4Move to your next turn.
- 5Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 6Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 7Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting two loyalty counters on it, causing you to loot.
- 8Move to your next turn.
Teferi, Master of Time + Ajani Steadfast + Ajani, the Greathearted + Lae'zel, Vlaakith's Champion
- 1Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 2Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 3Activate Teferi's third loyalty ability by removing ten loyalty counters from it, causing you to take two extra turns after this one.
- 4Move to your next turn.
- 5Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 6Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 7Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting two loyalty counters on it, causing you to loot.
- 8Move to your next turn.
Teferi, Master of Time + Ajani Steadfast + Ajani, the Greathearted + Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider
- 1Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 2Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 3Activate Teferi's third loyalty ability by removing ten loyalty counters from it, causing you to take two extra turns after this one.
- 4Move to your next turn.
- 5Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 6Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, and two loyalty counters on each other planeswalker you control.
- 7Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting two loyalty counters on it, causing you to loot.
- 8Move to your next turn.
Aminatou, the Fateshifter + Teferi, Master of Time + Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God + Ajani Steadfast
- 1Activate Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.
- 2Activate Ajani, the Greathearted's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.
- 3Activate Nicol-Bolas using Ajani Steadfast's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.
- 4Activate Teferi's third loyalty ability by removing ten loyalty counters from it, causing you to take two extra turns after this one.
- 5Activate Aminatou's second loyalty ability by removing a loyalty counter from it, blinking Teferi.
- 6Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting a loyalty counter on it, causing you to loot.
- 7Move to your first extra turn.
- 8Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting a loyalty counter on it, causing you to loot.
Aminatou, the Fateshifter + Teferi, Master of Time + Ajani, the Greathearted + Contagion Engine
- 1Activate Contagion Engine by paying
and tapping it, putting two loyalty counters on each planeswalker you control. - 2Activate Ajani's second loyalty ability by removing two loyalty counters from it, putting a loyalty counter on each other planeswalker you control.
- 3Activate Teferi's third loyalty ability by removing ten loyalty counters from it, causing you to take two extra turns after this one.
- 4Activate Aminatou's second loyalty ability by removing a loyalty counter from it, blinking Teferi.
- 5Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting a loyalty counter on it, causing you to loot.
- 6Move to your first extra turn.
- 7Activate Teferi's first loyalty ability by putting a loyalty counter on it, causing you to loot.
- 8Repeat steps 1 and 2 one additional time.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Ajani, the Greathearted
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.