Alena, Kessig Trapper 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
First strike: Add an amount of
equal to the greatest power among creatures you control that entered this turn. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
Complete guide
Alena, Kessig Trapper is a legendary Human Scout who excels at turning the momentum of your creatures entering the battlefield into massive amounts of mana. With the ability to tap for mana based on the greatest power among your new arrivals, she provides the fuel needed to chain together explosive turns. As a commander with Partner, she can lead your deck alongside another legendary partner to expand your color options and strategic depth.
Harnessing Momentum
Alena's primary function is a mana-generating activated ability. When you tap her, she looks at every creature you control that entered the battlefield this turn and identifies the highest power among them. She then adds that much Red mana to your mana pool. Because this is a mana ability, it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to, meaning your opponents cannot wait for you to activate it and then try to shrink your creatures to reduce the mana you receive.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you must have Alena on the battlefield without summoning sickness to use her ability. Second, a creature must enter the battlefield under your control during the current turn. Third, you activate the ability by tapping Alena. At this exact moment, the game checks the current power of all creatures you control that entered this turn. If a creature entered as a non-creature (like a Vehicle) but is currently a creature, it counts. If a creature you control entered under someone else's control earlier this turn, it also counts. Alena then immediately adds the mana to your pool based on the highest current power found among those eligible creatures.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is trying to count creatures that have already left the battlefield. Even if a massive creature entered the battlefield this turn, if it is no longer on the battlefield when you tap Alena, its power is not considered. Another mistake involves the timing of power buffs; because this is a mana ability, you cannot respond to the activation with a spell like Giant Growth to increase the mana generated. You must apply any power-increasing effects before you tap Alena for mana.
When to Play Alena
Alena is most effective in decks that can reliably drop high-power creatures or those that utilize 'flicker' effects to re-enter creatures onto the battlefield. She is a perfect follow-up to a high-cost threat, as she can effectively 'refund' the mana spent, allowing you to cast even more spells in a single turn. She also pairs exceptionally well with commanders like Halana, Kessig Ranger, who shares her flavor and provides green for even larger creatures.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you cast Solemn Simulacrum while Alena, Kessig Trapper is on the battlefield, the Golem enters and triggers its land-searching ability. Once the Golem is on the battlefield, you can tap Alena for mana. Since Solemn Simulacrum has a power of 2 and entered this turn, Alena will add two Red mana to your mana pool.
Roaming ThroneWhen Roaming Throne enters the battlefield, you choose a creature type (such as Human). Because Roaming Throne has a power of 4 and entered this turn, tapping Alena will immediately provide you with four Red mana. Note that while Roaming Throne doubles triggered abilities, Alena's mana generation is an activated ability, so it is not doubled, but its high power still provides a significant mana boost.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Alena, Kessig Trapper
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Alena's activated ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. Players can't attempt to change a creature's power in response to it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Creatures that are no longer on the battlefield won't be considered for Alena's mana ability, even if they entered that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
A creature you control that entered the battlefield as a noncreature permanent and/or under another player's control will be counted for Alena's mana ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional
the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Alena, Kessig Trapper + Aggravated Assault
- 1Activate Alena by tapping them to add at least .
- 2Activate Aggravated Assault by paying
to untap all creatures you control and gain an additional combat phase and main phase after that combat phase. - 3Repeat.
Staff of Domination + Alena, Kessig Trapper
- 1Activate Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Staff of Domination's third ability by paying and tapping it, untapping Alena.
- 3Activate Staff of Domination's first ability by paying
, untapping it. - 4Repeat.
Umbral Mantle + Alena, Kessig Trapper
- 1Activate Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Alena by paying and untapping it, giving it +2/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Repeat.
Sword of the Paruns + Alena, Kessig Trapper
- 1Activate Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Sword of the Paruns by paying , untapping Alena.
- 3Repeat.
Feldon of the Third Path + Alena, Kessig Trapper + Illusionist's Bracers + Coercive Recruiter
- 1Activate Feldon by paying and tapping it, targeting Coercive Recruiter.
- 2Illusionist's Bracers triggers, copying Feldon's ability, targeting Alena.
- 3Resolve the copy of Feldon's ability, creating a token copy of Alena with haste.
- 4Resolve the Feldon ability from step 1, creating a token copy of Coercive Recruiter with haste.
- 5The token Coercive Recruiter enters the battlefield, untapping Feldon.
- 6Activate the token Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 7Repeat.
Feldon of the Third Path + Alena, Kessig Trapper + Illusionist's Bracers + Zealous Conscripts
- 1Activate Feldon by paying and tapping it, targeting Zealous Conscripts.
- 2Illusionist's Bracers triggers, copying Feldon's ability, targeting Alena.
- 3Resolve the copy of Feldon's ability, creating a token copy of Alena with haste.
- 4Resolve the Feldon ability from step 1, creating a token copy of Zealous Conscripts with haste.
- 5The token Zealous Conscripts enters the battlefield, untapping Feldon.
- 6Activate the token Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 7Repeat.
Alena, Kessig Trapper + Sword of the Paruns + Phyrexian Soulgorger
- 1Activate Alena by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Sword of the Paruns by paying , untapping Alena.
- 3Repeat.
Marvin, Murderous Mimic + Pili-Pala + Alena, Kessig Trapper
- 1Activate Marvin using Alena's ability by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Marvin using Pili-Pala's ability by paying and untapping it, adding one mana of any color.
- 3Repeat.
Legal formats
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