Baboon SpiritHow it works & interactions with other cards

Generating the Spirit Hoard

The first ability of Baboon Spirit is a triggered ability that looks for nontoken Spirits entering the battlefield under your control. Every time a nontoken Spirit arrives, you create a 1/1 colorless Spirit token. These tokens have a unique evasion ability: they can only block or be blocked by other Spirits, making them excellent for chip damage against non-tribal decks.

The Step-by-Step Exile Process

The second ability is an activated ability costing {3}{U}. First, you pay the mana and choose another target creature you control. Upon resolution, that creature is exiled immediately. It stays in the exile zone until the beginning of the next end step, at which point it returns to the battlefield under its owner's control. Note that if you use this ability during an end step, the creature won't return until the following turn's end step.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A frequent error is trying to trigger Baboon Spirit with the tokens it creates. The text explicitly states 'nontoken Spirit,' so the 1/1 Spirit tokens will not cause the ability to trigger recursively. Additionally, remember that the activated ability can only target 'another' creature, meaning Baboon Spirit cannot exile itself to escape a board wipe.

When to Activate the Ability

Use the flicker ability to re-trigger 'enters the battlefield' effects or to protect a key creature from targeted removal. Since the creature returns at the next end step, you can also use it to remove a creature from combat after it has dealt damage, though it will not return in time to block during that same turn.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Tokens

Baboon SpiritRoaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Spirit' chosen as the creature type, and another nontoken Spirit enters, Baboon Spirit's ability triggers twice. This results in two 1/1 colorless Spirit tokens instead of one. Additionally, because the Throne is a Spirit, it will trigger the Baboon Spirit when it first enters the battlefield.

Value Extraction

Baboon SpiritSolemn Simulacrum

By spending {3}{U}, you can exile Solemn Simulacrum with Baboon Spirit's activated ability. At the beginning of the next end step, the Simulacrum returns to the battlefield, allowing you to search for another basic land card. This is an effective way to ramp and thin your deck using spare mana.

The Recursive Loop

Baboon SpiritBaboon Spirit

If you control two copies of Baboon Spirit and play a third nontoken Spirit, both Baboon Spirits will trigger, giving you two 1/1 tokens. You can also use one Baboon Spirit to exile the other; when the exiled one returns at the end step, it counts as a nontoken Spirit entering the battlefield, triggering the first Baboon Spirit to create a token.