Combat Celebrant — ruling 1

Combat Celebrant's ability untaps all of your creatures, not just the ones that are attacking.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 2

Untapping an attacking creature doesn't remove it from combat.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 3

There's no main phase between your combat phases, so you'll have no opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities that could only be cast any time you could cast a sorcery. For example, you won't be able to cast another creature or equip Equipment between combats.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 4

If you exert Combat Celebrant, you get an additional combat phase even if Combat Celebrant doesn't survive the first combat phase.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 5

If you exert multiple Combat Celebrants in one combat phase, you'll have that many additional combat phases, but all of your creatures are untapped only during the current combat phase. You'll need to exert the Combat Celebrants one at a time, in multiple combat phases, to untap your attacking creatures and attack with them in each combat step.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 6

You can't exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that "tap and freeze" a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don't exert that creature.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 7

If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert's effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything.

Combat Celebrant — ruling 8

If you gain control of another player's creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player's untap step.

Combat Celebrant : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Combat Celebrant 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

If this creature hasn't been exerted this turn, you may exert it as it attacks. When you do, untap all other creatures you control and after this phase, there is an additional combat phase. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

Complete guide

Combat Celebrant is a powerful Human Warrior from the Amonkhet set that allows you to push for a game-ending victory. By exerting itself during an attack, it grants you a second chance to strike in the same turn. Understanding the timing of this exert ability is crucial for maximizing your combat damage.

Exerting for Extra Action

When you declare Combat Celebrant as an attacker, you may choose to exert it. This means the creature will not untap during your next untap step. In exchange, all other creatures you control are untapped, and you receive an additional combat phase immediately after the current one. Note that there is no main phase between these two combats, so you cannot cast sorcery-speed spells like creatures or sorceries in between.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, you enter the Combat Phase and reach the Declare Attackers step. You choose your attackers and decide to exert Combat Celebrant. This triggers its ability, which goes on the stack. The ability resolves, untapping all your other creatures (even those not attacking) and creating a future combat phase. Then, you proceed to blockers and damage. Once the current combat phase ends, you move directly into the beginning of the next combat phase, where you can declare your newly untapped creatures as attackers again.

Common Mistakes

A common error is thinking that untapping an attacking creature removes it from combat; it does not. Also, remember that you cannot exert a creature that was put onto the battlefield already attacking (such as via an 'into play and attacking' effect) because the window to exert is exactly when you declare attackers. Finally, if you exert multiple Combat Celebrants at the same time, you get multiple extra combats, but your creatures only untap during that first resolution, which is usually less efficient than staggering them.

When to Play It

Combat Celebrant is best used when you have a wide board of creatures that can survive multiple rounds of combat. It is also excellent when you have creatures with 'whenever this creature attacks' abilities, as you will get to trigger those abilities twice in a single turn. Just be sure you can protect the Celebrant or that the second wave of attacks will be enough to win the game, as the Celebrant will remain tapped on your next turn.

Interaction examples

Double Land Search

Solemn Simulacrum

You attack with both Combat Celebrant and Solemn Simulacrum. You exert the Celebrant. Its ability resolves, untapping the Solemn Simulacrum. After the first combat, you get a second combat phase. You can now attack with the Solemn Simulacrum again, potentially dealing more damage or forcing your opponent into a difficult block that lets you draw a card when the Simulacrum dies.

The Throne's Command

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield and chose 'Human' or 'Warrior' as it entered, Combat Celebrant's exert ability will trigger twice when you exert it. This creates two additional combat phases. However, because the untap happens when the ability resolves in the first combat, your creatures will only be untapped during that first phase. You would need to survive to the subsequent combat phases to use the extra attacks effectively.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Combat Celebrant

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
Combat Celebrant's ability untaps all of your creatures, not just the ones that are attacking.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
Untapping an attacking creature doesn't remove it from combat.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
There's no main phase between your combat phases, so you'll have no opportunity to cast spells or activate abilities that could only be cast any time you could cast a sorcery. For example, you won't be able to cast another creature or equip Equipment between combats.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If you exert Combat Celebrant, you get an additional combat phase even if Combat Celebrant doesn't survive the first combat phase.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If you exert multiple Combat Celebrants in one combat phase, you'll have that many additional combat phases, but all of your creatures are untapped only during the current combat phase. You'll need to exert the Combat Celebrants one at a time, in multiple combat phases, to untap your attacking creatures and attack with them in each combat step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
You can't exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that "tap and freeze" a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don't exert that creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert's effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If you gain control of another player's creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player's untap step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can't do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can't be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared.
No other card is named in this ruling.