Coram, the Undertaker 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
Coram gets +X/+0, where X is the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards. Whenever Coram attacks, each player mills a card. During each of your turns, you may play a land and cast a spell from among cards in graveyards that were put there from libraries this turn.
Complete guide
Coram, the Undertaker is a powerhouse Commander that thrives on the contents of every player's graveyard. By turning milled cards into usable resources and scaling its power based on the fallen, it turns the discard pile into a second hand.
Harnessing the Graveyard
Coram's power is dynamic; it constantly checks all graveyards for the creature card with the highest power and adds that value to its own base power of 0. While on the battlefield, this effect is continuous and updates instantly if a larger creature enters or leaves a graveyard. However, in any other zone like the command zone or your hand, Coram's power is considered 0.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When Coram attacks, its triggered ability goes on the stack, forcing each player to mill one card. Once these cards hit the graveyard, Coram's static ability allows you to play one land and cast one spell from among any cards put into graveyards from libraries that turn. You must still pay all mana costs for these spells and follow standard timing rules, such as only playing lands or sorcery-speed spells during your main phase.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that Coram allows you to play any card in a graveyard. In reality, you can only play cards that were moved specifically from a library to a graveyard during that current turn. Additionally, if Coram leaves the battlefield and returns, it is treated as a new object, allowing you to use its permission to play an additional land or spell from the graveyard even if you already used the first Coram's ability earlier that turn.
Strategic Timing
Because you are the active player during your turn, you generally have priority to cast a milled spell before your opponents can react with their own graveyard effects. If you mill an opponent's card that has an ability like Flashback, your permission to cast it using Coram usually takes precedence because you receive priority first after the mill ability resolves.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf Solemn Simulacrum is milled during Coram's attack, you can cast it from the graveyard during your post-combat main phase. When it enters, you fetch a basic land, and Coram's power will likely increase if the Golem is the strongest creature currently in a graveyard.
Eternal WitnessWhen Eternal Witness is put into your graveyard from your library, you may use Coram's ability to cast it. Upon entering the battlefield, the Witness can target any card in your graveyard—perhaps a powerful spell milled earlier—to return it to your hand for future use.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Coram, the Undertaker
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Coram's first ability applies only while it is on the battlefield. In all other zones, its power is 0.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The value of X will change as the greatest power among creature cards in all graveyards changes.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You pay all costs and follow all timing rules for lands played and spells cast this way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Once you begin to cast a spell this way, losing control of Coram won't affect it. You can finish casting it as normal.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you play a land or cast a spell from a graveyard using another permission, it won't stop you from using Coram's permission to do the same thing later in the turn, provided you haven't already done so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If you play a land, cast a spell, or both using the permission granted by Coram's last ability and then have a new Coram come under your control in the same turn, you can still play a land, cast a spell, or both using the new Coram's permission.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If it's your turn, you control Coram, and another player has permission to play a card in a graveyard that was put there from a library this turn (perhaps because it's an instant card they own that has flashback), whoever gets priority sooner will have the first chance to play that card. In most cases, this will be you, since the active player receives priority after a spell or ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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