Daru Spiritualist 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
Whenever a Cleric creature you control becomes the target of a spell or ability, it gets +0/+2 until end of turn.
Complete guide
Daru Spiritualist is a classic Cleric tribal piece that turns even the smallest interaction into a defensive boon. This Human Cleric excels at keeping your board resilient against targeted effects by boosting the toughness of your Clerics. Whether you are targeting them yourself or your opponent is trying to remove them, this card ensures your team stays standing.
What It Does
Daru Spiritualist has a triggered ability that triggers whenever a Cleric creature you control becomes the target of a spell or ability. This includes spells cast by opponents, such as removal, as well as abilities you activate or trigger yourself. Each time a Cleric is targeted, it receives a +0/+2 bonus to its toughness until the end of the turn.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, a spell or ability must be put on the stack that specifically targets a Cleric you control. Second, the Daru Spiritualist's ability triggers and is placed on the stack on top of that spell or ability. Third, the +0/+2 bonus resolves first, increasing the Cleric's toughness before the original effect attempts to resolve. This is crucial for surviving damage-based spells.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake is thinking Daru Spiritualist triggers when a Cleric is affected by a spell that doesn't use the word 'target,' such as board wipes or global debuffs. Additionally, the bonus only applies to the Cleric that was targeted, not all Clerics you control. Note that Daru Spiritualist is itself a Cleric, so it can trigger its own ability if it becomes the target of a spell or ability.
When to Play It
Daru Spiritualist is best utilized in dedicated Cleric decks where you can reliably trigger its ability. It is particularly effective when combined with repeatable targeting abilities, such as equipment or reusable activated abilities, to create creatures with massive toughness that can block almost anything or survive high-damage spells.
Interaction examples
If your opponent casts a spell like Shock targeting Daru Spiritualist, its ability triggers. The +0/+2 bonus resolves first, making Daru Spiritualist a 1/3 creature. When Shock resolves, it deals 2 damage, but the creature survives because its toughness was boosted in time.
Esper SentinelIf you target Esper Sentinel with an ability while Daru Spiritualist is on the battlefield, nothing happens regarding the toughness boost. Since Esper Sentinel is a Human Soldier and not a Cleric, it does not satisfy the trigger condition of Daru Spiritualist.
Ornithopter of ParadiseIf an opponent targets your Ornithopter of Paradise with a removal spell, Daru Spiritualist will not trigger. Because Ornithopter of Paradise is a Thopter and lacks the Cleric creature type, it will not receive the +0/+2 bonus, even if Daru Spiritualist is currently in play.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Daru Spiritualist
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
No additional ruling has been published for this card.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Daru Spiritualist + Starlit Sanctum + Shaman en-Kor
- 1Activate Shaman en-Kor by paying
, targeting Daru Spiritualist. - 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 4Activate Starlit Sanctum's second ability by paying
, tapping it and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim + Daru Spiritualist + Shaman en-Kor
- 1Activate Shaman en-Kor's first ability by paying , targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Resolve the Shaman en-Kor ability, causing the next one damage dealt to Shaman en-Kor this turn to be dealt to Daru Spiritualist instead.
- 4Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 5Activate Ayli's first ability by paying
and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Daru Spiritualist + Nomads en-Kor + Worthy Cause
- 1Activate Nomads en-Kor's first ability by paying , targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Resolve the Nomads en-Kor ability, causing the next one damage dealt to Nomads en-Kor this turn to be dealt to Daru Spiritualist instead.
- 4Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 5Cast Worthy Cause by paying and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Daru Spiritualist + Starlit Sanctum + Lightning Greaves
- 1Activate Lightning Greaves's equip ability by paying , targeting a creature that doesn't currently have Lightning Greaves attached.
- 2If the targeted creature was a Cleric, Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Resolve the Lightning Greaves ability.
- 4Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 5Activate Starlit Sanctum's second ability by paying , tapping it and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Outrider en-Kor + Daru Spiritualist + Worthy Cause
- 1Pay to activate Outrider en-Kor, targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, giving itself +0/+2 untill end of turn.
- 3Repeat steps 1-2 untill Daru Spiritualist has infinite toughness.
- 4Pay to cast Worthy Cause, sacrificing Daru Spiritualist and gaining life equal to its toughness.
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim + Daru Spiritualist + Nomads en-Kor
- 1Activate Nomads en-Kor's first ability by paying , targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Resolve the Nomads en-Kor ability, causing the next one damage dealt to Nomads en-Kor this turn to be dealt to Daru Spiritualist instead.
- 4Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 5Activate Ayli's first ability by paying and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Daru Spiritualist + Shaman en-Kor + Worthy Cause
- 1Activate Shaman en-Kor's first ability by paying , targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, causing itself to get +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Resolve the Shaman en-Kor ability, causing the next one damage dealt to Shaman en-Kor this turn to be dealt to Daru Spiritualist instead.
- 4Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 5Cast Worthy Cause by paying and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Daru Spiritualist + Animal Boneyard + Nomads en-Kor
- 1Activate Nomads en-Kor by paying , targeting Daru Spiritualist.
- 2Daru Spiritualist triggers, giving it +0/+2 until end of turn.
- 3Repeat an arbitrarily large number of times.
- 4Activate the land with Animal Boneyard attached by tapping it and sacrificing Daru Spiritualist, causing you to gain life equal to Daru Spiritualist's toughness.
Legal formats
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