Elanor Gardner 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
When Elanor enters, create a Food token. At the beginning of your end step, if you sacrificed a Food this turn, you may search your library for a basic land card, put that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Complete guide
Elanor Gardner is a versatile legendary creature that rewards you for utilizing the Food mechanic in Magic: The Gathering. Not only does she provide resources upon entering the battlefield, but she also ensures your mana base grows every turn you stay well-fed.
Providing the Feast
When Elanor Gardner enters the battlefield, her first ability triggers, and you create a Food token. This token is an artifact with the ability '{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: You gain 3 life.' This ensures that even if you have no other setup, Elanor provides the necessary piece to trigger her more powerful end-step ability later in the turn.
The End Step Trigger
At the beginning of your end step, Elanor checks if you have sacrificed a Food at any point during the current turn. This is an 'intervening if' clause; the ability will not trigger at all if a Food hasn't been sacrificed before the end step begins. If the condition is met, the ability goes on the stack, and as it resolves, you may search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped.
Timing and Conditions
Crucially, Elanor Gardner does not need to be on the battlefield when the Food is sacrificed. If you sacrifice a Food token during your upkeep or main phase and then cast Elanor afterwards, her ability will still trigger during the end step. However, you cannot sacrifice a Food during the end step itself to satisfy the condition, as the check happens the moment the phase starts.
Food Definitions
In Magic, 'Food' is an artifact type. While most Food comes in the form of tokens, any permanent with the 'Food' subtype counts. Note that you cannot sacrifice a single Food to pay for two different costs; you must have sacrificed it for its own life-gain ability or another effect that specifically requires sacrificing a Food to satisfy Elanor's requirement.
Interaction examples
Elanor Gardner
Food1. Cast Elanor Gardner for {3}{G}. 2. When she enters, her ability puts a Food token onto the battlefield. 3. During your post-combat main phase, pay {2} and sacrifice that Food token to gain 3 life. 4. At the beginning of your end step, Elanor's ability triggers because a Food was sacrificed. You search for a basic Forest and put it into play tapped.
Solemn Simulacrum1. On your turn, you already have a Food token from a previous turn. 2. You cast Solemn Simulacrum, searching for a basic land. 3. You sacrifice your Food token to gain 3 life. 4. At your end step, Elanor triggers, allowing you to fetch a second basic land for the turn. This demonstrates how Elanor provides consistent value similar to the Golem's enter-the-battlefield effect.
Eternal Witness1. You sacrifice a Food token early in the turn. 2. At the end step, Elanor's ability triggers, and you put a basic land onto the battlefield. 3. On a later turn, if Elanor is destroyed, you can play Eternal Witness to return Elanor Gardner from your graveyard to your hand, allowing you to restart her engine and create a new Food token upon re-casting her.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Elanor Gardner
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect refers to a Food, it means any Food artifact, not just a Food artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Tough Cookie (an Artifact Creature — Food Golem) to activate Maraleaf Rider's ability (an ability with "Sacrifice a Food" in its cost).
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Food is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some creatures, it's never a creature type.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You can't sacrifice a Food to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Food token to activate its own ability and also to activate Maraleaf Rider's ability.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Whatever you do, don't eat the delicious cards.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Elanor Gardner doesn't need to have been on the battlefield when you sacrificed a Food this turn. For example, if you sacrifice a Food during your first main phase and you cast Elanor Gardner during your second main phase, its last ability will trigger at the beginning of your end step.
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Elanor Gardner's last ability will trigger only once during your end step, no matter how many Foods you sacrificed this turn. However, if you haven't sacrificed any Foods this turn as your end step begins, the ability won't trigger at all. It's not possible to sacrifice a Food during the end step in time to have the ability trigger.
Card named in this ruling
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Meta decks with Elanor Gardner
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.