Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody 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
: Look at the top X cards of your library, where X is the number of tokens you created this turn. Put one of those cards into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. Choose a Background (You can have a Background as a second commander.)
Complete guide
Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody is a legendary creature from Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's Gate that rewards players for generating a wide board of tokens. By keeping track of your productivity throughout the turn, she transforms your tokens into powerful card selection. This Human Peasant is also a versatile commander choice thanks to the 'Choose a Background' mechanic.
Token Tracking Mechanics
Ellyn's activated ability checks how many tokens you created during the current turn at the moment the ability resolves. This includes every type of token: creatures, Treasures, Clues, Food, or even Roles. It is important to note that the tokens do not need to still be on the battlefield or even under your control; as long as you were the player who created them, they count toward the value of X.
Resolving the Ability
When you tap Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody, you look at the top X cards of your library. From that set, you choose exactly one card to put into your hand. The remaining cards are moved to the bottom of your library in a random order. If X is zero because you haven't created any tokens, you will look at zero cards and put nothing into your hand.
Common Missteps with Copies
A frequent point of confusion involves copying permanent spells. If an effect creates a copy of a permanent spell, that spell resolves and enters the battlefield as a token. However, according to official Magic rules, this token was not 'created.' Because it was not created in the technical sense, these specific tokens will not be counted by Ellyn's ability.
When to Activate Ellyn
Because Ellyn counts tokens created throughout the entire turn, it is often best to wait until your second main phase or the end of an opponent's turn after you have maximized your token production. However, since it is a tap ability, you must ensure she doesn't have summoning sickness and that you have a plan to protect her if you are waiting for a high X value.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne with 'Human' or 'Peasant' chosen, and an ability triggers from creating tokens, you might double your output. While Roaming Throne doubles triggered abilities, Ellyn's ability is activated. However, if you use an effect to create 3 tokens while Roaming Throne is out, Ellyn will see X=3. If you find a way to untap Ellyn, you can use her again in the same turn to look at the same number of cards.
Solemn SimulacrumIf you cast Solemn Simulacrum, it enters as a non-token creature. Even though it puts a land onto the battlefield, that land is a card, not a token. If you activate Ellyn after playing only Solemn Simulacrum, X will be 0. To make Ellyn effective, you would need to use an effect that creates a token copy of Solemn Simulacrum instead; in that case, X would be 1.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ellyn Harbreeze, Busybody
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Ellyn's ability counts all tokens you created that turn prior to the ability resolving, including both noncreature and creature tokens. It doesn't matter if those tokens are still on the battlefield or under your control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect creates a copy of a permanent spell, that spell becomes a token on the battlefield under your control, but that token has not been "created." It won't count for Ellyn's ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Choose a Background is a variant of the partner ability. You may have two commanders if one of them is a legendary creature with the choose a background ability and the other is a legendary Background enchantment. Backgrounds and cards with choose a Background do not interact with cards which have any other partner ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can include only cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional
the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 combat damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined (although your Background won't usually be a creature anyway).No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
If a card refers to a commander creature you own, a Background won't usually be counted or included for that effect. If another spell or ability causes your Background to become a creature, however, it will be included. Any effect that refers to your commander or a commander you own or control without specifying creature will apply to a Background that is your commander, as appropriate.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If you control a Background that grants an ability to commander creatures you own, and you own more than one commander creature, each of them will have that ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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