Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares 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 this creature enters, target player creates a 1/1 white and black Inkling creature token with flying. Then if an opponent controls more creatures than you, this creature becomes prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.) Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
Complete guide
Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares is a versatile Cat Cleric that brings tactical balance to the battlefield. By rewarding opponents with an Inkling, it sets the stage to unlock its 'prepared' status, allowing you to cast one of Magic's most iconic removal spells from exile.
Understanding Preparation
Emeritus of Truce is a 'preparation' card, a creature that can hold a copy of an instant or sorcery in exile. When the creature enters, you target a player to receive a 1/1 Inkling token. Immediately after the token is created, the game checks creature counts. If an opponent controls more creatures than you, Emeritus of Truce becomes 'prepared.' This creates a copy of Swords to Plowshares in exile that you can cast at any time you could normally cast an instant.
Casting the Spell
When you choose to cast the copy of Swords to Plowshares from exile, you pay its mana cost ({W}) and choose a target as normal. Once the spell is cast, the Emeritus of Truce becomes 'unprepared.' The copy in exile ceases to exist after it resolves or is countered. Note that if your creature leaves the battlefield before you cast the spell, the copy in exile disappears immediately, and you lose the chance to use it.
Timing and State-Based Actions
Preparation is tied to the permanent on the battlefield. If Emeritus of Truce is cloned or becomes a copy of another creature, it does not stay prepared. Conversely, if it loses its abilities (such as being turned into a Forest), it remains prepared if it already was, and you can still cast Swords to Plowshares. Crucially, the check for 'more creatures' happens only during the resolution of the entry trigger; if the creature counts change later, it won't spontaneously become prepared.
Interaction examples
Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares
Solemn SimulacrumYou control no creatures and your opponent controls a Solemn Simulacrum. You cast Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares. When it enters, its ability triggers. You target yourself to create the 1/1 Inkling. After the token is created, you control two creatures (the Cat and the Inkling) and your opponent controls one. Since your opponent does not control more creatures than you, Emeritus of Truce does not become prepared.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield (naming Cat), Emeritus of Truce enters. The trigger happens twice. For the first trigger, you give your opponent an Inkling. Now they have more creatures, so Emeritus of Truce becomes prepared, creating a copy of Swords to Plowshares in exile. The second trigger resolves; you give the opponent another Inkling. Even though the condition is met again, a creature cannot be prepared more than once, so no additional copies of the spell are created.
InklingIf you and your opponent both control two creatures, you can cast Emeritus of Truce. When the trigger resolves, you target your opponent to create the 1/1 Inkling token. Now they control three creatures to your three. Since they do not control 'more' (strictly greater than) creatures than you, the Cat won't become prepared. You must ensure the Inkling puts them at a higher count than your current total to trigger the preparation.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Preparation cards can only be cast with their base characteristics.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Being prepared isn't a copiable value. If a permanent becomes a copy of a prepared creature, it won't be prepared. That permanent will have the alternative characteristics, though, and some other effect could cause it to become prepared later.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
While copies of spells in zones other than the stack cease to exist when state-based actions are checked, this does not apply to copies of prepare spells in exile that were created as a creature became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
A creature without a prepare spell can't become prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Creating a copy of a creature's prepare spell in exile ignores copy exceptions applied to that creature that would affect the copiable values of that spell. For example, say a player casts Croaking Counterpart (a sorcery that says "Create a token that's a copy of target non-Frog creature, except it's a 1/1 green Frog.") targeting Goblin Glasswright. The token copy of Goblin Glasswright will enter prepared as a 1/1 green Frog creature, but the copy of Craft with Pride in exile will still be a red sorcery. The copy of Craft with Pride won't be green, a creature, or a Frog, and it won't have power or toughness.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
As an effect causes a creature with a prepare spell to become prepared (including effects that state that a creature "enters prepared"), that creature's controller creates a copy of that creature's prepare spell in exile. That copy remains in exile for as long as that permanent is on the battlefield and is prepared. That creature's controller may cast that copy as long as it remains in exile. As they cast it, that creature stops being prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect causes a creature to become unprepared, a prepared creature stops being prepared and the associated copy of its prepare spell in exile ceases to exist. If it wasn't prepared at that time, nothing happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature loses all abilities, it won't stop being prepared, and nothing will happen to its alternative characteristics or to the copy of its prepare spell in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative prepare spell's name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
A preparation card is a creature card in every zone. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Emeritus of Ideation is a blue creature whose mana value is 5. It can't be the target of Zealous Lorecaster's triggered ability ("When this creature enters, return target instant or sorcery card from your graveyard to your hand.").
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
A creature with a prepare spell can't become prepared more than once at the same time. For example, Emeritus of Ideation is on the battlefield and is prepared. When it attacks, its last ability triggers. When that ability resolves, its controller may still exile eight cards from their graveyard, but doing so won't cause Emeritus of Ideation to become prepared a second time or create a second copy of Ancestral Recall in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #12· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepare spell with one or more targets has no legal targets when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. Since the spell was cast, the associated permanent will still not be prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #13· Wizards of the Coast
If a prepared creature stops being a creature, it will still be prepared, and the copy of its prepare spell will remain in exile. That permanent's controller will still be able to cast it. The same is true if a prepared creature becomes a copy of something else, even if it's then a permanent without a prepare spell.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #14· Wizards of the Coast
Casting a copy of a prepare spell from exile isn't casting it for an alternative cost. Effects that allow you to cast a spell for an alternative cost or without paying its mana cost may allow you to apply those to a copy of a prepare spell cast from exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #15· Wizards of the Coast
Only the current controller of a prepared creature can cast the copy of its prepare spell in exile. It doesn't matter who owns that creature or who controlled it when it became prepared.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Displacer Kitten + Storm-Kiln Artist + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares
- 1Cast a copy of Swords to Plowshares from exile by paying one mana, unpreparing Emeritus of Truce.
- 2When you cast this, Displacer Kitten and Storm-Kiln Artist triggers.
- 3Resolve the Displacer Kitten ability, flickering Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares.
- 4When Emeritus of Truce enters, it triggers, causing a player to create a 1/1 Inkling creature with flying, then becoming prepared.
- 5Resolve the remaining trigger, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the spell from step 1.
- 7Activate the Treasure token by tapping and sacrificing it, adding one mana.
- 8Repeat.
Displacer Kitten + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Party Thrasher
- 1Cast Swords to Plowshares using the convoke ability from Party Thrasher by tapping Emeritus of Truce.
- 2Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Emeritus of Truce, which enters prepared.
- 3Resolve Swords to Plowshares.
- 4Repeat.
Displacer Kitten + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia
- 1Cast Swords to Plowshares using the convoke ability from Invasion of Segovia // Caetus, Sea Tyrant of Segovia by tapping Emeritus of Truce.
- 2Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Emeritus of Truce, which enters prepared.
- 3Resolve Swords to Plowshares.
- 4Repeat.
Displacer Kitten + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Hoarding Broodlord
- 1Cast Swords to Plowshares using the convoke ability from Hoarding Broodlord by tapping Emeritus of Truce.
- 2Displacer Kitten triggers, blinking Emeritus of Truce, which enters prepared.
- 3Resolve Swords to Plowshares.
- 4Repeat.
Dovescape + Displacer Kitten + Phyrexian Altar + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares
- 1Cast a copy of the prepared spell by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten and Dovescape trigger.
- 3Resolve the Dovescape trigger, countering the prepared spell and creating a number of 1/1 flying Bird creature tokens equal to its mana value.
- 4Resolve the Displacer Kitten trigger, blinking Emeritus of Truce.
- 5When Emeritus of Truce enters, it triggers, causing a player to create a 1/1 flying Inkling token and becoming prepared.
- 6Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing a Bird token, adding one mana of any color.
- 7Repeat step 5 until you have enough mana to cast the prepared spell.
- 8Repeat
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Urn of Godfire
- 1Cast the copy of Swords to Plowshares from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Emeritus of Truce.
- 3When Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares enters, it and Mana Echoes triggers.
- 4Resolve the Emeritus of Truce trigger, causing an opponent to create a 1/1 Inkling creature token with flying and preparing Emeritus of Truce.
- 5Resolve the Mana Echoes trigger, adding at least
since Displacer Kitten and Emeritus of Truce are both Cats. - 6Resolve Swords to Plowshares, exiling a creature an opponent controls and causing them to gain life.
- 7Activate Urn of Godfire by paying
, adding one colored mana. - 8Repeat any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Prismite
- 1Cast the copy of Swords to Plowshares from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Emeritus of Truce.
- 3When Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares enters, it and Mana Echoes triggers.
- 4Resolve the Emeritus of Truce trigger, causing an opponent to create a 1/1 Inkling creature token with flying and preparing Emeritus of Truce.
- 5Resolve the Mana Echoes trigger, adding at least since Displacer Kitten and Emeritus of Truce are both Cats.
- 6Resolve Swords to Plowshares, exiling a creature an opponent controls and causing them to gain life.
- 7Activate Prismite by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat any number of times.
Displacer Kitten + Mana Echoes + Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares + Energy Refractor
- 1Cast the copy of Swords to Plowshares from exile by paying its mana cost.
- 2When you cast that spell, Displacer Kitten triggers, flickering Emeritus of Truce.
- 3When Emeritus of Truce // Swords to Plowshares enters, it and Mana Echoes triggers.
- 4Resolve the Emeritus of Truce trigger, causing an opponent to create a 1/1 Inkling creature token with flying and preparing Emeritus of Truce.
- 5Resolve the Mana Echoes trigger, adding at least since Displacer Kitten and Emeritus of Truce are both Cats.
- 6Resolve Swords to Plowshares, exiling a creature an opponent controls and causing them to gain life.
- 7Activate Energy Refractor by paying , adding one colored mana.
- 8Repeat any number of times.
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