Erratic Portal 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
,
: Return target creature to its owner's hand unless its controller pays
Complete guide
Erratic Portal is a classic utility artifact that provides exceptional flexibility for both offense and defense. By threatening to bounce creatures back to their owners' hands, it forces opponents to keep mana open or lose their board presence. This card is a staple in decks that rely on enter-the-battlefield abilities and tactical tempo plays.
What Erratic Portal Does
Erratic Portal allows you to pay one generic mana and tap the artifact to target any creature on the battlefield. The controller of that creature then faces a choice: pay one generic mana to keep the creature where it is, or let it be returned to its owner's hand. Because it can target your own creatures, it serves as a powerful tool for protecting your units from removal or reusing their powerful effects.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you activate the ability by paying {1} and tapping Erratic Portal, choosing a legal target creature. When the ability resolves, the creature's controller is given the opportunity to pay {1}. If they choose to pay, the ability finishes resolving with no effect. If they cannot or choose not to pay, the creature is moved from the battlefield to its owner's hand. Note that this is not a mana ability; players cannot react after the choice to pay has been made.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error is forgetting that Erratic Portal can be used on your own creatures to 'save' them. If you target your own creature, you simply decline to pay the {1} cost, allowing the creature to return to your hand. Another mistake is timing: if you want to use this to bounce an opponent's creature, the best time is often during their end step when they have tapped out all their mana, ensuring they cannot pay the tax.
When to Play It
Erratic Portal shines in slower formats like Commander where mana efficiency is key. It is most effective when you have creatures with powerful 'enters' abilities that you want to trigger multiple times. It also serves as an excellent political tool, as you can threaten to bounce an opponent's blocker to clear a path for another player's attack.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou cast Solemn Simulacrum and search for a basic land. On your next turn, you activate Erratic Portal targeting your own Solemn Simulacrum. You choose not to pay the {1} tax, returning the Golem to your hand. This allows you to cast it again, fetching another land and doubling the value of a single card.
Commander's SphereIf you wish to bounce your own creature but find yourself short on mana, you can tap Commander's Sphere to add the {1} required to activate Erratic Portal. This interaction ensures you can always afford the activation cost of the Portal even if your lands are tapped, maintaining your ability to protect your board at all times.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Erratic Portal
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.
Archaeomancer + Erratic Portal + Time Warp
- 1Cast Time Warp by paying
, taking an extra turn after this one. - 2Cast Archaeomancer by paying
. - 3Archaeomancer enters the battlefield, returning Time Warp to your hand.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Archaeomancer to your hand.
- 5Move to your next turn.
- 6Repeat.
Emrakul, the Promised End + Erratic Portal + Unwinding Clock + Vedalken Orrery
- 1Cast Emrakul by paying
reduced by its first ability. - 2Emrakul's second ability triggers, causing you to gain control of an opponent's next turn and giving them an additional turn after that one.
- 3Move to that opponent's next turn.
- 4Unwinding Clock triggers, untapping all artifacts you control.
- 5Activate artifacts by tapping them to add enough mana to cast Emrakul, plus an additional .
- 6Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Emrakul from the battlefield to your hand.
- 7Repeat until the opponent you are controlling each extra turn has lost the game.
- 8Repeat for each remaining opponent.
Inalla, Archmage Ritualist + Timestream Navigator + Erratic Portal
- 1Cast Timestream Navigator by paying .
- 2Timestream Navigator enters the battlefield, triggering Inalla; pay to make a token copy of Timestream Navigator with haste.
- 3Activate the token Timestream Navigator by paying , tapping it, and putting it on the bottom of your library, taking an extra turn after this one.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning the original Timestream Navigator to your hand.
- 5Repeat each turn.
Archaeomancer + Erratic Portal + Temporal Manipulation
- 1Cast Temporal Manipulation by paying , taking an extra turn after this one.
- 2Cast Archaeomancer by paying .
- 3Archaeomancer enters the battlefield, returning Temporal Manipulation to your hand.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Archaeomancer to your hand.
- 5Move to your next turn.
- 6Repeat.
Archaeomancer + Erratic Portal + Walk the Aeons
- 1Cast Walk the Aeons by paying
, taking an extra turn after this one. - 2Cast Archaeomancer by paying .
- 3Archaeomancer enters the battlefield, returning Walk the Aeons to your hand.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Archaeomancer to your hand.
- 5Move to your next turn.
- 6Repeat.
Archaeomancer + Erratic Portal + Capture of Jingzhou
- 1Cast Capture of Jingzhou by paying , taking an extra turn after this one.
- 2Cast Archaeomancer by paying .
- 3Archaeomancer enters the battlefield, returning Capture of Jingzhou to your hand.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Archaeomancer to your hand.
- 5Move to your next turn.
- 6Repeat.
Wormfang Manta + Scroll of Fate + Erratic Portal
- 1Activate Scroll of Fate by tapping it, manifesting Wormfang Manta from your hand.
- 2Pay
to turn Wormfang Manta face up. - 3Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Wormfang Manta from the battlefield to your hand.
- 4Wormfang Manta's LTB ability triggers, creating an extra turn after this one.
- 5Repeat each turn.
Mnemonic Wall + Erratic Portal + Time Warp
- 1Cast Time Warp by paying , taking an extra turn after this one.
- 2Cast Mnemonic Wall by paying .
- 3Mnemonic Wall enters the battlefield, returning Time Warp from your graveyard to your hand.
- 4Activate Erratic Portal by paying and tapping it, returning Mnemonic Wall from the battlefield to your hand.
- 5Repeat each turn.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Erratic Portal
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