Expropriate 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
Council's dilemma — Starting with you, each player votes for time or money. For each time vote, take an extra turn after this one. For each money vote, choose a permanent owned by the voter and gain control of it. Exile Expropriate.
Complete guide
Expropriate is one of the most impactful sorceries in the Commander format, often swinging the game entirely in your favor. This Council's dilemma spell forces your opponents to make a difficult choice between giving you extra turns or losing their best permanents. Because each vote contributes to the final effect, the outcome is always powerful regardless of what your opponents choose.
How the Dilemma Works
When Expropriate resolves, every player starting with you makes a choice: time or money. Unlike traditional politics where the majority wins, every single vote counts toward the final resolution. You will get one extra turn for every 'time' vote and one permanent for every 'money' vote. Importantly, you do not choose the permanents you want until the votes are actually cast during the spell's resolution.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you cast Expropriate and players may respond. Once the spell begins to resolve, no one can take actions between the voting and the effects. You vote first, then each other player in turn order. After all votes are cast, you take all extra turns granted by the 'time' votes. Finally, you gain control of the permanents chosen for the 'money' votes. The spell is then exiled to prevent easy recursion.
Strategic Timing
Because Expropriate costs nine mana, it is often a late-game finisher. You should play it when your opponents have established high-value permanents like Commanders or powerful artifacts, or when you are in a position to win the game with just one or two extra turns. Remember that you can always vote 'time' for yourself to ensure you get at least one extra turn.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is thinking you can respond after the votes are revealed. Once players start voting, the spell is resolving, and no one can cast spells or activate abilities until the entire process—including gaining control of permanents—is finished. Additionally, if a player votes 'money', you choose a permanent they own, not one they currently control.
Interaction examples
Aminatou's AuguryIf you cast Aminatou's Augury and find Expropriate among the top eight cards of your library, you can cast it without paying its mana cost. This allows you to resolve a massive Council's dilemma for free, potentially gaining multiple turns and permanents while still having all your mana available to spend during those extra turns.
Treasure CruiseIn a long game, you might use Treasure Cruise to dig through your deck to find Expropriate. If you happen to take three extra turns from Expropriate, you will have three additional draw steps and three additional land drops, giving you the perfect opportunity to cast any other powerful spells you drew into.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Expropriate
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Votes are cast in turn order, and each player will know the votes of players who voted beforehand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Each player must vote for one of the available options. They can't abstain.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
No player votes until Expropriate resolves. Any responses to the spell must be made without knowing the outcome of the vote.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
You must vote for one of the available options. You can't abstain.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with an enters-the-battlefield council's dilemma ability leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, players can still vote for any option that would put +1/+1 counters on that creature, even though—or perhaps especially because—those votes won't generate an effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
Unlike the will of the council cards from the original Conspiracy set, where a majority of votes determined what happened, each vote made for a council's dilemma card adds to the ultimate effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Players can't do anything between voting and finishing the resolution of the spell or ability that included the vote.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
No player votes until the spell or ability resolves. Any responses to that spell or ability must be made without knowing the outcome of the vote.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
The effects of each council's dilemma ability happen in the stated order. First the vote occurs, then the first effect, and finally the second effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Because the votes are made in turn order, each player will know the votes of players who voted beforehand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Panoptic Mirror + Expropriate
- 1At the beginning of your upkeep, Panoptic Mirror triggers, casting a copy of Expropriate without paying its mana cost.
- 2Resolve Expropriate, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 3Repeat each turn.
Taigam, Master Opportunist + Clockspinning + Expropriate
- 1Cast Expropriate by paying its mana cost.
- 2Taigam triggers, copying Expropriate and exiling the original Expropriate with four time counters on it.
- 3Resolve the Expropriate copy, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 4Cast Clockspinning with buyback by paying
, removing a time counter from Expropriate and returning Clockspinning to your hand. - 5Repeat step 4 one additional time.
- 6Move to your next turn. At the beginning of your upkeep, Expropriate's suspend ability triggers, removing a time counter from it.
- 7Cast Clockspinning with buyback by paying , removing a time counter from Expropriate and returning Clockspinning to your hand.
- 8Expropriate's suspend ability triggers, causing you to cast it from exile without paying its mana cost.
The Tenth Doctor + Taigam, Master Opportunist + Expropriate
- 1Cast the self-suspending card by paying its mana cost if its in your hand, or any other spell otherwise if you have not cast a spell this turn.
- 2Cast Expropriate by paying its mana cost.
- 3Taigam triggers, copying Expropriate and then exiling it with four time counters on it and giving it suspend.
- 4Resolve the copy of Expropriate, causing you to take an extra turn after this one.
- 5Move to your next turn. At the beginning of that turn's upkeep, Expropriate and the self-suspending card's suspend abilities trigger, removing a time counter from each of them.
- 6Activate The Tenth Doctor by paying
, removing three time counters from Expropriate and the self-suspending card, triggering their suspend abilities. - 7Resolve the self-suspending card's suspend trigger, causing you to cast it from exile without paying its mana cost, and eventually exile it with time counters on it.
- 8Resolve the Expropriate's suspend trigger, causing you to cast it from exile without paying its mana cost.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Scroll Rack + Expropriate
- 1Tap Scroll Rack and pay
to activate it, putting Expropriate on top of your library. - 2Pass the turn.
- 3On your next draw step, when you draw Expropriate, reveal it due to Kefnet's ability, making a copy that costs
less to cast. - 4Cast the copy for
, granting you an extra turn.
God-Eternal Kefnet + Jace, the Mind Sculptor + Expropriate
- 1Activate Jace's zero loyalty ability, putting Expropriate on top of your library.
- 2Pass the turn.
- 3On your next draw step, when you draw Expropriate, reveal it due to Kefnet's ability, making a copy that costs less to cast.
- 4Cast the copy for , granting you an extra turn.
Fire Lord Azula + Narset's Reversal + Vedalken Orrery + Expropriate
- 1Declare Fire Lord Azula as an attacker, triggering its firebending ability, adding
. - 2Holding priority, cast Expropriate by paying its mana cost.
- 3Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Expropriate.
- 4Holding priority, cast Narset's Reversal by paying , targeting the original Expropriate spell.
- 5Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Narset's Reversal, targeting the original Narset's Reversal.
- 6Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, causing you to copy Narset's Reversal targeting the original Expropriate spell, and then return the original Narset's Reversal to your hand.
- 7Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, copying Expropriate and returning the original Expropriate to your hand.
- 8Resolve both copies of Expropriate from steps 3 and 7, causing you to take at least two extra turns after this one.
Fire Lord Azula + Narset's Reversal + Expropriate + Valley Floodcaller
- 1Declare Fire Lord Azula as an attacker, triggering its firebending ability, adding .
- 2Holding priority, cast Expropriate by paying its mana cost.
- 3Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Expropriate.
- 4Holding priority, cast Narset's Reversal by paying , targeting the original Expropriate spell.
- 5Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Narset's Reversal, targeting the original Narset's Reversal.
- 6Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, causing you to copy Narset's Reversal targeting the original Expropriate spell, and then return the original Narset's Reversal to your hand.
- 7Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, copying Expropriate and returning the original Expropriate to your hand.
- 8Resolve both copies of Expropriate from steps 3 and 7, causing you to take at least two extra turns after this one.
Fire Lord Azula + Narset's Reversal + Expropriate + Tidal Barracuda
- 1Declare Fire Lord Azula as an attacker, triggering its firebending ability, adding .
- 2Holding priority, cast Expropriate by paying its mana cost.
- 3Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Expropriate.
- 4Holding priority, cast Narset's Reversal by paying , targeting the original Expropriate spell.
- 5Fire Lord Azula's second ability triggers, copying Narset's Reversal, targeting the original Narset's Reversal.
- 6Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, causing you to copy Narset's Reversal targeting the original Expropriate spell, and then return the original Narset's Reversal to your hand.
- 7Resolve the copy of Narset's Reversal, copying Expropriate and returning the original Expropriate to your hand.
- 8Resolve both copies of Expropriate from steps 3 and 7, causing you to take at least two extra turns after this one.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Expropriate
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