Far Traveler — ruling 1

When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.

Far Traveler — ruling 2

If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.

Far Traveler — ruling 3

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.

Far Traveler — ruling 4

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.

Far Traveler — ruling 5

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.

Far Traveler — ruling 6

If your commander loses the choose a Background ability or stops being a Background during the game, as appropriate, it is still your commander.

Far Traveler — ruling 7

Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won’t have to pay an additional {2} 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).

Far Traveler — ruling 8

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.

Far Traveler : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Far Traveler 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

Commander creatures you own have "At the beginning of your end step, exile up to one target tapped creature you control, then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control."

Complete guide

Far Traveler is a unique Legendary Background enchantment that allows your commander to reset your creatures after combat. By flickering tapped creatures, you can reuse powerful entry effects while keeping your board fresh for defense.

What Far Traveler Does

Far Traveler grants an triggered ability to your commander creatures. At the start of your end step, the commander allows you to exile one tapped creature you control and return it to the battlefield immediately. Because the creature returns as a new object, it enters the battlefield untapped, effectively 'vigilant' after attacking or using a tap ability.

Step-by-Step Resolution

1. At the beginning of your end step, the ability granted by Far Traveler triggers. 2. You choose a target creature you control that is currently tapped. 3. Upon resolution, the target is exiled. 4. Any Auras on it go to the graveyard, and Equipment falls off. 5. The card returns to the battlefield under its owner's control, triggering any 'enters the battlefield' abilities.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most important restriction is that the target must be tapped; you cannot use this to save an untapped creature from a sorcery-speed removal spell. Additionally, do not target creature tokens with this ability, as tokens that leave the battlefield cease to exist and will not return. Finally, remember that if your commander is not on the battlefield, the ability does not exist and won't trigger.

When to Play It

Far Traveler is best in decks that rely on creatures with 'Enters the Battlefield' (ETB) triggers or in aggressive decks that want to attack safely. By flickering a creature that just attacked, you ensure it is ready to block during your opponents' turns.

Interaction examples

Resetting Attackers for Defense

Ghostly Prison

If you have Ghostly Prison out to discourage attacks, you can use Far Traveler to flicker a creature that just attacked. Since the creature returns untapped, you now have a blocker ready, forcing your opponent to pay the {2} mana tax from Ghostly Prison just to deal with your freshly reset defender.

Maximizing Mana for Taxes

Smothering Tithe

While Far Traveler primarily targets creatures, it helps maintain your board presence while you spend mana elsewhere. If you are using your mana to pay for Smothering Tithe triggers or other utility spells, Far Traveler provides free value at every end step by resetting your best utility creature without requiring an additional mana investment.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Far Traveler

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1June 10, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
When the card returns to the battlefield, it will be a new object with no connection to the card that was exiled. Auras attached to the exiled creature will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2June 10, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3June 10, 2022· 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.
#4June 10, 2022· 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.
#5June 10, 2022· 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.
#6June 10, 2022· 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.
#7June 10, 2022· 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.
#8June 10, 2022· 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.
#9June 10, 2022· 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.
#10June 10, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
You can choose two commanders that are the same color or colors.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11June 10, 2022· 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.
#12June 10, 2022· 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.