Guardian Project 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
Whenever a nontoken creature you control enters, if it doesn't have the same name as another creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard, draw a card.
Complete guide
Guardian Project is a powerful green enchantment that rewards diversity in your creature lineup. It provides consistent card draw in formats like Commander where deck lists are primarily unique cards. By ensuring your creatures enter the battlefield with unique names, you can keep your hand full throughout the game.
Understanding the Name Check
Guardian Project triggers whenever a nontoken creature enters the battlefield under your control. However, it features an 'intervening if' clause, meaning it checks for duplicate names twice: once when the creature enters and once when the ability attempts to resolve. To draw a card, the new creature must not share a name with any other creature you currently control or any creature card in your graveyard.
Resolving the Trigger
Step 1: A nontoken creature enters the battlefield. Step 2: The game checks if you already control a creature with that name or have one in your graveyard. If you do, the ability never triggers. Step 3: If the name is unique, the ability goes on the stack. Step 4: As the ability resolves, the game checks the names again. If a creature with that name entered your graveyard or another copy was played in response, the ability does nothing.
Common Mistakes
A frequent error occurs when the entering creature is destroyed in response to the trigger. If your creature dies while the draw ability is on the stack, it is now a creature card in your graveyard with its own name. When the ability checks again during resolution, it sees that name in the graveyard and prevents you from drawing. Additionally, remember that Guardian Project only triggers for nontoken creatures; tokens will never trigger this ability.
Face-Down Creatures
An interesting interaction involves face-down creatures (such as those with Morph or Cloak). A face-down creature has no name. Because it has no name, it cannot share a name with any other permanent or card, even other nameless face-down creatures. Therefore, every face-down nontoken creature that enters will successfully trigger Guardian Project and let you draw a card.
Interaction examples
Doubling SeasonIf you have Doubling Season on the battlefield and an effect creates a creature token, Doubling Season will create two tokens instead. However, since Guardian Project specifically specifies 'nontoken creature,' neither token will cause the ability to trigger, regardless of how many are created.
Garruk's UprisingIf you control both enchantments and cast a 4/4 creature with a unique name, both will trigger. You can choose the order they go on the stack. Garruk's Uprising will check the creature's power, while Guardian Project checks its name. If both conditions are met, you will draw two cards total.
You cast a creature that is unique to your battlefield and graveyard. Guardian Project triggers. In response, an opponent destroys that creature. The creature moves to the graveyard. When Guardian Project's ability tries to resolve, it checks the graveyard, sees the card that just died, and realizes the name is no longer unique. The ability fails, and you do not draw a card.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Guardian Project
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Whether the entering creature shares a name with a creature you control or a creature card in your graveyard is checked both as that creature enters and as Guardian Project's ability resolves. If the entering creature isn't the first of its name as it enters, the ability doesn't trigger at all; if its name is shared as the ability resolves, you don't draw a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the entering creature is put into your graveyard while Guardian Project's ability is on the stack, that same card will be a creature card in your graveyard that shares a name with the creature that was on the battlefield, so you won't draw a card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If the entering creature leaves the battlefield and returns while Guardian Project's ability is on the stack, that same card will be a new creature you control that shares a name with the creature that was on the battlefield, so you won't draw a card. However, Guardian Project's ability may trigger for the new creature and you may draw a card as that ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
A face-down creature has no name, so it can't share a name with anything. This includes other creatures with no name.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Shield Sphere + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Shield Sphere by paying
. - 2Tangleroot triggers, adding
. - 3When Shield Sphere enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying
, replacing the next card you draw. - 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Shield Sphere from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Crookshank Kobolds + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Crookshank Kobolds by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Crookshank Kobolds enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Crookshank Kobolds from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Memnite + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Memnite by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Memnite enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Memnite from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Crimson Kobolds + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Crimson Kobolds by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Crimson Kobolds enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Crimson Kobolds from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Kobolds of Kher Keep + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Kobolds of Kher Keep by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Kobolds of Kher Keep enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Kobolds of Kher Keep from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Ornithopter + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Ornithopter by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Ornithopter enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Ornithopter from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Phyrexian Walker + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Phyrexian Walker by paying .
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Phyrexian Walker enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Phyrexian Walker from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Tangleroot + Words of Wind + Rograkh, Son of Rohgahh + Guardian Project
- 1Cast Rograkh either from your hand or from the command zone by paying plus commander tax, if applicable.
- 2Tangleroot triggers, adding .
- 3When Rograkh enters the battlefield, Guardian Project triggers.
- 4Holding priority, activate Words of Wind by paying , replacing the next card you draw.
- 5Resolve the Guardian Project trigger, causing you to return Rograkh from the battlefield to your hand, and causing each opponent to return a permanent they control from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Guardian Project
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