Hellkite Courser 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
Flying When this creature enters, you may put a commander you own from the command zone onto the battlefield. It gains haste. Return it to the command zone at the beginning of the next end step.
Complete guide
Hellkite Courser is a powerful Dragon that lets your Commander join the fray earlier than expected. By bypassing mana costs and the command tax, it creates explosive turns that can catch opponents off guard. Let's look at how to maximize this airborne recruitment.
Summoning the Leader
When Hellkite Courser enters the battlefield, its triggered ability allows you to put a commander you own from the command zone directly onto the battlefield. This is a special action that does not count as casting the spell, meaning you ignore both the mana cost and any accumulated commander tax. The commander stays for the turn, gains haste, and must return to the command zone at the beginning of the next end step.
The End Step Return
The ability creates a delayed trigger that waits for the next end step to trigger. If your commander is still on the battlefield at that time, it moves back to the command zone. However, because this return relies on the commander being the same object that entered, if it leaves the battlefield and returns before the end step (via a flicker effect), it will stay on the battlefield permanently because it is considered a new object.
Common Mistakes
Players often worry that using Hellkite Courser will make their commander more expensive to cast later. Since you are putting the card onto the battlefield rather than casting it, the 'commander tax' count does not increase. Additionally, remember that the commander must be in the command zone for this ability to work; you cannot pull it from your hand or your graveyard.
Strategic Timing
Since Hellkite Courser provides haste to the commander it brings in, it is best played during your pre-combat main phase. This ensures you can utilize attack triggers or tap abilities immediately. If you have ways to sacrifice the commander for value before the end step, you can still do so, though the card will then follow the normal rules for commanders changing zones.
Interaction examples
Etali, Primal StormIf Etali, Primal Storm is your commander in the command zone, you can play Hellkite Courser and put Etali onto the battlefield. Because Etali gains haste, you can attack immediately. This triggers Etali's ability, allowing you to cast the top cards of all players' libraries for free. At the end of the turn, Etali returns safely to the command zone.
Goldspan DragonWhile Goldspan Dragon is a regular creature and cannot be pulled from the command zone by the Courser, having both on the field creates a massive flying threat. If your commander is already on the field or you use the Courser to bring in a different legendary dragon, you can swing with a significant air force. Remember that the Courser itself provides a body to benefit from any global Dragon-tribal buffs you might have.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Hellkite Courser
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Putting your commander onto the battlefield this way isn't the same as casting that commander. The "commander tax" won't increase.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You'll return the commander to the command zone only if it's still on the battlefield as the delayed triggered ability resolves. If it's in another zone, it will stay where it is.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Hellkite Courser + Cloudstone Curio + Food Chain
- 1Activate Food Chain by exiling your commander, adding at least six
that can only be spent to cast creature spells. - 2Choose to return your commander to the command zone from exile.
- 3Cast Hellkite Charger by paying
. - 4When Hellkite Charger enters the battlefield, it and Cloudstone Curio trigger.
- 5Resolve the Cloudstone Curio trigger, choosing to return nothing to your hand from the battlefield.
- 6Resolve the Hellkite Charger trigger, putting your commander onto the battlefield from the command zone.
- 7When your commander enters the battlefield, Cloudstone Curio triggers, returning Hellkite Charger from the battlefield to your hand.
- 8Repeat.
Bladewing the Risen + Hellkite Courser + Goblin Bombardment
- 1Cast Hellkite Courser by paying .
- 2When Hellkite Courser enters the battlefield, it triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Hellkite Courser, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 4Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger, putting Bladewing the Risen from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 5When Bladewing the Risen enters the battlefield, it triggers.
- 6Holding priority, activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Bladewing the Risen.
- 7Choose to return Bladewing the Risen to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 8Resolve the Goblin Bombardment ability, dealing 1 damage to any target.
Bladewing the Risen + Hellkite Courser + Altar of Dementia
- 1Cast Hellkite Courser by paying .
- 2When Hellkite Courser enters the battlefield, it triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing Hellkite Courser, causing target player to mill cards equal to Hellkite Courser's power.
- 4Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger, putting Bladewing the Risen from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 5When Bladewing the Risen enters the battlefield, it triggers.
- 6Holding priority, activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing Bladewing the Risen.
- 7Choose to return Bladewing the Risen to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 8Resolve the Altar of Dementia ability, causing target player to mill cards equal to Bladewing the Risen's power.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Hellkite Courser + Goblin Bombardment
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of Hellkite Courser with haste.
- 2The Hellkite Courser token enters the battlefield, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Kiki-Jiki.
- 4Choose to return Kiki-Jiki to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 5Resolve the Goblin Bombardment trigger from step 3.
- 6Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger from step 2, putting Kiki-Jiki from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 7Repeat.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Hellkite Courser + Altar of Dementia
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of Hellkite Courser with haste.
- 2The Hellkite Courser token enters the battlefield, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate Altar of Dementia by sacrificing Kiki-Jiki.
- 4Choose to return Kiki-Jiki to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 5Resolve the Altar of Dementia trigger from step 3.
- 6Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger from step 2, putting Kiki-Jiki from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 7Repeat.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Hellkite Courser + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of Hellkite Courser with haste.
- 2The Hellkite Courser token enters the battlefield, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing Kiki-Jiki, adding one mana of any color.
- 4Choose to return Kiki-Jiki to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 5Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger from step 2, putting Kiki-Jiki from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 6Repeat.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Hellkite Courser + Ashnod's Altar
- 1Activate Kiki-Jiki by tapping it, creating a token copy of Hellkite Courser with haste.
- 2The Hellkite Courser token enters the battlefield, triggering its ability.
- 3Holding priority, activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Kiki-Jiki, adding
. - 4Choose to return Kiki-Jiki to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 5Resolve the Hellkite Courser trigger from step 2, putting Kiki-Jiki from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 6Repeat.
Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Hellkite Courser + Goblin Bombardment
- 1Activate Goblin Bombardment by sacrificing Abdel Adrian.
- 2Choose to have Abdel Adrian returned to the command zone from your graveyard.
- 3Hellkite Courser returns to the battlefield from exile, triggering itself, putting Abdel Adrain from the command zone onto the battlefield.
- 4Abdel Adrian enters the battlefield, exiling Hellkite Courser and creating a 1/1 Soldier creature token.
- 5Resolve the Goblin Bombardment ability from step 1, dealing 1 damage to any target.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Hellkite Courser
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.