Hope Tender — ruling 1

Some cards in the Hour of Devastation set let you exert a creature as a cost to activate one of its abilities. You can exert it to pay that cost even if you’ve already exerted it earlier in the turn. Exerting it multiple times will keep it tapped only during your next untap step.

Hope Tender — ruling 2

You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature.

Hope Tender — ruling 3

If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything.

Hope Tender — ruling 4

If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step.

Hope Tender : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Hope Tender 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

, : Untap target land. , , Exert this creature: Untap two target lands. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)

Complete guide

Hope Tender is a versatile mana fixer from the Hour of Devastation set that provides explosive ramp when you need it most. As a Human Druid, she specializes in manipulating your mana base by untapping lands to fuel larger spells or multiple plays in a single turn.

What Hope Tender Does

Hope Tender offers two activated abilities focused on untapping lands. The first allows you to pay one mana and tap her to untap a single land. The second ability is more powerful: by paying one mana, tapping her, and choosing to exert her, you can untap two target lands. Exerting a creature means it will not untap during your next untap step, essentially 'freezing' her for one round in exchange for immediate mana acceleration.

Resolving the Abilities Step-by-Step

To activate Hope Tender, you first announce which ability you are using and choose your target land(s). Next, you pay the costs: one generic mana and tapping Hope Tender (plus choosing to exert if using the second ability). Once the ability resolves, the targeted lands shift from tapped to untapped. Because untapping a land happens upon resolution, you can tap those lands for mana both before you activate Hope Tender and immediately after the ability finishes resolving.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A common misconception is that exerting a creature multiple times keeps it tapped for extra turns. According to official rulings, if you exert Hope Tender multiple times in one turn (perhaps by untapping her with another effect), she still only misses her very next untap step. Additionally, if an effect untaps her before your next untap step, the exert penalty simply expires without doing anything. Remember, you can only exert her if you are specifically using the ability that lists exertion as a cost.

When to Play Hope Tender

Hope Tender is best utilized in decks with lands that produce more than one mana, such as those enhanced by enchantments, or when you need to fix your colors by reusing a specific utility land. While she costs mana to activate, her ability to untap two lands can often net you a mana profit if you are untapping high-value targets.

Interaction examples

Basic Mana Ramp

Llanowar Elves

With Llanowar Elves and Hope Tender on the battlefield, you can tap Llanowar Elves for one green mana. Spend that green mana and tap Hope Tender to untap a Forest you already used this turn. This sequence allows you to effectively filter creature mana into land mana to keep your options open for spells that require specific land types.

The Power of Exertion

Birds of Paradise

If you have Birds of Paradise and Hope Tender, you can tap Birds of Paradise for one mana of any color. Use that mana to pay for Hope Tender's second ability, tapping and exerting her. You choose two tapped lands you control as targets. Once the ability resolves, those two lands are untapped and ready to be used again immediately, giving you a significant mana boost for one large spell, even though Hope Tender will remain tapped during your next turn.

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

How it works : Hope Tender

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1July 14, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
Some cards in the Hour of Devastation set let you exert a creature as a cost to activate one of its abilities. You can exert it to pay that cost even if you’ve already exerted it earlier in the turn. Exerting it multiple times will keep it tapped only during your next untap step.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4April 18, 2017· Wizards of the Coast
If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step.
No other card is named in this ruling.