Illuna, Apex of Wishes 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
Mutate(If you cast this spell for its mutate cost, put it over or under target non-Human creature you own. They mutate into the creature on top plus all abilities from under it.) Flying, trample Whenever this creature mutates, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland permanent card. Put that card onto the battlefield or into your hand.
Complete guide
Illuna, Apex of Wishes is a powerhouse from the Ikoria set, blending the versatile Mutate mechanic with the ability to cheat massive permanents into play. As a Beast Elemental Dinosaur, it offers a flying and trampling threat that rewards you for building a specialized mutate pile. Whether you are searching for a game-ending creature or a crucial artifact, Illuna ensures your library provides exactly what you need.
Understanding Mutate and Apex Ability
Illuna, Apex of Wishes features the Mutate keyword, allowing you to cast it for an alternative cost to merge it with a non-Human creature you own. When you do, the 'Whenever this creature mutates' ability triggers. You begin exiling cards from the top of your library one by one until you hit a nonland permanent card—meaning an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker. Any lands or spells (instants/sorceries) revealed during this process stay in exile forever.
Resolution Step-by-Step
First, the mutation must successfully resolve, resulting in a single permanent with the combined characteristics of its parts. Once merged, the triggered ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you exile cards face-up until a nonland permanent appears. You then make a choice: put that card directly onto the battlefield or into your hand. This decision is made after you and all other players have seen what the card is.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake involves the handling of lands and spells; these cards do not go to the graveyard or back into the library—they remain in exile. Additionally, remember that if you reveal an Aura and choose to put it onto the battlefield, it does not target. You simply choose a legal permanent for it to enchant as it enters. Finally, keep in mind that Illuna cannot mutate onto Human creatures, so ensure your targets are eligible before casting.
When to Play Illuna
Illuna is best utilized in decks with a high density of high-impact permanents and a low count of small utility creatures to maximize the value of the free summon. Because the ability triggers every time the creature mutates, you should aim to stack multiple mutate creatures onto the same pile to repeatedly dig through your deck for threats.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you own Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, you can cast Illuna, Apex of Wishes for its mutate cost targeting the Golem. Once they merge, Illuna's ability triggers. You exile cards until you find a nonland permanent. If you choose to put it onto the battlefield, and that card also has an 'enters' trigger, you will get both the land-search from the Golem (if it was the top card) and the new permanent's effect.
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne and have chosen 'Beast' or 'Dinosaur' as it entered, and then you mutate Illuna, Apex of Wishes onto another creature, the Throne's replacement effect will cause Illuna's mutation ability to trigger an additional time. You will resolve the exile process twice, potentially putting two nonland permanents onto the battlefield in a single turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Illuna, Apex of Wishes
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Illuna's last ability exiles the cards face up. All players will see what the card is if you put it into your hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You choose whether to put the card into your hand or onto the battlefield after seeing what the card is.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
A nonland permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Any land, instant, and sorcery cards exiled this way remain in exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If an Aura is put onto the battlefield without being cast, the Aura's controller-to-be chooses what it will enchant as it enters the battlefield. An Aura put onto the battlefield this way doesn't target anything (so it could be attached to an opponent's permanent with hexproof, for example), but the Aura's enchant ability restricts what it can be attached to. If the Aura can't legally be attached to anything, it remains in its current zone.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Illuna, Apex of Wishes + Jace, Wielder of Mysteries + Selective Memory
- 1Cast Selective Memory by paying
, exiling all nonland permanent cards from your library. - 2Cast Illuna either from your hand or from the command zone for its mutate cost by paying
and command tax, if applicable, putting it over or under a non-Human nontoken creature you control. - 3Illuna triggers, exiling your library.
- 4Activate Jace's first loyalty ability by putting a loyalty counter on it, causing target player to mill two cards and you to win the game due to drawing from an empty library.
Illuna, Apex of Wishes + Thassa's Oracle + Selective Memory
- 1Cast Selective Memory by paying , exiling all nonland permanent cards from your library.
- 2Cast Illuna either from your hand or from the command zone for its mutate cost by paying and command tax, if applicable, putting it over or under a non-Human nontoken creature you control.
- 3Illuna triggers, exiling your library.
- 4Cast Thassa's Oracle by paying .
- 5Thassa's Oracle enters the battlefield, causing you to win the game.
Legal formats
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