Irenicus's Vile Duplication 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
Create a token that's a copy of target creature you control, except the token has flying and it isn't legendary.
Complete guide
Irenicus's Vile Duplication is a powerful blue sorcery that allows you to break the fundamental Legend Rule of Magic: The Gathering. By creating a non-legendary flying duplicate of your most powerful creatures, you can build an overwhelming board presence that your opponents won't see coming.
Bypassing the Legend Rule
Normally, if you control two legendary permanents with the same name, you must choose one to keep and put the other into the graveyard. However, this spell specifically creates a copy that 'isn't legendary.' This means you can have multiple copies of your favorite legendary commander or creature on the battlefield at the same time without losing any of them to state-based actions.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you cast the spell and choose a target creature you control. Upon resolution, the game creates a token that copies all printable characteristics of that creature—including its name, mana cost, and abilities. Next, the copy process modifies two specific things: the token gains the flying keyword if it didn't already have it, and it loses the legendary supertype. Finally, the token enters the battlefield, triggering any 'enters-the-battlefield' abilities it might have.
Important Clarifications
It is a common mistake to think the flying ability is tied to the creature's legendary status. According to official rulings, the token always has flying, regardless of whether the original creature was legendary or not. Additionally, because the token is a copy, it will copy other copy effects if the original creature was itself a token created by a similar effect.
Strategic Timing
Since this is a sorcery, you must play it during one of your main phases when the stack is empty. It is best used on creatures with powerful passive abilities or triggered effects that stack, such as those that draw cards or boost your other creatures. Adding flying to a high-power ground creature also serves as an excellent way to finish a game.
Interaction examples
CopyWhen you cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication targeting a creature you control, you create a Copy token. This token is identical to the original creature but now has the ability to fly and can coexist with the original even if the original was legendary.
WindfallIf you use the Duplication to copy a creature that triggers when you draw cards, you can follow up with Windfall. The original creature and your new flying token will both trigger for every card drawn, doubling the value of your discard-and-draw play.
FabricateIf you have a creature that reduces the cost of sorceries or rewards you for casting them, using Fabricate to find a powerful artifact and then using Irenicus's Vile Duplication to copy that creature ensures your future spells are even easier to cast or provide double the utility.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Irenicus's Vile Duplication
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Irenicus's Vile Duplication has received an update to its Oracle text to clarify that the token still has flying even if the creature it's copying isn't legendary.
Card named in this ruling
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Dualcaster Mage + Irenicus's Vile Duplication
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying its mana cost, targeting a creature you control.
- 2Holding priority, cast Dualcaster Mage by paying
. - 3When Dualcaster Mage enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying Irenicus's Vile Duplication, targeting Dualcaster Mage.
- 4Resolve the copy of Irenicus's Vile Duplication, creating a token copy of Dualcaster Mage.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker + Irenicus's Vile Duplication
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying
, creating a nonlegendary token copy of Kiki-Jiki. - 2Activate the Kiki-Jiki token by tapping it, creating a token copy of itself.
- 3Repeat step 2.
Naru Meha, Master Wizard + Irenicus's Vile Duplication
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying its mana cost, targeting a creature you control.
- 2Holding priority, cast Naru Meha either from your hand or from the command zone by paying
plus commander tax, if applicable. - 3When Naru Meha enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying Irenicus's Vile Duplication, targeting Naru Meha.
- 4Resolve the copy of Irenicus's Vile Duplication, creating a token copy of Naru Meha that isn't legendary.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Kodama of the East Tree + Irenicus's Vile Duplication + Simic Growth Chamber
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying , creating a token copy of Kodama of the East Tree that isn't legendary.
- 2Play Simic Growth Chamber.
- 3Kodama of the East Tree, the Kodama of the East Tree token, and Simic Growth Chamber trigger.
- 4Resolve the Kodama of the East Tree token's trigger, choosing not to put anything from your hand onto the battlefield.
- 5Resolve the Simic Growth Chamber trigger, returning it to your hand.
- 6Resolve the Kodama of the East Tree trigger, putting Simic Growth Chamber onto the battlefield.
- 7The Kodama of the East Tree token and Simic Growth Chamber trigger.
- 8Resolve the Simic Growth Chamber trigger, returning it to your hand.
Krark, the Thumbless + Irenicus's Vile Duplication + Quantum Misalignment
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying its mana cost, targeting Krark.
- 2When you cast that spell, Krark and any additional copies of Krark trigger.
- 3Resolve all Krark triggers, copying that spell for each flip you won, and returning the original to your hand as long as you lost at least one flip.
- 4If you won every flip, resolve the card itself, creating one more Krark token and putting the card into your graveyard.
- 5If you need additional mana and the Mana Ritual is still in your hand, cast the Mana Ritual by paying its costs, then repeat from step 2.
- 6If you have sufficient mana and Irenicus's Vile Duplication is still in your hand, instead repeat from step 1.
- 7If you have sufficient mana and Irenicus's Vile Duplication is in your graveyard, instead cast Quantum Misalignment, then repeat from step 2.
- 8If you manage to pass a critical threshold of Krark copies before both copy spells ends up in your graveyard, this combo is overwhelmingly likely to be an infinite loop from that point on. See the widget below for failure chances.
Krark, the Thumbless + Storm-Kiln Artist + Irenicus's Vile Duplication + Quantum Misalignment
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying its mana cost, targeting Krark.
- 2When you cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication, Krark, any additional copies of Krark, and Storm-Kiln Artist trigger.
- 3Resolve the Storm-Kiln Artist trigger, creating a Treasure token.
- 4Activate a Treasure token by tapping and sacrificing it, adding one mana of any color..
- 5Resolve a Krark trigger, flipping a coin and returning the Irenicus's Vile Duplication card to your hand if you lose and copying it if you win.
- 6If you copy Irenicus's Vile Duplication, Storm-Kiln Artist triggers again, causing you to repeat steps 3 to 4.
- 7Repeat steps 5—6 for each Krark trigger.
- 8If Irenicus's Vile Duplication is back in your hand, repeat from step 1.
Kodama of the East Tree + Irenicus's Vile Duplication + Gruul Turf
- 1Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying , creating a token copy of Kodama of the East Tree that isn't legendary.
- 2Play Gruul Turf.
- 3Kodama of the East Tree, the Kodama of the East Tree token, and Gruul Turf trigger.
- 4Resolve the Kodama of the East Tree token's trigger, choosing not to put anything from your hand onto the battlefield.
- 5Resolve the Gruul Turf trigger, returning it to your hand.
- 6Resolve the Kodama of the East Tree trigger, putting Gruul Turf onto the battlefield.
- 7The Kodama of the East Tree token and Gruul Turf trigger.
- 8Resolve the Gruul Turf trigger, returning it to your hand.
Storm-Kiln Artist + Flamehold Grappler + Narset's Reversal + Irenicus's Vile Duplication
- 1Cast Flamehold Grappler by paying
. - 2When Flamehold Grappler enters the battlefield, it triggers, copying the next spell you cast this turn.
- 3Cast Irenicus's Vile Duplication by paying its mana cost, targeting Flamehold Grappler.
- 4Flamehold Grappler and Storm-Kiln Artist trigger.
- 5Resolve the Storm-Kiln Artist trigger, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Flamehold Grappler trigger, copying Irenicus's Vile Duplication, with the copy targeting Flamehold Grappler.
- 7Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 8Resolve the copy of Irenicus's Vile Duplication, creating a token copy of Flamehold Grappler.
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