Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker 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 Whenever an opponent casts a spell, put a +1/+1 counter on Ishai. Partner (You can have two commanders if both have partner.)
Complete guide
Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker is a formidable legendary Bird Monk that grows larger every time your opponents try to advance their board state. With the ability to fly over blockers and the Partner keyword, she offers immense tactical flexibility in the Commander format.
Scaling with the Table
Ishai's primary ability is a triggered ability that monitors every spell cast by an opponent. Every time an opponent casts anything—from a tiny creature to a massive sorcery—Ishai receives a +1/+1 counter. Because this occurs on every opponent's turn, Ishai can quickly become a lethal threat in multiplayer games, especially since she has Flying to bypass ground-based defenses.
The Resolution Process
When an opponent casts a spell, Ishai's ability triggers and is put on the stack on top of that spell. This means Ishai receives her +1/+1 counter before the opponent's spell actually resolves. Even if the opponent's spell is countered or removed from the stack, Ishai's ability has already triggered and will still resolve, granting her the counter.
Partner and Commander Mechanics
As a creature with Partner, you can pair Ishai with another legendary creature that also has Partner to lead your deck. While they share a command zone, they are tracked independently for 'commander tax' and commander damage. If an effect refers to 'your commander' while both are in play, you choose which one the effect applies to. To win via commander damage, Ishai herself must deal 21 damage to a single player; damage from her partner does not count toward this specific total.
Common Strategic Mistakes
A common mistake is forgetting that Ishai triggers on every spell, not just noncreature spells. Additionally, remember that Ishai does not trigger when you cast your own spells. Players also frequently forget that because her ability triggers on the cast, she can grow large enough to survive damage-based sweepers if the spell that would kill her is what provides the final necessary counter.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne and chose 'Bird' or 'Monk' as it entered, Ishai's ability triggers twice whenever an opponent casts a spell. If an opponent casts a single spell, Ishai will receive two +1/+1 counters instead of one, doubling her growth rate.
Solemn SimulacrumWhen an opponent casts Solemn Simulacrum, Ishai's ability triggers. Ishai gets her +1/+1 counter while Solemn Simulacrum is still a spell on the stack. After Ishai grows, the Simulacrum resolves and enters the battlefield, at which point your opponent may search for a land. Ishai is already bigger before the opponent even gets their land.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers when a player casts a spell resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If your Commander deck has two commanders, you can only include cards whose own color identities are also found in your commanders' combined color identities. If Falthis and Kediss are your commanders, your deck may contain cards with black and/or red in their color identity, but not cards with green, white, or blue.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Both commanders start in the command zone, and the remaining 98 cards (or 58 cards in a Commander Draft game) of your deck are shuffled to become your library.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
To have two commanders, both must have the partner ability as the game begins. Losing the ability during the game doesn't cause either to cease to be your commander.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Once the game begins, your two commanders are tracked separately. If you cast one, you won't have to pay an additional
the first time you cast the other. A player loses the game after having been dealt 21 damage from any one of them, not from both of them combined.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If something refers to your commander while you have two commanders, it refers to one of them of your choice. If you are instructed to perform an action on your commander (e.g. put it from the command zone into your hand due to Command Beacon), you choose one of your commanders at the time the effect happens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
An effect that checks whether you control your commander is satisfied if you control one or both of your two commanders.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
You can choose two commanders with partner that are the same color or colors. In Commander Draft, you can even choose two of the same commander with partner if you drafted them. If you do this, make sure you keep the number of times you've cast each from the command zone clear for "commander tax" purposes.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker + Cayth, Famed Mechanist + Agatha's Soul Cauldron
- 1Cast Dargo from the command zone by paying
. - 2When Dargo enters the battlefield, its fabricate ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Dargo using Catalyst Elemental's ability by sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Choose to return Dargo from your graveyard to the command zone.
- 5Repeat.
Dargo, the Shipwrecker + Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker + Cayth, Famed Mechanist + Agatha's Soul Cauldron
- 1Cast Dargo from the command zone by paying .
- 2When Dargo enters the battlefield, its fabricate ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 3Activate Dargo using Reckless Barbarian's ability by sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Choose to return Dargo from your graveyard to the command zone.
- 5Repeat.
Legal formats
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