Jabari's Banner 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
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: Target creature gains flanking until end of turn. (Whenever a creature without flanking blocks this creature, the blocking creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.)
Complete guide
Jabari's Banner is a versatile artifact that allows any of your creatures to master the art of flanking in the heat of battle. By granting this keyword, you can weaken opponents who dare to stand in your way. It is a tactical tool used to force unfavorable trades and ensure your attackers survive combat.
How Flanking Works
When a creature with flanking is blocked by a creature that does not have flanking, the blocker gets -1/-1 until end of turn. This is a triggered ability that goes on the stack during the declare blockers step. If multiple creatures block the attacker, each one without flanking receives the penalty individually.
Step-by-Step Resolution
First, you pay one mana and tap Jabari's Banner to target a creature. Once the ability resolves, that creature gains flanking until the end of the turn. During combat, the flanking ability triggers specifically at the moment blockers are declared. If the creature is blocked by one or more creatures without flanking, those blockers immediately lose 1 power and 1 toughness.
Timing and Common Mistakes
The most common error with Jabari's Banner is waiting too long to activate it. You must grant flanking before blockers are declared. If you activate the Banner after a creature has already been blocked, the flanking ability will not trigger, and the blocking creature will not get -1/-1. Similarly, giving flanking to a blocker after it has already been hit by an attacker's flanking trigger will not remove the penalty.
Strategic Placement
Use Jabari's Banner to target small creatures that an opponent might want to block with their own low-toughness utility creatures. By threatening the -1/-1 penalty, you effectively make your creature unblockable by anything with 1 toughness, as they would die before combat damage is even dealt.
Interaction examples
Sol RingYou can tap Sol Ring to add two colorless mana. Use one of that mana to pay for the activation cost of Jabari's Banner, tapping it to give an attacking creature flanking. This leaves you with one mana remaining in your pool for other spells.
Arcane SignetIf you lack the specific mana color needed for other combat tricks, you can use Arcane Signet to produce the generic mana required for Jabari's Banner. By activating the Banner during your begin combat step, you ensure your attacker is ready to trigger flanking as soon as your opponent chooses their blockers.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Jabari's Banner
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Giving a creature flanking after blockers have been declared won’t have any effect. Specifically: — If you give flanking to an attacking creature after blockers have been declared, it’s too late for flanking to trigger. — If you give flanking to a creature that’s blocking an attacking creature with flanking, it’s too late to prevent the blocking creature from getting -1/-1, even if the attacker’s flanking ability hasn’t resolved yet.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Jabari's Banner
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