Jace's Machinations 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
Until end of turn, you may activate loyalty abilities of Jace planeswalkers you control on any player's turn any time you could cast an instant. Empower Jace 8. (Put eight loyalty counters on a Jace token you control. If you don't control one, first create a blue Jace planeswalker token with "[−1]: Surveil 1" and "[−3]: Draw a card.")
Complete guide
Jace's Machinations is a powerful instant that bends the traditional rules of planeswalkers, allowing for unprecedented interaction during your opponent's turn. By combining tactical timing with a fresh Jace planeswalker token, you can control the board and your deck like never before.
Breaking the Loyalty Rules
Normally, loyalty abilities can only be activated during your main phase when the stack is empty. Jace's Machinations changes this for all Jace planeswalkers you control, allowing you to use their abilities at instant speed on any player's turn. However, the standard restriction still applies: you can only activate one loyalty ability of each Jace per turn.
How Empower Jace Resolves
When the spell resolves, the game checks if you control a Jace planeswalker token. If you do not, you create a blue Jace planeswalker token with two specific abilities: '[-1]: Surveil 1' and '[-3]: Draw a card.' Then, you put eight loyalty counters on a Jace token you control. If you already had a token, you must use the existing one rather than creating a new one.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is trying to put the eight loyalty counters on a nontoken Jace card; the Empower keyword strictly targets tokens. Additionally, remember that if the spell is countered, the Empower effect never happens, leaving you without your token or the extra loyalty.
Strategic Timing
The best time to cast this is often at the end of an opponent's turn or in response to a spell. By granting your Jace instant-speed abilities, you can Surveil to fix your next draw or draw a card right before your turn begins, all while keeping your mana open for other responses.
Interaction examples
Jace's MachinationsYou cast Jace's Machinations while you control no planeswalkers. As it resolves, you create a Jace token with 0 loyalty, then immediately place 8 loyalty counters on it. You can then immediately activate its [-3] ability to draw a card, even though it is not your turn.
CounterspellYou cast Jace's Machinations. Your opponent responds with Counterspell to stop you from getting the token. Because Jace's Machinations is an instant, you can cast it when your opponent is least prepared, but if it is countered, you do not create the token or gain the ability to use loyalty powers at instant speed.
Arcane DenialYou cast Jace's Machinations and successfully create a Jace token with 8 loyalty. On your opponent's next turn, you cast Arcane Denial to stop a threat. While that spell is on the stack, you use the Jace token's [-1] ability at instant speed to Surveil 1, ensuring the card you draw from Arcane Denial during the next upkeep is exactly what you need.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Jace's Machinations
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To empower Jace N, if you don't control a Jace planeswalker token, create a blue Jace planeswalker token with 0 loyalty, "[−1]: Surveil 1," and "[−3]: Draw a card." Choose a Jace planeswalker token you control. Put N loyalty counters on it.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you control a Jace planeswalker token, you can't choose to create a new one when you empower Jace. You have to put the loyalty counters on your existing Jace planeswalker token. In the rare case that you control multiple Jace planeswalker tokens, you'll choose one of those tokens to put the loyalty counters on.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You may still activate only one loyalty ability of each permanent you control during the turn you cast Jace's Machinations.
Card named in this ruling
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that empower Jace may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't empower Jace.
Card named in this ruling
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Empower Jace won't let you put loyalty counters on nontoken Jace planeswalkers. However, if you control a Jace planeswalker token that you got another way (such as an effect that creates a token that's a copy of a permanent), empower Jace will put loyalty counters on that.
Card named in this ruling
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Meta decks with Jace's Machinations
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