Kellan Joins Up 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
When Kellan Joins Up enters, you may exile a nonland card with mana value 3 or less from your hand. If you do, it becomes plotted. (You may cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost.) Whenever a legendary creature you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control.
Complete guide
Kellan Joins Up is a powerful legendary enchantment that allows you to set up future plays while strengthening your board presence. It combines the utility of the plot mechanic with a potent triggered ability that rewards you for playing legendary creatures.
Setting the Plot
When Kellan Joins Up enters the battlefield, you have the option to exile a nonland card from your hand with a mana value of 3 or less. This card becomes plotted, allowing you to cast it for free on a later turn. Remember that you cannot cast a plotted card on the same turn it becomes plotted; you must wait for a future turn to cast it as a sorcery during your main phase.
Step-by-Step Resolution
1. Kellan Joins Up enters the battlefield, triggering its first ability. 2. As the ability resolves, you choose a nonland card in your hand with mana value 3 or less to exile. 3. That card enters the exile zone and is now 'plotted'. 4. On a later turn, during your main phase while the stack is empty, you may cast the plotted card without paying its mana cost. 5. Any time a legendary creature enters the battlefield under your control, the second ability triggers to put a +1/+1 counter on every creature you control.
Common Pitfalls
One frequent mistake is trying to cast a plotted instant or card with flash on an opponent's turn. Even if the card is usually an instant, the plot rules specify you can only cast it as a sorcery on a future turn. Additionally, if the card has an {X} in its cost, X must be 0 when cast for free via plot. Also, note that while you don't pay the mana cost, you must still pay any mandatory additional costs required by the spell.
When to Play It
Kellan Joins Up is best played when you have a key utility spell in hand that you want to 'bank' for a big turn, or when your deck is heavy with legendary creatures. Since it grants counters to all your creatures, it is most effective in decks that can flood the board before a legendary threat arrives.
Interaction examples
Kellan Joins Up
Rhystic StudyYou cast Kellan Joins Up. When it enters, you exile Rhystic Study from your hand. On your next turn, you cast Rhystic Study from exile for free. This allows you to use your mana on that turn for other spells while still getting your engine online.
Smothering TitheWith Kellan Joins Up on the battlefield, you cast a legendary creature. This triggers Kellan Joins Up, putting a +1/+1 counter on all your creatures. If you had previously plotted Smothering Tithe using the enchantment's entry ability, you could cast it for free this turn (if it's a later turn) to start generating Treasures whenever your opponents draw.
If you cast a spell that puts multiple legendary creatures onto the battlefield simultaneously, Kellan Joins Up will trigger once for each legendary creature. If three legends enter at once, each creature you control will receive three +1/+1 counters.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Kellan Joins Up
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If an instant or a card with flash is plotted this way, you can still cast it only when you have priority during your main phase while the stack is empty.
Card named in this ruling
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If the mana cost of a card in your hand includes
, X is 0 for the purpose of determining its mana value.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The mana value of a split card in your hand is based on the combined mana cost of its two halves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple legendary creatures enter the battlefield under your control at the same time, Kellan Joins Up's last ability will trigger once for each of those creatures.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Plot abilities are written "Plot [cost]," which means "Any time you have priority during your main phase while the stack is empty, you may pay [cost] and exile this card from your hand. It becomes plotted."
Card named in this ruling
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a card doesn't have a mana cost, its mana value is 0.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
You can't cast a plotted card on the same turn it became plotted. On any future turn, you may cast that card from exile without paying its mana cost during your main phase while the stack is empty.
Card named in this ruling
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If you're casting a plotted card from exile without paying its mana cost, you can't choose to cast it for any other alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs, such as kicker costs. If the plotted card has any mandatory additional costs, those must still be paid to cast the spell.
Card named in this ruling
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
If a plotted card has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.Card named in this ruling
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
Exiling a card using its plot ability is a special action. Once you announce you're taking that action, no other player can respond by trying to remove that card from your hand.
Card named in this ruling
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Meta decks with Kellan Joins Up
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.