Magus of the WillHow it works & interactions with other cards

Breaking Down the Ability

When you activate Magus of the Will, you pay three mana, tap it, and exile it as a cost. Once the ability resolves, you gain the permission to play lands and cast spells from your graveyard just as you would from your hand. The second part of the ability is a replacement effect: any card that would be put into your graveyard from anywhere—including spells you cast that resolve, cards discarded, or creatures that die—is exiled instead.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, ensure you can pay the costs of the activation; Magus of the Will must be on the battlefield and not suffering from summoning sickness. Once the ability resolves, the 'exile' replacement effect begins immediately. If you cast a sorcery from your graveyard, it goes to the stack, and as it finishes resolving, the replacement effect moves it to the exile zone rather than back to the graveyard. You must still follow all timing rules and pay all costs for spells you cast this way.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that 'dies' triggers do not happen for nontoken creatures while this effect is active. Because cards are exiled instead of hitting the graveyard, abilities that trigger on a creature dying or a card being put into a graveyard will not trigger. Additionally, you cannot play extra lands unless another effect allows it; Magus of the Will only changes the location from which you can play your one land per turn.

Strategic Timing

Because this effect lasts 'until end of turn,' it is often best to activate it during your main phase when you have plenty of mana available. Since the Magus exiles itself as a cost, your opponents cannot respond to the activation by trying to kill it to stop the effect; the Magus is already gone by the time they get priority.

Interaction examples

The Token Exception

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have a token copy of Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield and it is destroyed while Magus of the Will's effect is active, the token goes to the graveyard first (triggering its 'draw a card' ability) and then ceases to exist. However, if the actual Solemn Simulacrum card is destroyed, it is exiled instead of hitting the graveyard, and its 'dies' ability will not trigger.

Double Triggers and Type Matching

Roaming Throne

If you have Roaming Throne on the battlefield with 'Human' or 'Wizard' chosen, it will not double the activation of Magus of the Will because the Magus has an activated ability, not a triggered one. However, if you cast a creature from your graveyard that has an 'enters' triggered ability while Roaming Throne is out, that ability will trigger twice as normal.

Land Plays from the Grave

Solemn Simulacrum

After resolving Magus of the Will, you can cast Solemn Simulacrum from your graveyard by paying four mana. When it enters, you search for a land. If you have not played a land for the turn yet, you can also play a land card directly from your graveyard. Once you do, that land is now on the battlefield, but if it were to be destroyed later that turn, it would be exiled.