Mantle of LeadershipHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Flashy Power Boost

Mantle of Leadership has two main components: its casting speed and its triggered ability. Because it has Flash, you can cast it during an opponent's turn or during the combat phase. Once it is attached to a creature, it monitors the battlefield for any creature entering. Each time a creature enters, the enchanted creature receives a +2/+2 bonus until the end of the current turn.

How the Trigger Resolves

When a creature enters the battlefield, the triggered ability of Mantle of Leadership goes on the stack. This happens regardless of who controls the creature entering. If multiple creatures enter at the same time, the ability triggers once for each of them. Each trigger resolves separately, granting a cumulative +2/+2 bonus. For example, if three creatures enter simultaneously, the enchanted creature will eventually get +6/+6 total for that turn.

Common Strategic Mistakes

One common mistake is forgetting that Mantle of Leadership triggers off of your opponents' creatures as well. If an opponent plays a creature, your enchanted creature still gets the bonus, which can be useful for surprise blocking. Additionally, remember that the bonus is temporary; it disappears during the cleanup step of the turn the creatures entered. If the enchanted creature leaves the battlefield or the Aura is destroyed, the current bonus is lost immediately.

When to Lead

The best time to play Mantle of Leadership is right before you plan to put several creatures onto the battlefield, or as a surprise during combat. Since it is an Aura, you must have a legal target creature to cast it. If the targeted creature leaves the battlefield in response to you casting the spell, Mantle of Leadership will be put into your graveyard without entering the battlefield.

Interaction examples

Passive Defense and Life Gain

Authority of the Consuls

With Authority of the Consuls on the battlefield, any creature your opponent plays enters tapped, preventing them from using it for an immediate block. Simultaneously, Mantle of Leadership triggers from that opponent's creature entering. You gain 1 life from the enchantment and your creature grows by +2/+2, allowing you to swing back harder on your next turn against their tapped-down defenses.

Breaking Through the Prison

Ghostly Prison

If your opponent has Ghostly Prison, you may find it difficult to attack with a wide army because you must pay {2} for each attacker. Instead of paying for many small creatures, you can use Mantle of Leadership on a single creature. Cast several creature spells; each one triggers the Mantle, concentrating all that power into one attacker. You then only have to pay {2} once to attack with a massive, buffed creature.