Myrkul, Lord of BonesHow it works & interactions with other cards

Master of Death

Myrkul has two distinct abilities. The first is a static ability that grants Myrkul indestructible if your life total is half of your starting life total or less (usually 20 in standard play or 20 in Commander). The second is a triggered ability: whenever another nontoken creature you control dies, you can exile it from your graveyard to create a token copy. Crucially, this token is solely an enchantment and loses its creature typing, meaning it cannot attack or block but is much harder to remove with creature-based board wipes.

The Resurrection Process

When a nontoken creature you control dies, Myrkul's ability triggers. Upon resolution, you choose whether to exile the card. If you do, a token is created. This token copies the card as it exists in the graveyard. It retains all names, mana costs, and abilities of the original card. However, because it is no longer a creature, it does not have power or toughness and cannot be the target of effects that specify creatures.

Common Mistakes

A frequent error is trying to use Myrkul's ability on token creatures; the ability explicitly specifies 'nontoken.' Additionally, remember that because the resulting token is not a creature, 'Enters the Battlefield' abilities that check for creatures will not trigger, but general 'Enters the Battlefield' abilities on the card itself will still function. Lastly, if Myrkul and your other creatures are destroyed simultaneously, Myrkul's ability will still trigger for each other creature dying at the same time.

When to Play Myrkul

Myrkul excels in decks that utilize creatures with powerful static or triggered abilities. Because the tokens created are enchantments, they dodge most common removal spells like 'Destroy all creatures.' It is best played when you have a sacrifice outlet or are expecting a board wipe, allowing you to convert your vulnerable army into a persistent, magical presence that dictates the flow of the game.

Interaction examples

Endless Gardens

Myrkul, Lord of BonesAvenger of Zendikar

If your Avenger of Zendikar dies while Myrkul, Lord of Bones is on the battlefield, you may exile it to create an enchantment token version of Avenger of Zendikar. When this enchantment token enters, its ability triggers, creating Plant tokens for each land you control. Furthermore, every time you play a land, the enchantment's Landfall ability will still trigger, putting +1/+1 counters on your Plants even though the Avenger itself is no longer a creature.

The Immortal Stampede

Myrkul, Lord of BonesCraterhoof Behemoth

When Craterhoof Behemoth dies, Myrkul can exile it to create an enchantment copy. This token enters the battlefield and triggers its 'enters' ability, giving your current creatures trample and a massive +X/+X boost. While the Craterhoof enchantment won't be able to attack (as it isn't a creature), the immediate impact of its triggered ability remains just as lethal.