Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh 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
+2: Target opponent exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile a nonland card. Until end of turn, you may cast that card without paying its mana cost. +1: Each opponent exiles two cards from their hand. −4: Nicol Bolas deals 7 damage to target opponent, creature an opponent controls, or planeswalker an opponent controls. −12: Exile each nonland permanent your opponents control.
Complete guide
Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh is a powerhouse planeswalker that dominates the battlefield through card advantage and direct destruction. Whether you are stripping resources from your opponent's hand or casting their own spells against them, this card represents the ultimate endgame threat.
Mastering the First Ability
The +2 ability allows you to exile cards from an opponent's library until you hit a nonland card, which you can then cast for free. Note that you must still follow normal timing restrictions; for instance, you cannot cast a creature or sorcery during your opponent's turn or in response to a spell. If the spell has an X in its mana cost, X must be zero, but you are still responsible for paying any mandatory additional costs required by the spell.
Resolving the Loyalty Powers
When using the +1 ability, each opponent chooses and exiles two cards from their hand face up. If they have fewer than two cards, they simply exile whatever they have. The -4 ability provides flexible removal or direct player damage, dealing a massive 7 damage to an opponent, a creature, or a planeswalker they control. Finally, the -12 ultimate serves as a one-sided board wipe, exiling every nonland permanent your opponents control while leaving your board intact.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A frequent error is trying to pay alternative costs, such as Emerge, when casting the card exiled by the +2 ability; since you are already using the 'without paying its mana cost' alternative cost, you cannot choose another one. Additionally, players often forget that the exiled card remains in exile forever if not cast by the end of the turn. In multiplayer, if you leave the game, any permanents you stole with Bolas leave the game with you if the owner also left, or are exiled if you were the one controlling them.
When to Deploy the God-Pharaoh
Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh is best played when you can protect him for at least one turn cycle. His high starting loyalty of 7 makes him difficult to remove through combat alone. Use the +1 ability if your opponent has a small hand to force them into top-deck mode, or the +2 if you need to find a threat or answer from their own library to stabilize your board.
Interaction examples
Ugin, the IneffableIf your opponent controls Ugin, the Ineffable, you can activate Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh's -4 ability. This deals 7 damage directly to Ugin. Since Ugin typically enters with 5 loyalty, this is often enough to destroy him immediately, removing his cost-reduction passive and his ability to create tokens.
Liliana, Dreadhorde GeneralSuppose your opponent has a board full of Zombie tokens and Liliana, Dreadhorde General. If you activate Bolas's -12 ability, every token and Liliana herself are exiled. Because the creatures are exiled rather than 'dying,' Liliana’s first ability will not trigger, preventing your opponent from drawing any cards as their army vanishes.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The cards exiled by Nicol Bolas's first and second abilities are exiled face up.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You may cast the nonland card exiled by Nicol Bolas's first ability that turn even if Nicol Bolas is no longer on the battlefield or under your control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Casting the card exiled with Nicol Bolas's first ability follows the normal timing rules for casting that card. For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If you don't cast the card exiled by Nicol Bolas's first ability that turn, it will remain exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't choose to cast it for any alternative costs, such as emerge costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, such as that of Tormenting Voice, you must pay those to cast the card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If the card has
in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
While resolving Nicol Bolas's second ability, each opponent chooses which cards to exile from their hand. Any opponent with two or fewer cards exiles their entire hand.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spell or permanent cards you control from Nicol Bolas's first ability are exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.