Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin 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
Flying, trample Whenever one or more opponents each lose exactly 1 life, put a +1/+1 counter on Ob Nixilis. Exile the top card of your library. Until your next end step, you may play that card.
Complete guide
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin is a powerful Demon that rewards you for precision. By dealing exactly one damage or forcing an opponent to lose exactly one life, you grow your commander and gain temporary access to the top cards of your library.
Precision Loss
Ob Nixilis triggers specifically when one or more opponents lose exactly 1 life. This includes effects that deal 1 damage, costs where an opponent pays 1 life, or direct life loss effects. If an opponent loses 2 or more life at once, even from multiple 1/1 creatures in combat, this ability will not trigger.
The Resolution Chain
When the ability resolves, you first place a +1/+1 counter on Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin. Then, you exile the top card of your library. You gain a window to play that card that lasts until your next end step, meaning if it triggers on an opponent's turn, you can still play the card on your own following turn.
Rules of Engagement
Playing the exiled card follows all standard timing rules. You must pay all mana costs for spells, and you can only play a land if you have an available land play for the turn. If Ob Nixilis leaves the battlefield, you do not lose the ability to play cards already exiled by his effect; they remain available until the duration expires.
Common Pitfalls
The most common mistake is calculating combat damage. If you attack with three 1/1 creatures and they all go unblocked, the opponent loses 3 life simultaneously. Because 3 is not 1, Ob Nixilis ignores this entirely. You must ensure damage or life loss happens in increments of exactly one.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Demon', any time an opponent loses exactly 1 life, Ob Nixilis's ability triggers twice. This results in two +1/+1 counters and two exiled cards to play.
Solemn SimulacrumIf Solemn Simulacrum attacks an opponent and is not blocked, it deals 2 damage. This will not trigger Ob Nixilis. However, if Solemn Simulacrum blocks a 1/1 creature and dies, its death trigger draws you a card, but it does not naturally trigger Ob Nixilis unless you have another effect causing 1 life loss.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Ob Nixilis's last ability will trigger if an opponent is dealt exactly 1 damage, pays exactly 1 life, or loses exactly 1 life some other way.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Ob Nixilis's last ability looks at all combat damage dealt to an opponent in total to determine whether it triggers. For example, if three 1/1 creatures deal combat damage to an opponent, that player loses 3 life. Ob Nixilis's ability won't trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
You may play the card exiled with Ob Nixilis even if Ob Nixilis leaves the battlefield or you lose control of it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Playing the card exiled with Ob Nixilis follows the normal rules for playing that card. You must pay its costs, and you must follow all applicable timing rules. For example, if the card is a creature card, you can cast that card by paying its mana cost only during your main phase while the stack is empty.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Unless an effect allows you to play additional lands that turn, you can play a land card exiled with Ob Nixilis only if you haven't played a land yet that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If you don't play the card, it will remain exiled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + All Will Be One
- 1Cause an opponent to lose 1 life.
- 2Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself and exiling the top card of your library.
- 3All Will Be One triggers, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Agatha's Soul Cauldron + Walking Ballista
- 1Activate Ob Nixilis using Walking Ballista's second ability by removing a +1/+1 counter from it, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 2Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself and exiling the top card of your library.
- 3Repeat.
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Prosper, Tome-Bound + Sensei's Divining Top + Reckless Fireweaver
- 1Cast Sensei's Divining Top by paying
. - 2When Sensei's Divining Top enters the battlefield, Reckless Fireweaver triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 4Resolve the Reckless Fireweaver trigger, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 5Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, and exiling Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library with the ability to cast it from exile until your end step.
- 6Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 7Prosper triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 8Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Prosper, Tome-Bound + Sensei's Divining Top + Mayhem Devil
- 1Activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 2Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 3Mayhem Devil triggers, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 4Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, and exiling Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library with the ability to cast it from exile until your end step.
- 5Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 6Prosper triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 7Repeat.
Casey Jones, Back Alley Brute + Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin
- 1Declare Casey as an attacker, triggering its first ability, putting a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 2Casey's second ability triggers, dealing 1 damage to an opponent.
- 3Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it and exiling the top card of your library with the ability to play it until your end step.
- 4Repeat from step 2.
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Prosper, Tome-Bound + Sensei's Divining Top + Weftstalker Ardent
- 1Cast Sensei's Divining Top by paying .
- 2When Sensei's Divining Top enters the battlefield, Weftstalker Ardent triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 4Resolve the Weftstalker Ardent trigger, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 5Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, and exiling Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library with the ability to cast it from exile until your end step.
- 6Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 7Prosper triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 8Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Prosper, Tome-Bound + Sensei's Divining Top + Ingenious Artillerist
- 1Cast Sensei's Divining Top by paying .
- 2When Sensei's Divining Top enters the battlefield, Ingenious Artillerist triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 4Resolve the Ingenious Artillerist trigger, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 5Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, and exiling Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library with the ability to cast it from exile until your end step.
- 6Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 7Prosper triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 8Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
Ob Nixilis, Captive Kingpin + Glaring Fleshraker + Sensei's Divining Top + Reckless Fireweaver
- 1Cast Sensei's Divining Top by paying .
- 2When Sensei's Divining Top enters the battlefield, Reckless Fireweaver triggers.
- 3Holding priority, activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 4Resolve the Reckless Fireweaver trigger, dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
- 5Ob Nixilis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on it, and exiling Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library with the ability to cast it from exile until your end step.
- 6Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 7Glaring Fleshraker's first ability triggers, creating a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature token.
- 8When the Eldrazi Spawn enters, Glaring Fleshraker's second ability trigger. dealing 1 damage to each opponent.
Legal formats
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