Olórin's Searing Light 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
Each opponent exiles a creature with the greatest power among creatures that player controls. Spell mastery — If there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard, Olórin's Searing Light deals damage to each opponent equal to the power of the creature they exiled.
Complete guide
Olórin's Searing Light is a powerful removal spell from the Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth Commander set that acts as a double-edged sword for your opponents. Not only does it bypass hexproof by not targeting, but it also has the potential to incinerate your enemies' life totals using their own strength against them.
Choosing the Greatest Power
When Olórin's Searing Light resolves, each opponent must identify the creature they control with the highest power. This effect does not target, meaning it can remove creatures with protection or hexproof. If an opponent has multiple creatures tied for the greatest power, that player chooses which one of those specific creatures to exile.
The Order of Resolution
The resolution follows a specific sequence: first, the active player (if they are an opponent) or the next opponent in turn order chooses their creature. Then, each other opponent in turn order makes their choice while knowing what the previous players picked. Finally, all chosen creatures are exiled at the exact same time.
Mastering the Spell
The spell mastery keyword checks your graveyard as the spell is resolving. If you have two or more instant or sorcery cards in your graveyard, the spell deals damage to each opponent equal to the power of the creature they just lost. Note that Olórin's Searing Light is still on the stack during this check, so it does not count toward its own spell mastery requirement.
Strategic Timing
Since the damage is based on the creature's power as it last existed on the battlefield, you should play this when an opponent's creature is buffed by temporary effects. It is a fantastic tool to use against Voltron-style decks or large tokens to maximize the damage output.
Interaction examples
Chaos WarpIf you have Chaos Warp in your graveyard and you cast Olórin's Searing Light, spell mastery will not trigger because you only have one qualifying card. However, if you cast Chaos Warp first to tuck a threat, and then cast the Searing Light, you will have two instants in the graveyard, ensuring your opponents take damage equal to the power of their exiled creatures.
Generous GiftIf an opponent controls a 1/1 creature with a powerful utility ability, you can use Generous Gift to destroy it and give them a 3/3 Elephant token. If that Elephant is then their creature with the greatest power, Olórin's Searing Light will exile the token and deal 3 damage to that opponent, effectively replacing their utility creature with direct damage.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Olórin's Searing Light
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a player controls two or more creatures tied for the greatest power among creatures they control, that player chooses one of them to exile.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
First, the active player (or, if it's not an opponent's turn, the next opponent in turn order) chooses which creature they'll exile, then each other opponent in turn order does the same, knowing choices made before their choice. Then all those creatures are exiled simultaneously.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Check to see if there are two or more instant and/or sorcery cards in your graveyard as the spell resolves to determine whether the spell mastery ability applies. The spell itself won't count because it's still on the stack as you make this check.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Use the power of each exiled creature as it last existed on the battlefield to determine how much damage is dealt to each opponent.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Olórin's Searing Light
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.