Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 1

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is banned as a commander in Duel Commander format, but it may be part of your deck.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 2

Oloro's first ability works only if Oloro is on the battlefield.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 3

If Oloro is your commander, its last ability will trigger at the beginning of the upkeep step on your first turn.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 4

Oloro's second ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life is gained.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 5

You decide whether to pay {1} as the second ability resolves. If you do, you'll draw a card and each opponent will lose 1 life.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 6

If two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Oloro's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 7

In some unusual cases, you can gain life even though your life total actually decreases. For example, if you are being attacked by two 3/3 creatures and you block one with a 2/2 creature with lifelink, your life total will decrease by 1 even though you've gained 2 life. Oloro's second ability would trigger.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic — ruling 8

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause the ability to trigger, even though it causes your team's life total to increase.

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic 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

At the beginning of your upkeep, you gain 2 life. Whenever you gain life, you may pay . If you do, draw a card and each opponent loses 1 life. At the beginning of your upkeep, if Oloro is in the command zone, you gain 2 life.

Complete guide

Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is the ultimate master of patience, rewarding players for simply letting time pass. Whether he is leading your army on the battlefield or watching from the command zone, Oloro ensures your life total steadily climbs. This Giant Soldier is a cornerstone of control strategies, turning every drop of life gained into card advantage and attrition.

A Passive Powerhouse

Oloro has three distinct abilities. The first and third are triggered abilities that occur at the beginning of your upkeep, giving you 2 life. One works while he is on the battlefield, and the other works specifically while he is in the command zone. The second ability is a triggered 'reflexive' payment: whenever you gain life from any source, you can pay one mana to draw a card and drain 1 life from each opponent.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, the upkeep trigger goes on the stack. Once it resolves, you gain 2 life. This event immediately triggers Oloro's second ability. As that second ability resolves, you choose whether to pay {1}. You cannot pay multiple times for a single life-gain event to draw multiple cards; it is a one-time choice per trigger. If you pay, you draw a card and opponents lose life simultaneously.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is thinking Oloro triggers multiple times if you gain a large amount of life at once. He triggers once per 'event.' For example, if a creature with lifelink deals damage, that is one event regardless of how much life is gained. However, if two separate creatures with lifelink deal damage, those are two separate events, allowing you to pay {1} twice. Also, remember that in Two-Headed Giant, your teammate gaining life does not trigger Oloro, even though your shared life total goes up.

When to Play Oloro

Oloro is best played when you have established a defensive perimeter. Since he provides value from the command zone, you don't need to rush him onto the board. Cast him when you have spare mana to protect him or when you have enough mana to immediately take advantage of his card-draw trigger the moment you gain life.

Interaction examples

Draining the Room

Gray Merchant of Asphodel

When Gray Merchant of Asphodel enters the battlefield, you gain life based on your devotion to black. This counts as a single life-gain event. Even if you gain 10 life, Oloro triggers once. You may pay {1} to draw a card and deal an additional 1 damage to each opponent.

Slow and Steady

Syr Konrad, the Grim

If Syr Konrad, the Grim is on the battlefield and a creature dies, he deals damage to opponents but does not cause you to gain life, so Oloro will not trigger. However, during your upkeep, Oloro's own ability will give you 2 life. You can then pay {1} to draw a card. If the card you draw and discard (or a creature dying later) triggers Syr Konrad, you continue the cycle of attrition.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Oloro, Ageless Ascetic

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1January 19, 2015· Scryfall
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is banned as a commander in Duel Commander format, but it may be part of your deck.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
Oloro's first ability works only if Oloro is on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If Oloro is your commander, its last ability will trigger at the beginning of the upkeep step on your first turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
Oloro's second ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, no matter how much life is gained.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
You decide whether to pay as the second ability resolves. If you do, you'll draw a card and each opponent will lose 1 life.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Oloro's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, and/or planeswalkers at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
In some unusual cases, you can gain life even though your life total actually decreases. For example, if you are being attacked by two 3/3 creatures and you block one with a 2/2 creature with lifelink, your life total will decrease by 1 even though you've gained 2 life. Oloro's second ability would trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8October 17, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause the ability to trigger, even though it causes your team's life total to increase.
No other card is named in this ruling.