Plane-Merge ElfHow it works & interactions with other cards

Dual Engine Mechanics

Plane-Merge Elf features two distinct abilities: Landship and Kinfall. Landship triggers at the start of your upkeep, allowing you to peek at the top of your library and potentially create a 1/1 Elf Warrior token if you find a land. Kinfall is a triggered ability that checks every creature entering the battlefield under your control to see if it shares a type with Plane-Merge Elf (Elf or Warrior), providing a global +1/+1 buff if the condition is met.

Step-by-Step Resolution

During your upkeep, the Landship ability goes on the stack. You look at the top card; if it is a land, you choose whether to reveal it. If you reveal it, the 1/1 token is created, which immediately triggers Kinfall since the token is an Elf Warrior. Kinfall then goes on the stack, and when it resolves, all your creatures receive the +1/+1 bonus. This sequence ensures your new token and your existing creatures are buffed before your draw step.

Strategic Timing and Common Mistakes

A common mistake is forgetting that Kinfall triggers for each creature that shares a type. If multiple Elves enter at once, Kinfall triggers multiple times, and the buffs stack. Additionally, remember that Kinfall only checks for types Plane-Merge Elf currently has. If an effect changes its creature types, the requirements for Kinfall will shift accordingly.

When to Play Plane-Merge Elf

This card is best deployed when you already have a established board or cards that allow you to put multiple creatures into play in a single turn. Because it triggers on your upkeep, playing it later in the game when you have high land density or ways to manipulate the top of your deck maximizes the value of the Landship ability.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Kinfall Bonus

Roaming Throne

If Roaming Throne enters the battlefield and you choose 'Elf', it becomes an Elf in addition to its other types. This triggers Plane-Merge Elf's Kinfall ability. Because Roaming Throne is an Elf and causes triggered abilities of other Elves to trigger an additional time, Kinfall triggers twice, giving your creatures a total of +2/+2.

Landship and Token Synergies

Solemn Simulacrum

When you play Solemn Simulacrum, it does not trigger Kinfall because Golem does not share a type with Elf or Warrior. However, the Simulacrum helps thin your deck by putting a land onto the battlefield, which increases the statistical likelihood that your next Landship trigger on your upkeep will find a land card to reveal for a new token.