Portent Tracker 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
: Untap target land.
Complete guide
Portent Tracker is a versatile Satyr Scout that offers both mana ramp and unique battlefield control. Whether you are accelerating your resources or manipulating the tides of Siege battles, this creature provides valuable utility for any green deck. Understanding how to sequence its abilities is the key to mastering this card.
Dual Utility on the Battlefield
Portent Tracker features two distinct activated abilities, both requiring it to tap. The first is a straightforward land untap, which acts as a form of mana acceleration or utility by refreshing powerful lands. The second ability allows you to interact with the defense counters on battles. Depending on who is protecting the battle, you will either remove a counter to help defeat it or add one to strengthen its defense.
Step-by-Step Resolution
When you activate the land-untap ability, you target a land, tap Portent Tracker, and the land becomes untapped upon resolution. For the battle ability, you must activate it during your main phase when the stack is empty. First, choose a target battle. Upon resolution, the game checks who protects it. If an opponent protects it (typical of Sieges you cast), one defense counter is removed. If you protect it, a defense counter is added.
Timing and Mana Nuances
A common mistake is treating the untap ability as a mana ability. Unlike Llanowar Elves, you cannot activate Portent Tracker while in the middle of casting a spell to pay for it. You must activate the ability, let it resolve to untap your land, and then tap that land for mana before proceeding to cast your spell. Additionally, the battle interaction can only be done at sorcery speed.
Strategic Implementation
Portent Tracker excels in decks that utilize high-value lands or heavy battle themes. By untapping a land that produces multiple mana, it provides significant ramp. In battle-heavy formats, it acts as 'non-combat damage' to a Siege, helping you flip it into its transformed side faster without needing to commit creatures to an attack.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesWith both creatures on the board, you can tap Llanowar Elves for one green mana, then tap Portent Tracker to untap a Forest. You can then tap that Forest again for a second green mana. Note that Portent Tracker's ability must resolve completely before that Forest is available to be tapped again.
Birds of ParadiseIf you have a land that produces a specific color you need, Portent Tracker can untap it to effectively double that color's output for the turn. While Birds of Paradise provides any color directly, Portent Tracker relies on the lands you have in play to provide value, acting as a force multiplier for your existing mana base.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Portent Tracker
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Portent Tracker’s first ability isn’t a mana ability. Notably, it can’t be used while you’re activating an ability or casting a spell. If you plan to use it to produce enough mana to activate an ability or cast a spell, you must do so ahead of time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
High Tide + Portent Tracker + Freed from the Real
- 1Cast High Tide by paying
. - 2Activate an Island by tapping it, adding .
- 3High Tide triggers, adding .
- 4Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping the Island.
- 5Activate Freed from the Real by paying , untapping Portent Tracker.
- 6Repeat from step 2
High Tide + Portent Tracker + Pemmin's Aura
- 1Cast High Tide by paying .
- 2Activate an Island by tapping it, adding .
- 3High Tide triggers, adding .
- 4Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping the Island.
- 5Activate Pemmin's Aura by paying , untapping Portent Tracker.
- 6Repeat from step 2
Temur Sabertooth + Gaea's Cradle + Great Oak Guardian + Portent Tracker
- 1Activate Gaea's Cradle by tapping it, adding at least eight
. - 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying
, returning Great Oak Guardian to your hand. - 3Cast Great Oak Guardian by paying
. - 4When Great Oak Guardian enters, it triggers itself, untapping all creatures you control and giving them +2/+2 until end of turn.
- 5Activate Portent Tracker's first ability by tapping it, untapping Gaea's Cradle.
- 6Repeat.
- 7If you control nine or more creatures, this combo will net infinite green mana, which you then may activate Temur Sabertooth any number of times and recast any creatures castable with green mana any number of times, effectively "blinking" your green creatures any number of times.
- 8You may also activate Portent Tracker any number of times.
Temur Sabertooth + Gaea's Cradle + Portent Tracker + Hyrax Tower Scout
- 1Activate Gaea's Cradle by tapping it, adding at least six .
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Hyrax Tower Scout to your hand.
- 3Cast Hyrax Tower Scout by paying
. - 4When Hyrax Tower Scout enters, it triggers itself, untapping Portent Tracker.
- 5Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping Gaea's Cradle.
- 6Repeat.
- 7Once you have infinite green mana, you may activate Temur Sabertooth any number of times and recast any creatures castable with green mana any number of times, effectively "blinking" your green creatures any number of times.
- 8You may also activate Portent Tracker any number of times.
Anzrag, the Quake-Mole + Obscuring Haze + Forbidden Orchard + Portent Tracker
- 1Activate Anzrag by paying
, causing opponents to block Anzrag if able this turn. - 2Cast Obscuring Haze by paying
if you control a commander, or otherwise, preventing all combat damage that would be dealt by opposing creatures this turn. - 3Declare Anzrag as an attacker, attacking any opponent.
- 4If the opponent does not control a creature, activate Forbidden Orchard by tapping it, adding one mana of any color.
- 5If Forbidden Orchard was activated, it triggers, causing the defending opponent to create a 1/1 Spirit creature token.
- 6If Forbidden Orchard was activated, activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping Forbidden Orchard.
- 7The opponent is forced to block Anzrag, triggering Anzrag, untapping all creatures you control and causing you to get an additional combat phase after this one.
- 8Any combat damage that would be dealt to Anzrag is prevented by Obscuring Haze.
Magosi, the Waterveil + Portent Tracker + Rings of Brighthearth
- 1Activate Magosi's second activated ability by paying and tapping it.
- 2Rings of Brighthearth triggers. Choose not to pay.
- 3Resolve the Magosi ability, putting an eon counter on it and skipping your next turn.
- 4Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, targeting Magosi.
- 5Rings of Brighthearth triggers. Choose not to pay.
- 6Resolve the Portent Tracker ability, untapping Magosi.
- 7Activate Magosi's third activated ability by tapping it, removing an eon counter from it, and returning it to your hand.
- 8Rings of Brighthearth triggers, causing you to pay to copy Magosi's ability.
Staff of Domination + Nyxbloom Ancient + Lotus Field + Portent Tracker
- 1Activate Lotus Field by tapping it, adding nine mana of any color due to Nyxbloom Ancient
- 2Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping Lotus Field
- 3Activate Staff of Domination's third ability by paying and tapping it, untapping Portent Tracker.
- 4Activate Staff of Domination's first ability by paying , untapping it.
- 5Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Gaea's Cradle + Portent Tracker + Little Bear
- 1Activate Gaea's Cradle by tapping it, adding at least six .
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Little Bear to your hand.
- 3Cast Little Bear by paying .
- 4When Little Bear enters, it triggers itself, untapping Portent Tracker.
- 5Activate Portent Tracker by tapping it, untapping Gaea's Cradle.
- 6Repeat.
- 7Once you have infinite green mana, you may activate Temur Sabertooth any number of times and recast any creatures castable with green mana any number of times, effectively "blinking" your green creatures any number of times.
- 8You may also activate Portent Tracker any number of times.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Portent Tracker
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