Queen Allenal of Ruadach — ruling 1

Queen Allenal of Ruadach’s first ability counts itself, so its power and toughness will always be at least 1/1.

Queen Allenal of Ruadach — ruling 2

The additional Soldier token won’t have any abilities the other tokens were created with. Anything else specified in the effect creating the tokens (such as tapped, attacking, “That token gains haste,” or “Exile that token at end of combat”) applies to both the original tokens and the Soldier.

Queen Allenal of Ruadach — ruling 3

If an effect changes under whose control a token would be created, that effect applies before Queen Allenal’s effect applies. If an effect changes under whose control a token would enter the battlefield, that effect applies after Queen Allenal’s effect is able to be applied.

Queen Allenal of Ruadach : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Queen Allenal of Ruadach 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

Queen Allenal of Ruadach's power and toughness are each equal to the number of creatures you control. If one or more creature tokens would be created under your control, those tokens plus a 1/1 white Soldier creature token are created instead.

Complete guide

Queen Allenal of Ruadach is a powerful centerpiece for any strategy focused on going wide with a massive army. She not only scales her own strength based on the size of your battlefield, but she also ensures that every recruitment effort brings an extra Soldier to the front lines. Whether you are building a dedicated token deck or a creature-heavy midrange build, this Elf Noble provides immense value.

Scaling Power and Reinforcements

Queen Allenal of Ruadach features two distinct abilities. First, her power and toughness are dynamic, equal to the total number of creatures you control. Since she is a creature herself, she will always be at least a 1/1 as long as she is on the battlefield. Her second ability is a replacement effect: if any effect would create one or more creature tokens under your control, it creates those tokens plus an additional 1/1 white Soldier creature token.

How the Replacement Effect Works

When an effect generates tokens, Queen Allenal modifies that event. If you would create one token, you create two (the original plus the Soldier). If you would create five tokens, you create six. It is important to note that the extra Soldier inherits specific conditions of the effect, such as entering the battlefield tapped or attacking, but it does not inherit specific abilities like flying or haste unless the effect grants those abilities to all tokens created by that spell or ability.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is thinking the Soldier token gets special keywords from the original token. For example, if you create a token that has 'Flying,' the additional Soldier created by Queen Allenal will not have Flying. Furthermore, Queen Allenal's power/toughness ability is a characteristic-defining ability that functions in all zones, not just on the battlefield. However, her token-doubling replacement effect only functions while she is on the battlefield.

When to Play Queen Allenal

You should aim to cast Queen Allenal before you activate or resolve any spells that create tokens to maximize her value. Because she grows stronger with every creature added to the board, she is best used alongside cards that put multiple bodies into play at once, turning small utility creatures into a massive offensive threat.

Interaction examples

Measuring Queen Allenal's Might

Queen Allenal of Ruadach

Solemn Simulacrum

Sakura-Tribe Elder

If you control Queen Allenal of Ruadach, Solemn Simulacrum, and Sakura-Tribe Elder, Queen Allenal's power and toughness will be 3/3. If you then sacrifice Sakura-Tribe Elder to its own ability, the total number of creatures drops to two, and Queen Allenal immediately becomes a 2/2.

Creating Multiple Tokens

Queen Allenal of Ruadach Soldier

Soldier

If you cast a spell that creates three 1/1 white Soldier tokens while Queen Allenal of Ruadach is on the battlefield, her replacement effect applies. Instead of three tokens, you create the original three plus one additional 1/1 white Soldier token, for a total of four tokens.

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

How it works : Queen Allenal of Ruadach

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Queen Allenal of Ruadach’s first ability counts itself, so its power and toughness will always be at least 1/1.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
The additional Soldier token won’t have any abilities the other tokens were created with. Anything else specified in the effect creating the tokens (such as tapped, attacking, “That token gains haste,” or “Exile that token at end of combat”) applies to both the original tokens and the Soldier.
Card named in this ruling
Soldier
#3September 9, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect changes under whose control a token would be created, that effect applies before Queen Allenal’s effect applies. If an effect changes under whose control a token would enter the battlefield, that effect applies after Queen Allenal’s effect is able to be applied.
No other card is named in this ruling.