Reluctant Role Model 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
Survival — At the beginning of your second main phase, if this creature is tapped, put a flying, lifelink, or +1/+1 counter on it. Whenever this creature or another creature you control dies, if it had counters on it, put those counters on up to one target creature.
Complete guide
Reluctant Role Model is a versatile Human Survivor that turns your tactical tapping into permanent growth. Whether it is leading the charge or passing its legacy to an ally, this card ensures your hard-earned counters never go to waste.
Understanding Survival
Reluctant Role Model features the Survival keyword, which triggers at the start of your second main phase. For this ability to work, the creature must be tapped the exact moment the phase begins. If it is tapped, you get to choose between a flying, lifelink, or +1/+1 counter to place on it, allowing it to adapt to the current board state.
Passing the Torch
When Reluctant Role Model or another creature you control dies, its second ability checks if that creature had any counters. If it did, you can target one creature to receive those exact counters. Note that this isn't 'moving' counters; you are placing new ones of the same type and quantity onto the target. If Reluctant Role Model and other creatures die simultaneously, such as during a board wipe, the ability triggers once for each creature that had counters.
Common Pitfalls
Timing is everything with Survival. If Reluctant Role Model is untapped when the second main phase starts, the ability never triggers, and you cannot tap it in response to make it happen. Additionally, the ability checks if it is still tapped upon resolution. If an opponent untaps it while the ability is on the stack, you won't get the counter.
When to Play It
This card excels in aggressive decks that plan to attack during the first combat phase, ensuring it is tapped for the second main phase. It also serves as excellent insurance for your high-value utility creatures, allowing their power or keyword buffs to persist even after they are removed from the battlefield.
Interaction examples
Ornithopter of ParadiseYou tap Ornithopter of Paradise for mana during your first main phase. When you move to your second main phase, Reluctant Role Model's Survival ability triggers because it is also tapped from attacking. Later, if Ornithopter of Paradise is destroyed, Reluctant Role Model's second ability allows you to put any counters that were on the Thopter onto another creature you control.
Esper SentinelYou have a Reluctant Role Model with two +1/+1 counters on it and an Esper Sentinel. If your opponent casts a spell to destroy Reluctant Role Model, its ability triggers upon death. You target Esper Sentinel, placing both +1/+1 counters on it. Now, your opponent must pay two extra mana for the Sentinel's tax, as its power has increased from 1 to 3.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Reluctant Role Model
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Reluctant Role Model dies at the same time as one or more other creatures with counters on them, its last ability will trigger for each of those creatures.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Reluctant Role Model's last ability doesn't cause you to move counters from the creature that died onto the target creature. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter the creature that died had when it died onto the target creature. Other effects that interact with putting counters onto that creature will interact with this effect accordingly.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
In some unusual cases, you may end up putting the appropriate counters on more than one permanent. For example, if you control The Ozolith when Reluctant Role Model dies, you'll put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the target creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If the creature that died had -1/-1 counters on it when it died, Reluctant Role Model's last ability will include those as well. This may result in the target creature also dying.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Survival abilities (and other abilities that trigger at the beginning of your second main phase) will trigger at the beginning of the second main phase you take in a turn. They won't trigger during your third, fourth, or other additional main phases in a single turn, if effects somehow cause you to have more than two main phases.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with a survival ability isn't tapped when your second main phase begins, the ability won't trigger at all. You won't be able to tap it during your second main phase in time to have that ability trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature's survival ability triggers but that creature is untapped when the ability begins to resolve, that ability won't do anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature's survival ability triggers but the creature leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves, use its tapped or untapped status as it last existed on the battlefield to determine whether or not the ability will do anything.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ashnod's Altar + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it, adding
. - 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Repeat.
Bartolomé del Presidio + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Bartolomé del Presidio by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Resolve the Bartolomé del Presidio ability from step 1.
- 7Repeat.
Carrion Feeder + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Carrion Feeder by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Resolve the Carrion Feeder ability from step 1.
- 7Repeat.
Viscera Seer + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Viscera Seer by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Resolve the Viscera Seer ability from step 1.
- 7Repeat.
Yahenni, Undying Partisan + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Yahenni by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Resolve the Yahenni ability from step 1.
- 7Repeat.
Basking Broodscale + Arwen, Weaver of Hope + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Cast Basking Broodscale by paying
, which enters with a +1/+1 counter on it due to Arwen. - 2Basking Broodscale triggers, creating a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature token that enters with a +1/+1 counter on it due to Arwen.
- 3Activate the Eldrazi Spawn by sacrificing it, adding .
- 4When the Eldrazi Spawn dies, Reluctant Role Model's second ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Basking Broodscale.
- 5Repeat from step 2.
Basking Broodscale + Good-Fortune Unicorn + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Cast Basking Broodscale by paying .
- 2When Basking Broodscale enters, Good-Fortune Unicorn triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Basking Broodscale.
- 3Basking Broodscale triggers, creating a 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature token.
- 4When the Eldrazi Spawn enters, Good-Fortune Unicorn triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on the Eldrazi Spawn.
- 5Activate the Eldrazi Spawn by sacrificing it, adding .
- 6When the Eldrazi Spawn dies, Reluctant Role Model's second ability triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on Basking Broodscale.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
Phyrexian Altar + Reluctant Role Model
- 1Activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the persist creature that has a +1/+1 counter on it, adding one mana of any color.
- 2When that creature dies, its persist ability and Reluctant Role Model trigger.
- 3Resolve Reluctant Role Model's ability, putting at least two +1/+1 counters onto the surviving persist creature due to the counter-increasing effect.
- 4If that creature had a -1/-1 counter on it, remove that and one of the +1/+1 counters from it as a state-based action.
- 5Resolve the persist ability from step 2, returning the persist creature from your graveyard to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter.
- 6Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Reluctant Role Model
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.