Ring of the LuciiHow it works & interactions with other cards

What It Does

This legendary artifact offers two distinct activated abilities. First, it serves as a mana engine, tapping to add two colorless mana to your mana pool. Second, it functions as a utility piece that allows you to pay two mana and one life to tap down any nonland permanent on the battlefield.

How It Resolves Step by Step

When you use the second ability, you first announce the activation and choose a legal target, which can be any artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker. You then pay the costs: two mana, tapping the Ring, and losing one life. Once the ability resolves, the target permanent becomes tapped, preventing it from attacking, blocking, or using its own abilities that require tapping.

Common Mistakes

The most frequent error is attempting to target a land with the second ability; the text specifically excludes land permanents. Additionally, remember that as a legendary artifact, you cannot have two copies of Ring of the Lucii on your side of the field simultaneously without one being put into the graveyard.

When to Play It

Play Ring of the Lucii early to jump from four mana to seven mana on your next turn. During the late game, hold up mana to tap down your opponent's largest attacker during their beginning of combat step, effectively removing their biggest threat for a turn.

Interaction examples

Ramping into the Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum

With Ring of the Lucii on the battlefield, you can tap it to add {C}{C}. Combined with two other lands, this allows you to cast Solemn Simulacrum as early as turn 5 (or sooner with other ramp), letting you fetch a basic land and establish a board presence quickly.

Denying Resources

Commander's Sphere

If your opponent is relying on Commander's Sphere for mana or to draw a card later, you can activate Ring of the Lucii's second ability during their upkeep to tap the Sphere. While they can respond by tapping it for mana, you force them to use that mana during their upkeep rather than their main phase.