River Kelpie — ruling 1

If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner's graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won't trigger and the card won't return to the battlefield. That's because persist checks the creature's existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.

River Kelpie — ruling 2

The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.

River Kelpie — ruling 3

If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they'll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.

River Kelpie — ruling 4

If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can't return to the battlefield.

River Kelpie — ruling 5

When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it's a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.

River Kelpie — ruling 6

If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player's persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player's persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.

River Kelpie — ruling 7

If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.

River Kelpie — ruling 8

If River Kelpie and another permanent are each put onto the battlefield from a graveyard at the same time, River Kelpie's first ability will trigger twice. (It will see the other permanent entering.)

River Kelpie : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

River Kelpie 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

Whenever this creature or another permanent enters from a graveyard, draw a card. Whenever a player casts a spell from a graveyard, draw a card. Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)

Complete guide

River Kelpie is a powerful engine for graveyard-themed decks, turning every recursion effect into fresh cards in your hand. This Beast features the Persist keyword, allowing it to survive a trip to the graveyard while providing its own draw trigger on the way back.

A Double Threat for Card Advantage

River Kelpie has two distinct triggered abilities that generate card draw. The first ability triggers whenever a permanent—either River Kelpie itself or any other permanent—enters the battlefield from a graveyard. The second ability triggers whenever any player casts a spell from a graveyard. This makes it an incredible companion for mechanics like Flashback, Jump-start, or reanimation spells.

Resolving the Triggers

When a permanent enters from the graveyard, the Kelpie's first ability triggers and goes on the stack. If multiple permanents enter at the same time, it triggers once for each of them. Note that casting a permanent spell from a graveyard (like using an ability to cast a creature from your discard pile) triggers the second ability when the spell is cast, but does not trigger the first ability when that spell resolves, because the card moves from the stack to the battlefield, not directly from the graveyard.

Understanding Persist

Persist is a triggered ability that checks the creature's state just before it leaves the battlefield. If River Kelpie dies and had no -1/-1 counters on it, it returns to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. Because it enters from the graveyard, its own ability will trigger, allowing you to draw a card immediately upon its return. If it dies while it already has a -1/-1 counter, Persist will not trigger.

When to Play It

River Kelpie is best utilized in decks that plan to loop creatures or cast spells multiple times. Since its abilities trigger regardless of which player is interacting with the graveyard, it also serves as a potent deterrent against opponents using recursion strategies. In a multiplayer game, it can often draw you several cards per turn cycle just by watching your opponents' actions.

Interaction examples

Double the Recursion

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have River Kelpie on the battlefield and use a spell like Reanimate to bring Solemn Simulacrum back to the battlefield from your graveyard, River Kelpie's first ability triggers. You will draw a card from the Kelpie, and you will also get the standard 'enters' trigger from the Simulacrum to fetch a land.

Explosive Card Draw

Roaming Throne

With River Kelpie on the battlefield, you cast Roaming Throne and choose 'Beast'. Now, whenever a permanent enters from a graveyard or a spell is cast from a graveyard, Roaming Throne causes River Kelpie's triggered abilities to trigger an additional time. If River Kelpie dies and returns via Persist, you would draw two cards instead of one.

The Persist Loop

When River Kelpie dies for the first time, its Persist ability triggers. It returns to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. As it enters from the graveyard, its first ability triggers, and you draw a card. If it dies again while the -1/-1 counter is still on it, Persist will not trigger, and it will remain in the graveyard.

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

How it works : River Kelpie

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough -1/-1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner's graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, persist won't trigger and the card won't return to the battlefield. That's because persist checks the creature's existence just before it leaves the battlefield, and it still has all those counters on it at that point.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
The persist ability triggers when the permanent is put into a graveyard. Its last known information (that is, how the creature last existed on the battlefield) is used to determine whether it had a -1/-1 counter on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent has multiple instances of persist, they'll each trigger separately, but the redundant instances will have no effect. If one instance returns the card to the battlefield, the next to resolve will do nothing.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a token with no -1/-1 counters on it has persist, the ability will trigger when the token is put into the graveyard. However, the token will cease to exist and can't return to the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
When a permanent with persist returns to the battlefield, it's a new object with no memory of or connection to its previous existence.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If multiple creatures with persist are put into the graveyard at the same time (due to combat damage or a spell that destroys all creatures, for example), the active player (the player whose turn it is) puts all of their persist triggers on the stack in any order, then each other player in turn order does the same. The last trigger put on the stack is the first one that resolves. That means that in a two-player game, the nonactive player's persist creatures will return to the battlefield first, then the active player's persist creatures do the same. The creatures return to the battlefield one at a time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7June 7, 2013· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature with persist stops being a creature, persist will still work.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
If River Kelpie and another permanent are each put onto the battlefield from a graveyard at the same time, River Kelpie's first ability will trigger twice. (It will see the other permanent entering.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast another artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker spell from a graveyard, only the second ability triggers. That's because the card is put onto the stack, not onto the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#10May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast River Kelpie itself from your graveyard (by using Yawgmoth's Will, for example), neither ability triggers. The first ability doesn't trigger because River Kelpie is put onto the stack; the second ability doesn't trigger because it works only while River Kelpie is already on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
If you play a land card from a graveyard (by using Crucible of Worlds, for example), only the first ability triggers. That's because the land (which isn't a spell) is put directly onto the battlefield from the graveyard.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#12May 1, 2008· Wizards of the Coast
River Kelpie doesn't give you the ability to cast spells from graveyards. Its second ability merely triggers whenever a spell is cast this way (by using Memory Plunder, for example).
No other card is named in this ruling.