Sami, Wildcat Captain 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
Double strike, vigilance Spells you cast have affinity for artifacts. (They costless to cast for each artifact you control.)
Complete guide
Sami, Wildcat Captain is a powerhouse leader who rewards you for surrounding yourself with mechanical marvels. By granting affinity for artifacts to every spell in your hand, this Human Artificer Rogue allows you to deploy your most expensive threats for a fraction of their usual cost.
Master of Industry
Sami, Wildcat Captain provides two immediate benefits. First, she is a formidable combatant with double strike and vigilance, allowing her to pressure opponents while remaining ready to block. Second, and most importantly, she grants 'affinity for artifacts' to every spell you cast. This cost reduction applies to creatures, sorceries, instants, and even other artifacts, reducing the generic mana requirement by one for every artifact you currently control on the battlefield.
Calculating the Discount
To determine the final cost of a spell with Sami on the board, you follow a specific order. Start with the mana cost (or an alternative cost), add any increases, and then apply the affinity reduction. It is important to note that affinity only reduces generic mana; it cannot pay for colored mana symbols like {R} or {W}. If you control five artifacts and want to cast a spell that costs {5}{R}, you will only pay {R}.
Timing and Stability
The number of artifacts you control is checked at the moment you cast the spell. If an opponent destroys an artifact in response to you casting a spell, the cost you already paid does not change. Additionally, the mana value of your spells remains the same regardless of the discount. A spell that costs six mana still counts as having a mana value of six, even if you paid zero mana to cast it thanks to Sami's influence.
Interaction examples
Sun TitanWith Sami, Wildcat Captain and three artifacts on the battlefield, you cast Sun Titan. Instead of paying {4}{W}{W}, the affinity reduction lowers the cost to {1}{W}{W}. Once Sun Titan enters the battlefield, its triggered ability can return a small artifact or another permanent with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard, potentially increasing your artifact count for your next spell.
Etali, Primal StormIf you attack with Etali, Primal Storm while Sami is in play, you may exile cards and cast them without paying their mana costs. In this specific scenario, affinity is redundant because the cost is already zero. However, if you chose to cast Etali normally from your hand while controlling six artifacts, Sami would reduce Etali's cost from {4}{R}{R} to just {R}{R}.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sami, Wildcat Captain
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you’re paying, add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell has multiple instances of affinity, each one applies. For example, if you somehow control two Sami, Wildcat Captains and you control two artifacts, each spell you cast will cost
less to cast.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Affinity for artifacts means “This spell costs
less to cast for each artifact you control.”No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Sensei's Divining Top + Mystic Forge + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Activate Sensei's Divining Top by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 2Cast Sensei's Divining Top from the top of your library by paying
. - 3Repeat
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Krark-Clan Ironworks + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding
. - 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Sami.
- 4Activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Sami.
- 7Repeat.
Spine of Ish Sah + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Cast Spine of Ish Sah by paying due to Sami.
- 2When Spine of Ish Sah enters, its first ability triggers, destroying itself.
- 3Spine of Ish Sah's second ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to your hand.
- 4Repeat.
Ancestral Statue + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Cast Ancestral Statue by paying .
- 2When Ancestral Statue enters the battlefield, it triggers, returning itself from the battlefield to your hand.
- 3Repeat.
Birgi, God of Storytelling // Harnfel, Horn of Bounty + Sensei's Divining Top + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Activate Sensei's Divining Top's second ability by tapping it, causing you to draw a card and put Sensei's Divining Top on top of your library.
- 2Activate Harnfel by discarding a card, exiling the top two cards of your library and allowing you to cast them this turn.
- 3Cast Sensei's Divining Top from exile by paying .
- 4Repeat.
Spine of Ish Sah + Sami, Wildcat Captain + Krark-Clan Ironworks
- 1Cast Spine of Ish Sah by paying at most
due to Sami. - 2When Spine of Ish Sah enters, its first ability triggers, targeting either a permanent an opponent controls or itself if an opponent doesn't control a targetable permanent.
- 3Holding priority, activate Krark-Clan Ironworks by sacrificing Spine of Ish Sah.
- 4If you targeted Spine of Ish Sah in step 2, the ability will fizzle due to having no legal target.
- 5Spine of Ish Sah's second ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Resolve the Spine of Ish Sah trigger from step 2, if applicable.
- 7Repeat from step 1.
Spine of Ish Sah + Sami, Wildcat Captain + Grinding Station
- 1Cast Spine of Ish Sah by paying due to Sami.
- 2When Spine of Ish Sah enters, its first ability and Grinding Station trigger, with Spine of Ish Sah targeting either a permanent an opponent controls or itself if an opponent doesn't control a targetable permanent.
- 3Resolve the Grinding Station trigger, untapping it.
- 4Holding priority, activate Grinding Station by tapping it and sacrificing Spine of Ish Sah.
- 5If you targeted Spine of Ish Sah in step 2, the ability will fizzle due to having no legal target.
- 6Spine of Ish Sah's second ability triggers, returning it from your graveyard to your hand.
- 7Resolve the Grinding Station ability from step 4.
- 8Resolve the Spine of Ish Sah trigger from step 2, if applicable.
Scrap Trawler + Myr Retriever + Ashnod's Altar + Sami, Wildcat Captain
- 1Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Myr Retriever, adding .
- 2When Myr Retriever dies, it triggers, returning Scrap Trawler from your graveyard to your hand.
- 3Cast Scrap Trawler by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Sami.
- 4Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Scrap Trawler, adding .
- 5When Scrap Trawler dies, it triggers, returning Myr Retriever from your graveyard to your hand.
- 6Cast Myr Retriever by paying its mana cost, which is reduced by Sami.
- 7Repeat.
Legal formats
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