Sidisi's Faithful — ruling 1

A creature with exploit “exploits a creature” when the controller of the exploit ability sacrifices a creature as that ability resolves.

Sidisi's Faithful — ruling 2

You choose whether to sacrifice a creature and which creature to sacrifice as the exploit ability resolves.

Sidisi's Faithful — ruling 3

You can sacrifice the creature with exploit if it’s still on the battlefield. This will cause its other ability to trigger.

Sidisi's Faithful — ruling 4

If the creature with exploit isn’t on the battlefield as the exploit ability resolves, you won’t get any bonus from the creature with exploit, even if you sacrifice a creature. Because the creature with exploit isn’t on the battlefield, its other triggered ability won’t trigger.

Sidisi's Faithful — ruling 5

You can’t sacrifice more than one creature to any one exploit ability.

Sidisi's Faithful : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Sidisi's Faithful 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

Exploit (When this creature enters, you may sacrifice a creature.) When this creature exploits a creature, return target creature to its owner's hand.

Complete guide

Sidisi's Faithful is a deceptively powerful one-drop from the Dragons of Tarkir set, serving as a flexible piece of interaction in blue decks. As a Snake Wizard with the Exploit mechanic, it allows you to trade a creature on your board for a tempo-swinging bounce effect.

Understanding Exploit

Exploit is a triggered ability that occurs when Sidisi's Faithful enters the battlefield. When the ability resolves, you have a choice: you may sacrifice exactly one creature you control, or you may choose not to sacrifice anything. This choice is made during the resolution of the ability, meaning opponents must decide whether to respond before they know if you will actually sacrifice a creature.

The Bounce Trigger

Sidisi's Faithful has a second ability that triggers specifically when it 'exploits a creature.' This means the sacrifice must happen as a result of the Exploit ability itself. If you sacrifice a creature to the Exploit ability, the second ability goes on the stack, and you then choose a target creature to return to its owner's hand. Note that if Sidisi's Faithful is removed from the battlefield before its Exploit ability resolves, you can still sacrifice a creature, but the second ability will not trigger because the source is no longer present to 'see' the exploit happen.

Strategic Timing

Because Sidisi's Faithful costs only one blue mana, it is an excellent tool for resetting your own creatures with powerful 'enters-the-battlefield' effects or clearing a path through an opponent's blockers. You can even sacrifice Sidisi's Faithful to its own ability if you simply need a cheap Sorcery-speed Unsummon effect.

Interaction examples

Sacrificing for Value

Ornithopter of Paradise

You cast Sidisi's Faithful while you control Ornithopter of Paradise. When it enters, the Exploit trigger goes on the stack. Upon resolution, you choose to sacrifice the Ornithopter of Paradise. This immediately triggers the second ability of the Faithful, allowing you to target an opponent's creature and return it to their hand.

The Self-Sacrifice Play

If you have no other creatures, you can play Sidisi's Faithful and choose to sacrifice Sidisi's Faithful to its own Exploit ability. Since it exploited itself, the second ability triggers, allowing you to bounce a target creature. The Faithful ends up in your graveyard, but your opponent's creature is successfully returned to their hand.

Responding to Flash

Faerie Mastermind

Suppose your opponent casts Faerie Mastermind in response to your Sidisi's Faithful. Once the Mastermind resolves and enters the battlefield, your Exploit trigger is still waiting to resolve. When it does, you can sacrifice a creature to trigger the bounce, selecting the newly played Faerie Mastermind as the target to negate your opponent's flash play.

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

How it works : Sidisi's Faithful

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1February 25, 2015· Wizards of the Coast
A creature with exploit “exploits a creature” when the controller of the exploit ability sacrifices a creature as that ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2February 25, 2015· Wizards of the Coast
You choose whether to sacrifice a creature and which creature to sacrifice as the exploit ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3February 25, 2015· Wizards of the Coast
You can sacrifice the creature with exploit if it’s still on the battlefield. This will cause its other ability to trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4February 25, 2015· Wizards of the Coast
If the creature with exploit isn’t on the battlefield as the exploit ability resolves, you won’t get any bonus from the creature with exploit, even if you sacrifice a creature. Because the creature with exploit isn’t on the battlefield, its other triggered ability won’t trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5February 25, 2015· Wizards of the Coast
You can’t sacrifice more than one creature to any one exploit ability.
No other card is named in this ruling.