Simian Spirit Guide 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
Exile this card from your hand: Add.
Complete guide
Simian Spirit Guide is a legendary staple for players who need explosive speed and early mana. While it may look like a simple creature, its true power lies in its ability to be converted into instant mana from your hand. Understanding the timing of this mana ability is key to maximizing your turn one plays.
What It Does
Simian Spirit Guide features a special mana ability that can be activated only while the card is in your hand. By exiling the card, you immediately add one red mana to your mana pool. Because this is a mana ability, it does not use the stack and cannot be responded to by your opponents.
Step-by-Step Resolution
To use this ability, you first announce you are activating it while you have priority or when a spell or ability requires a mana payment. Next, you exile Simian Spirit Guide from your hand as the cost. Finally, one red mana is added to your mana pool instantly. This process happens faster than a regular spell and does not require a target.
Common Mistakes
A common mistake involves trying to use the Guide to pay for a cost that includes returning the Guide itself to your hand. According to official rulings, if a cost requires you to return a creature and pay mana, you cannot use the Guide you just returned to pay that mana. This is because you must activate mana abilities before you start paying the costs of a spell or ability.
When to Play It
You typically use Simian Spirit Guide to 'cheat' the mana curve, casting high-impact spells earlier than your lands would normally allow. It is often used to fuel aggressive decks that want to resolve a threat on the very first turn of the game.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have three lands and a Simian Spirit Guide in hand, you can exile the Guide to add one red mana. This extra mana allows you to cast Solemn Simulacrum a turn early, helping you ramp even further by searching for a basic land.
Roaming ThroneNote that Roaming Throne only affects triggered abilities of creatures on the battlefield. Since Simian Spirit Guide's ability is an activated mana ability used from the hand, Roaming Throne will not cause it to produce extra mana, even if you chose 'Ape' or 'Spirit' as the creature type.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Simian Spirit Guide
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability's cost includes returning a creature to your hand and paying mana, you can't activate Simian Spirit Guide's mana ability after returning it to your hand. This is because mana abilities must be activated before you begin paying costs.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Simian Spirit Guide
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.