Sokenzan 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
All creatures get +1/+1 and have haste. Whenever chaos ensues, untap all creatures that attacked this turn. If it's a main phase, there is an additional combat phase after this phase, followed by an additional main phase.
Complete guide
Welcome to the rugged mountain peaks of Kamigawa. Sokenzan is a plane card that accelerates the pace of battle by granting every creature haste and a power boost. In Planechase games, this plane can turn a quiet board state into a multi-combat bloodbath if the chaos die rolls in your favor.
Constant Ferocity
As long as Sokenzan is the face-up plane, its static ability applies to all creatures on the battlefield, regardless of who controls them. Every creature gets +1/+1 and haste. This means creatures can attack or use abilities with the tap symbol the very turn they enter the battlefield, and they are slightly harder to kill in combat.
The Chaos of Multiple Combats
When a player rolls the chaos symbol on the planar die, Sokenzan's triggered ability goes on the stack. Upon resolution, every creature that has already attacked during the current turn is untapped. If this happens during a main phase, the game adds an extra combat phase immediately after the current phase, followed by an extra main phase. Note that if chaos ensues outside of a main phase, creatures still untap, but no extra phases are created.
Timing and Untapping
A common mistake is assuming creatures untap at the start of the extra combat. They actually untap only when the chaos ability resolves. If you roll chaos during your first main phase, your creatures untap (which does nothing if they weren't already tapped) and you gain a second combat. However, if you attack in that second combat, they will remain tapped for any subsequent combats unless another effect untaps them.
When to Roll for Chaos
The best time to fish for a chaos roll on Sokenzan is during your second main phase after you have already attacked. This allows you to untap your exerted or tapped attackers and send them in for a second round of damage. Because Sokenzan also grants haste, any new creatures you play in your extra main phase will be ready to fight if you manage to trigger another combat later.
Interaction examples
Sol Ring
Command TowerImagine you have Sol Ring and Command Tower on the battlefield. During your first combat phase, you attack with a creature. It is a 2/2 with haste thanks to Sokenzan. In your second main phase, you spend mana from Sol Ring to roll the planar die and hit chaos. Sokenzan triggers, untapping your creature. Because it is a main phase, you now get a second combat phase followed by another main phase, allowing that same creature to attack again.
Barrel Down SokenzanWhile Barrel Down Sokenzan is a thematic spell, it does not directly trigger the plane's abilities. However, if you use its Sweep ability to return Mountains to your hand, you might lack the mana to roll the planar die. If Sokenzan is active, any creature targeted by Barrel Down Sokenzan will effectively have +1 toughness, meaning you may need to return one additional Mountain to ensure the creature is destroyed.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Sokenzan
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A plane card is treated as if its text box included "When you roll
, put this card on the bottom of its owner's planar deck face down, then move the top card of your planar deck off that planar deck and turn it face up." This is called the "planeswalking ability."No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
A face-up plane card that's turned face down becomes a new object with no relation to its previous existence. In particular, it loses all counters it may have had.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The controller of a face-up plane card is the player designated as the "planar controller." Normally, the planar controller is whoever the active player is. However, if the current planar controller would leave the game, instead the next player in turn order that wouldn't leave the game becomes the planar controller, then the old planar controller leaves the game. The new planar controller retains that designation until they leave the game or a different player becomes the active player, whichever comes first.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
If an ability of a plane refers to "you," it's referring to whoever the plane's controller is at the time, not to the player that started the game with that plane card in their deck. Many abilities of plane cards affect all players, while many others affect only the planar controller, so read each ability carefully.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you roll
twice in the same main phase, two new combat phases will be created. However, all creatures that attacked this turn untap as the chaos abilities resolve, not as the combat phases start. Any creature that attacks in the second combat phase will remain tapped during the third combat phase (unless you roll again).No other card is named in this ruling.
Interactions with other cards
These cards' text mentions Sokenzan.
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Meta decks with Sokenzan
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.