Temur Sabertooth 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
: You may return another creature you control to its owner's hand. If you do, this creature gains indestructible until end of turn.
Complete guide
Temur Sabertooth is a versatile engine piece that offers both protection for your board and a way to reuse powerful enters-the-battlefield abilities. This emerald feline transforms your mana into a reusable resource, ensuring your key creatures stay safe from harm.
What It Does
Temur Sabertooth features an activated ability costing one green and one generic mana. By paying this cost, you have the option to return a different creature you control to its owner's hand to grant the Sabertooth indestructible until the end of the turn.
How It Resolves
When you activate the ability, you pay the mana cost and put the ability on the stack. Unlike many spells, this ability does not target. You only decide which creature to return (if any) during resolution. If you choose to return a creature, the Sabertooth immediately gains indestructible.
Common Mistakes
A common error is thinking you must choose the creature when you activate the ability. Because it does not say 'target,' your opponent cannot respond by killing the creature you intended to bounce. You can also activate this ability even if you have no other creatures, though you won't gain indestructible.
When to Play It
Use Temur Sabertooth during your opponent's turn to dodge removal spells or board wipes. In your own turn, use it to reset creatures with powerful effects that happen when they enter the battlefield, allowing you to cast them again for maximum value.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumWith both on the battlefield, you pay two mana to return Solemn Simulacrum to your hand. You then cast the Simulacrum again, allowing you to search for another basic land and put it onto the battlefield tapped.
Eternal WitnessCast Eternal Witness to return a card from your graveyard to your hand. Then, use Temur Sabertooth to return Eternal Witness to your hand. You can now replay the Witness to retrieve another card, creating a repeatable loop for your best spells.
If an opponent casts a spell to destroy Temur Sabertooth, you can respond by activating its ability and returning any other creature you control to your hand. The Sabertooth gains indestructible, and the destruction spell will fail to destroy it upon resolution.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Temur Sabertooth
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
You choose whether to return a creature and which creature to return as the activated ability resolves. This doesn't target any creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Temur Sabertooth + Nyxbloom Ancient
- 1Activate the mana-producing creature by tapping it, adding three times the usual amount of mana due to Nyxbloom Ancient.
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying
, returning the mana-producing creature from the battlefield to your hand and giving Temur Sabertooth indestructible until end of turn. - 3Cast the mana-producing creature by paying its mana cost.
- 4Repeat any number of times.
- 5If the loop produces infinite mana (see Notes), you can then spend that mana to activate Temur Sabertooth any number of times, returning and recasting any creatures you control whose costs can be paid for by the type of mana you have.
Temur Sabertooth + Selvala, Heart of the Wilds + Lightning Greaves
- 1Activate Lightning Greaves' equip ability by paying
, attaching it to Selvala. - 2Activate Selvala by paying and tapping it, adding at least
. - 3Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Selvala from the battlefield to your hand.
- 4Cast Selvala by paying .
- 5Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Circle of Dreams Druid + Wirewood Symbiote + Llanowar Elves
- 1Activate Circle of Dreams Druid by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Wirewood Symbiote by returning Llanowar Elves to your hand from the battlefield, untapping Circle of Dreams Druid.
- 3Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Wirewood Symbiote from the battlefield to your hand.
- 4Cast Wirewood Symbiote by paying .
- 5Cast Llanowar Elves by paying .
- 6Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Circle of Dreams Druid + Wirewood Symbiote + Elvish Mystic
- 1Activate Circle of Dreams Druid by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Activate Wirewood Symbiote by returning Elvish Mystic to your hand from the battlefield, untapping Circle of Dreams Druid.
- 3Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Wirewood Symbiote from the battlefield to your hand.
- 4Cast Wirewood Symbiote by paying .
- 5Cast Elvish Mystic by paying .
- 6Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Circle of Dreams Druid + Concordant Crossroads
- 1Activate Circle of Dreams Druid by tapping it, adding an amount of equal to the number of creatures you control.
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Circle of Dreams Druid to your hand and causing Temur Sabertooth to gain indestuctible until end of turn.
- 3Cast Circle of Dreams Druid by paying .
- 4Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Concordant Crossroads + Priest of Titania
- 1Activate Priest of Titania by tapping it, adding an amount of .
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Priest of Titania from the battlefield to your hand.
- 3Cast Priest of Titania by paying its mana cost.
- 4Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Selvala, Heart of the Wilds + Concordant Crossroads
- 1Activate Selvala by paying and tapping it, adding at least
- 2Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Selvala from the battlefield to your hand.
- 3Cast Selvala by paying its mana cost.
- 4Repeat.
Temur Sabertooth + Hyrax Tower Scout + Priest of Titania
- 1Activate Priest of Titania by tapping it, adding at least .
- 2Cast Hyrax Tower Scout by paying .
- 3When Hyrax Tower Scout enters the battlefield, it triggers, untapping Priest of Titania.
- 4Activate Temur Sabertooth by paying , returning Hyrax Tower Scout from the battlefield to your hand.
- 5Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Temur Sabertooth
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