Teysa Karlov — ruling 1

Teysa affects a creature's own “when this creature dies” triggered abilities as well as other triggered abilities that trigger when that creature dies. Such triggered abilities start with “when” or “whenever.”

Teysa Karlov — ruling 2

Teysa's effect doesn't copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger twice. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to pay a cost for that triggered ability, are also made separately.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 3

The trigger event doesn't have to specifically refer to “creatures.” In these cases, the trigger event may also refer to something being “put into a graveyard from the battlefield.” For example, an ability that triggers “whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield” would trigger twice if an artifact creature dies while Teysa Karlov is on the battlefield.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 4

An ability that triggers when a creature “leaves the battlefield” will trigger twice if that creature leaves the battlefield by dying.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 5

An ability that triggers on an event that causes a creature to die doesn't trigger twice. For example, an ability that triggers “whenever you sacrifice a creature” triggers only once.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 6

Look at each creature as it exists on the battlefield, taking into account continuous effects, to determine whether any triggered abilities will trigger multiple times. For example, if a land that has become a creature dies, an ability that triggers when it dies triggers twice.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 7

If a creature dying at the same time that another permanent you control leaves the battlefield causes a triggered ability of that permanent to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

Teysa Karlov — ruling 8

If a creature dying at the same time as Teysa (including Teysa itself dying) causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.

Teysa Karlov : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Teysa Karlov 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

If a creature dying causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time. Creature tokens you control have vigilance and lifelink.

Complete guide

Teysa Karlov makes qualifying death triggers happen an additional time while giving your creature tokens vigilance and lifelink. The key is identifying what actually triggered: a creature dying must cause a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger.

What Teysa Karlov Does

For {2}{W}{B}, Teysa provides two static abilities. Her first makes qualifying triggered abilities trigger an additional time; it does not copy abilities already on the stack. Her second gives creature tokens you control vigilance and lifelink: attacking doesn't cause them to tap, and damage they deal also causes you to gain that much life. “Dies” means being put into a graveyard from the battlefield. Teysa applies to a creature's own death trigger and to other qualifying triggers of permanents you control. The dying creature doesn't have to be yours. The trigger need not use the word “dies.” A leaves-the-battlefield trigger qualifies if the creature leaves by dying, as does an artifact-going-to-the-graveyard trigger when an artifact creature dies. Exiling a creature or returning it to hand is not dying.

How It Resolves: Death Triggers Step by Step

Teysa's first ability doesn't itself trigger or resolve. Instead, when a qualifying event happens, the relevant ability triggers an additional time. Those triggers go onto the stack the next time a player would receive priority, after state-based actions are handled. You choose their relative order if you control them, and each resolves separately. Example 1 — Solemn Simulacrum dies: 1. You control Teysa Karlov and Solemn Simulacrum. 2. Solemn Simulacrum dies. Its “you may draw a card” ability triggers twice instead of once. 3. Put both triggers onto the stack. 4. As each resolves, independently choose whether to draw. You can draw a total of zero, one, or two cards. Example 2 — Both creatures die together: 1. You control Teysa Karlov and Solemn Simulacrum, and both die simultaneously. 2. The game uses their existence immediately before they left the battlefield to determine these death triggers and Teysa's effect. 3. Solemn Simulacrum's death ability still triggers twice. Teysa doesn't need to survive the event for this to work.

Common Mistakes: Not Every Trigger Gets an Extra

Teysa doesn't increase enters-the-battlefield triggers, and an ability that triggers “whenever you sacrifice a creature” doesn't get an additional trigger from her. Sacrificing can cause a death, but a sacrifice trigger watches the sacrifice event, not the death event. A separate dies ability can still qualify. Choices are independent for each trigger. Choose modes and targets separately when putting each onto the stack, and make resolution choices separately as each resolves. Example 3 — Adding Roaming Throne: 1. You control Teysa Karlov and Roaming Throne, with Golem chosen for the Throne. 2. Solemn Simulacrum enters under your control. Its enters ability triggers twice because it is another Golem creature you control. Teysa adds nothing to this event. 3. Each trigger resolves separately, allowing a separate search for a basic land card, putting that card onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffling. 4. Later, Solemn Simulacrum dies while Teysa and the Throne remain on the battlefield. Its death ability triggers three times: once normally, once more from Teysa, and once more from the Throne—not four times. Choosing Human or Advisor for Roaming Throne doesn't amplify Teysa's abilities: both of her abilities are static, not triggered.

When to Play Teysa

Deploy Teysa before the deaths whose triggers you want to increase. Casting her after an ability has triggered won't add another instance of that trigger. With Solemn Simulacrum, her payoff is the additional optional draw when it dies, not an extra land search when it enters. Her token benefits also reward having her on the battlefield before combat. Vigilance lets your tokens attack without tapping, while lifelink applies to any damage they deal, not just combat damage. Neither benefit gives those tokens haste.

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

How it works : Teysa Karlov

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Teysa affects a creature's own “when this creature dies” triggered abilities as well as other triggered abilities that trigger when that creature dies. Such triggered abilities start with “when” or “whenever.”
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Teysa's effect doesn't copy the triggered ability; it just causes the ability to trigger twice. Any choices made as you put the ability onto the stack, such as modes and targets, are made separately for each instance of the ability. Any choices made on resolution, such as whether to pay a cost for that triggered ability, are also made separately.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
The trigger event doesn't have to specifically refer to “creatures.” In these cases, the trigger event may also refer to something being “put into a graveyard from the battlefield.” For example, an ability that triggers “whenever an artifact is put into a graveyard from the battlefield” would trigger twice if an artifact creature dies while Teysa Karlov is on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers when a creature “leaves the battlefield” will trigger twice if that creature leaves the battlefield by dying.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers on an event that causes a creature to die doesn't trigger twice. For example, an ability that triggers “whenever you sacrifice a creature” triggers only once.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
Look at each creature as it exists on the battlefield, taking into account continuous effects, to determine whether any triggered abilities will trigger multiple times. For example, if a land that has become a creature dies, an ability that triggers when it dies triggers twice.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#7January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature dying at the same time that another permanent you control leaves the battlefield causes a triggered ability of that permanent to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
If a creature dying at the same time as Teysa (including Teysa itself dying) causes a triggered ability of a permanent you control to trigger, that ability triggers an additional time.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#9January 25, 2019· Wizards of the Coast
If you somehow control two Teysas, a creature dying causes abilities to trigger three times, not four. A third Teysa causes abilities to trigger four times, a fourth causes abilities to trigger five times, and so on. This also means that if you control Teysa and cast a second one, an ability that triggers when it dies due to the “legend rule” triggers three times.
No other card is named in this ruling.