That Which Was Taken 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
,
: Put a divinity counter on target permanent other than That Which Was Taken. Each permanent with a divinity counter on it has indestructible.
Complete guide
That Which Was Taken is a powerful legendary artifact from Kamigawa that can grant divinity to the most mundane objects. By placing divinity counters on your permanents, it shields them from destruction, turning your board into an unstoppable force. This guide explains how to manage these counters and maximize the protective power of this ancient relic.
Granting Divinity
That Which Was Taken has an activated ability that costs four mana and requires tapping the artifact. When this ability resolves, you place a divinity counter on any target permanent other than this specific That Which Was Taken. While this artifact remains on the battlefield, every permanent with a divinity counter on it gains the indestructible keyword. This means they cannot be destroyed by damage or effects that say "destroy," such as lethal combat damage or Shatter effects.
Continuous Protection
The indestructible quality is a static ability of That Which Was Taken itself. It is important to note that the divinity counter does not inherently provide protection; rather, the artifact checks the battlefield for permanents with that specific counter type. If That Which Was Taken leaves the battlefield, your permanents will still have their divinity counters, but they will no longer be indestructible unless another copy of That Which Was Taken is in play.
Common Mistakes
A frequent misconception is that That Which Was Taken can protect itself. Its ability explicitly states it must target a permanent 'other than That Which Was Taken.' However, if you control two copies of this legendary artifact (perhaps through a Mirror Box effect or by one being a non-legendary copy), they can put counters on each other. Additionally, remember that divinity counters are the same type used by Myojin creatures, meaning That Which Was Taken can provide indestructible to a Myojin that has already used its own counter.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumYou have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield. You activate That Which Was Taken, targeting the Golem. Once the ability resolves, Solemn Simulacrum receives a divinity counter. Because That Which Was Taken is on the battlefield, the Golem now has indestructible. It can block any creature without dying, though it still provides a card if it is sacrificed or exiled.
The One RingThe One Ring already has indestructible, but you might choose to put a divinity counter on it using That Which Was Taken. If an opponent plays an effect that removes abilities (like an effect that removes all abilities from artifacts), The One Ring loses its printed indestructible keyword. However, as long as That Which Was Taken's ability is still functioning, the divinity counter will continue to grant the Ring indestructible through a separate effect.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : That Which Was Taken
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
One That Which Was Taken can put divinity counters on another That Which Was Taken.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Permanents with divinity counters on them have indestructible only while That Which Was Taken is on the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
The divinity counters created by That Which Was Taken are the same type of counter as those used by the Myojin creatures in the Champions of Kamigawa set.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Worms of the Earth + That Which Was Taken
- 1Cast Worms of the Earth.
- 2Activate That Which Was Taken, putting a divinity counter on Worms of the Earth.
- 3Player's can not play lands or have lands enter the battlefield, and paying the cost to remove Worms of the Earth does not destroy it due to That Which Was Taken.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Pandemonium + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying
, dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it. - 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Pandemonium triggers.
- 5Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Army, adding one mana of any color.
- 6Resolve the Pandemonium trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite mana, with a Pandemonium trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes the Pandemonium trigger to deal infinite damage to any target.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Terror of the Peaks + Thermopod
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying , dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it.
- 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Terror of the Peaks triggers.
- 5Holding priority, Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing the Army, adding .
- 6Resolve the Terror of the Peaks trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite red mana, with a Terror of the Peaks trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes Terror of the Peaks to deal infinite damage to any target.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Warstorm Surge + Thermopod
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying , dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it.
- 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers.
- 5Holding priority, Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing the Army, adding .
- 6Resolve the Warstorm Surge trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite red mana, with a Warstorm Surge trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes the Warstorm Surge trigger to deal infinite damage to any target.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Terror of the Peaks + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying , dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it.
- 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Terror of the Peaks triggers.
- 5Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Army, adding one mana of any color.
- 6Resolve the Terror of the Peaks trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite mana, with a Terror of the Peaks trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes Terror of the Peaks to deal infinite damage to any target.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Pandemonium + Thermopod
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying , dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it.
- 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Pandemonium triggers.
- 5Holding priority, Activate Thermopod's second ability by sacrificing the Army, adding .
- 6Resolve the Pandemonium trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite red mana, with a Pandemonium trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes the Pandemonium trigger to deal infinite damage to any target.
Fall of Cair Andros + That Which Was Taken + Warstorm Surge + Phyrexian Altar
- 1Activate That Which Was Taken by paying and tapping it, putting a divinity counter on a creature an opponent controls with toughness six or less.
- 2Activate Fall of Cair Andros by paying , dealing seven damage to the creature that has a divinity counter on it.
- 3Fall of Cair Andros triggers, creating a 0/0 Army and putting at least one +1/+1 counter on it.
- 4When the Army enters the battlefield, Warstorm Surge triggers.
- 5Holding priority, activate Phyrexian Altar by sacrificing the Army, adding one mana of any color.
- 6Resolve the Warstorm Surge trigger, dealing 1 damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it.
- 7Repeat from step 3.
- 8Once you have infinite mana, with a Warstorm Surge trigger on the stack, you may use Fall of Cair Andros' ability to deal infinite damage to the creature with a divinity counter on it, thus causing the Army to have infinite +1/+1 counters on it, which causes the Warstorm Surge trigger to deal infinite damage to any target.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with That Which Was Taken
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.