Thendar, the OverminerHow it works & interactions with other cards

Land Transformation Mechanics

Thendar, the Overminer features two distinct triggered abilities. The first is a reactive ability that triggers whenever a nonbasic land is put into a graveyard from the battlefield for any reason, including being destroyed, sacrificed, or discarded via effects like the legend rule. The second is an end step trigger that allows you to target and destroy a nonbasic land, provided you meet the condition of controlling at least two tapped creatures.

The Conjuring Process

When a nonbasic land hits the graveyard, Thendar's ability triggers and the controller of that land 'conjures' a card named Wastes onto the battlefield tapped. Conjuring creates a new card that acts exactly like a physical card for the rest of the game. Note that because the Wastes enters the battlefield tapped, it cannot be used for mana immediately, and since the original land must reach the graveyard first, this will not trigger if the land is exiled instead.

Timing and Targeting

Thendar's end step ability checks its condition twice: once when the end step begins to see if the ability triggers at all, and again as the ability tries to resolve. You must control at least two tapped creatures at both moments. If you have two tapped creatures when the end step starts, you choose a target nonbasic land. If one of those creatures becomes untapped before the ability resolves, the land will not be destroyed.

Strategic Considerations

Because Thendar has Menace, he is an excellent candidate to be one of your two tapped creatures, as he often attacks safely. Remember that the 'conjure' effect applies to anyone, including you. If you sacrifice your own nonbasic land, you will also receive a tapped Wastes, which can be useful for mana fixing if you specifically need colorless mana.

Interaction examples

Double the Overmining

Roaming Throne

If Roaming Throne enters the battlefield naming 'Kavu' or 'Pirate', Thendar's end step ability will trigger twice. Provided you have two tapped creatures, you can target and destroy two different nonbasic lands. Each time a land is destroyed, the conjure ability will also trigger twice, giving the land's controller two Wastes for every one nonbasic land lost.

Basic Land Retrieval

Solemn Simulacrum

While Thendar focuses on nonbasic lands, Solemn Simulacrum helps you meet the tapped creature requirement. After attacking with both, you satisfy Thendar's end step condition to destroy a nonbasic land. If the Simulacrum dies later, it does not trigger Thendar's conjure ability because the Simulacrum is a creature, not a nonbasic land, and its own ability fetches basic lands which are ignored by Thendar.

The Wastes Exchange

Wastes

When Thendar destroys an opponent's nonbasic land, that player conjures a Wastes. Because Wastes is a basic land, destroying that specific Wastes later (using a different effect) will not trigger Thendar's conjure ability again. Thendar only replaces nonbasic lands, effectively 'simplifying' the mana base until only basics remain.