Tilonalli's Summoner 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
Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.) Whenever this creature attacks, you may pay. If you do, create X 1/1 red Elemental creature tokens that are tapped and attacking. At the beginning of the next end step, exile those tokens unless you have the city's blessing.
Complete guide
Tilonalli's Summoner is a powerful aggressive creature that can transform a small mana investment into a massive army of Elemental tokens. By utilizing the Ascend mechanic, this Shaman allows you to keep your fiery allies permanently if you control enough permanents. It serves as a fantastic engine for go-wide strategies and token-based decks.
Harnessing the Flames
Tilonalli's Summoner features the Ascend keyword, meaning if you control ten or more permanents, you gain the city's blessing for the rest of the game. Its primary ability triggers whenever it attacks, allowing you to pay {X}{R}. If you pay this cost, you create X 1/1 red Elemental creature tokens that enter the battlefield tapped and already attacking. You can choose which opponent or planeswalker each token is attacking, regardless of what the Summoner itself is targeting.
The Path to the City's Blessing
The resolution of this ability happens in two parts. First, when the attack trigger resolves, you decide the value of X and pay the mana to create the tokens. Crucially, these new tokens count as permanents you control. Second, a delayed trigger is created for the next end step. When that end step begins, the game checks if you have the city's blessing. If you control ten or more permanents at any point while you control a permanent with Ascend, you get the blessing. If you have it, the tokens stay; if you don't, they are exiled.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake is thinking you must have the city's blessing at the moment you attack. In reality, the game only checks for the blessing during the resolution of the end-step trigger. The tokens created by the Summoner can actually help you reach the ten-permanent requirement needed to ascend. Another important note: because the tokens enter 'tapped and attacking,' they do not trigger abilities that look for a creature 'attacking' (which refers to the act of being declared as an attacker during the turn's start of combat).
When to Summon
Tilonalli's Summoner is most effective when you have access to a large amount of mana or a board state nearing ten permanents. Since it is a 1/1, it is vulnerable in combat, so it is often best played when you can protect it or when the opponent lacks blockers. If you can generate enough tokens to achieve the city's blessing in a single swing, the Summoner becomes a one-card win condition.
Interaction examples
Ornithopter of Paradise
ElementalYou control Tilonalli's Summoner, five Lands, and two Ornithopter of Paradise (8 permanents total). You attack with the Summoner and pay {X}=2. You create two Elemental tokens. You now control 10 permanents. Because you control a permanent with Ascend (the Summoner), you immediately gain the city's blessing. At the end step, the blessing prevents the Elementals from being exiled.
Professional Face-BreakerYou attack with Tilonalli's Summoner and Professional Face-Breaker. You pay {R}{R}{R} for X=2, creating two tokens. Even though the tokens enter attacking, they do not trigger the Face-Breaker's 'whenever a creature attacks' triggers if they had any. However, if the tokens deal combat damage to a player, the Face-Breaker will trigger once to create a Treasure, as at least one creature you controlled dealt damage.
If you attack and create five Elemental tokens but only have a total of 8 permanents (including the tokens), you will not get the city's blessing. At the beginning of the next end step, the delayed trigger will check for the blessing, fail to find it, and all five Elemental tokens will be exiled.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tilonalli's Summoner
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
A permanent is any object on the battlefield, including tokens and lands. Spells and emblems aren’t permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
As each Elemental token enters the battlefield, you choose which opponent or opposing planeswalker it’s attacking. It doesn’t have to attack the same player or planeswalker that Tilonalli’s Summoner is attacking.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Whether you have the city’s blessing is checked only as the delayed triggered ability resolves during the end step. The tokens you create can help you ascend.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Once you have the city’s blessing, you have it for the rest of the game, even if you lose control of some or all of your permanents. The city’s blessing isn’t a permanent itself and can’t be removed by any effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you cast a spell with ascend, you don’t get the city’s blessing until it resolves. Players may respond to that spell by trying to change whether you get the city’s blessing.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If you control ten permanents but don’t control a permanent or resolving spell with ascend, you don’t get the city’s blessing. For example, if you control ten permanents, lose control of one, then cast Golden Demise, you won’t have the city’s blessing and the spell will affect creatures you control.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
If your tenth permanent enters the battlefield and then a permanent leaves the battlefield immediately afterwards (most likely due to the “Legend Rule” or due to being a creature with 0 toughness), you get the city’s blessing before it leaves the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Ascend on a permanent isn’t a triggered ability and doesn’t use the stack. Players can respond to a spell that will give you your tenth permanent, but they can’t respond to getting the city’s blessing once you control that tenth permanent. This means that if your tenth permanent is a land you play, players can’t respond before you get the city’s blessing.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Some cards have triggered abilities that check if you have the city’s blessing, but don’t use an intervening “if” clause. These abilities trigger regardless of whether you have the city’s blessing and check whether you do only as they resolve.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
Commentaires
- Sois le premier à commenter cette carte.
Read next
Meta decks with Tilonalli's Summoner
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.