Toluz, Clever Conductor — ruling 1

Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.

Toluz, Clever Conductor — ruling 2

If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.

Toluz, Clever Conductor — ruling 3

If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.

Toluz, Clever Conductor : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Toluz, Clever Conductor 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

When Toluz enters, it connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.) Whenever you discard one or more cards, exile them from your graveyard. When Toluz dies, put the cards exiled with it into their owner's hand.

Complete guide

Toluz, Clever Conductor is a fascinating legendary creature that acts as a secure vault for your discarded resources. By combining the connive mechanic with a powerful exile-on-discard clause, this Human Rogue ensures that your lost cards are never truly gone. This guide will help you master the art of managing your graveyard vault and maximizing your value.

The Vault Mechanism

Toluz, Clever Conductor has three distinct triggered abilities. First, when she enters the battlefield, she connives, allowing you to draw and discard. Second, she features a replacement-like triggered ability: whenever you discard cards, they are exiled instead of sitting in your graveyard. Finally, her death trigger returns every card exiled this way to your hand, effectively turning your discard pile into a delayed draw.

Conniving Step-by-Step

When the connive ability resolves, you draw a card and then choose one to discard. If you discard a nonland card, you put a +1/+1 counter on Toluz. Note that once this process starts, no player can interrupt it; an opponent cannot kill Toluz in response to the discard to prevent the counter from being placed. Even if Toluz is removed while the ability is on the stack, you still draw and discard, though no counter will be placed.

Common Pitfalls

It is important to remember that Toluz only exiles cards that are discarded while she is on the battlefield. If she is not present when a discard effect occurs, those cards go to the graveyard as normal and won't be recovered by her death trigger later. Additionally, if Toluz is exiled or returned to your hand instead of dying, the cards she 'stored' will remain in exile indefinitely, as her final ability only triggers upon death.

Strategic Timing

You should treat Toluz as a protection piece for your high-value cards. By discarding powerful spells during her connive trigger or other discard outlets, you hide them away from graveyard hate like Rest in Peace. Play her when you have a way to reliably sacrifice her or when you expect a board wipe, ensuring you get a massive hand refill right when you need it most.

Interaction examples

Doubling the Vault

Roaming Throne

With Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Human' or 'Rogue', Toluz's entry ability triggers twice, allowing you to connive twice. Furthermore, her death trigger will trigger twice. If you have cards exiled with her, the first death trigger returns them all to your hand; the second trigger will resolve but usually find nothing left to return unless new cards were somehow exiled in between.

Mana and Card Flow

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have both creatures on the battlefield and they die to a single effect, you can order the triggers so Solemn Simulacrum's draw ability resolves first. If that draw causes you to exceed your hand size or triggers a separate discard effect while Toluz's death trigger is still on the stack, you won't be able to 'save' those cards with her, as she is already gone. However, if you discard a card while she is alive, and then Solemn Simulacrum dies later, Toluz ensures the card you discarded earlier returns to your hand upon her own death.

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

How it works : Toluz, Clever Conductor

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1April 29, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2April 29, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3April 29, 2022· Wizards of the Coast
If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.
No other card is named in this ruling.