Tree of Redemption 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
Defender: Exchange your life total with this creature's toughness.
Complete guide
Tree of Redemption is a massive Plant creature that offers a unique way to safeguard your life total against aggressive strategies. By tapping this creature, you can swap your current health with its high toughness, effectively resetting your life total or potentially setting up a powerful defensive wall. It is a staple for players who enjoy survival tactics and unconventional lifegain mechanics.
What It Does
Tree of Redemption has Defender and a powerful activated ability that allows you to exchange your life total with the creature's current toughness. This is not just a simple number swap; it counts as gaining or losing life to reach the new total. Because the exchange depends on the creature's existence, Tree of Redemption must be on the battlefield for the ability to resolve successfully.
Resolving the Exchange
When the ability resolves, two things happen simultaneously: your life total becomes the Tree's toughness, and the Tree's base toughness is set to your previous life total. If you have 5 life and the Tree has 13 toughness, you gain 8 life to reach 13, and the Tree becomes a 0/5. If you are under effects that prevent life gain, you cannot gain life this way, and the exchange will result in your life total remaining the same while the Tree's toughness still changes.
Interaction with Modifiers
It is important to remember that the exchange sets the 'base' toughness. Any continuous effects from Auras, Equipment, or counters apply after the exchange. If a card provides +0/+2, that bonus stays on top of the new value. If Tree of Redemption leaves the battlefield before the ability resolves, the exchange fails entirely because there is no toughness value to check for the swap.
When to Play It
This card is best used when your life total is dangerously low. By waiting until the last possible moment, you can jump from 1 or 2 life back up to 13, effectively resetting the game's clock. It also serves as a formidable blocker that can stall the board while you set up your win conditions with other creatures.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you have Solemn Simulacrum on the field and use it to block a large attacker while your life is at 4, you can tap Tree of Redemption before damage is dealt. Your life total becomes 13 (the Tree's toughness), and the Tree becomes a 0/4. Solemn Simulacrum dies, drawing you a card, while you have safely moved out of range of burn spells.
Eternal WitnessIf an opponent uses a removal spell to destroy your Tree of Redemption in response to its ability, the exchange fails. However, you can play Eternal Witness to return the Tree of Redemption from your graveyard to your hand, allowing you to replay it and attempt the life-saving exchange on a future turn.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Tree of Redemption
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Tree of Redemption isn't on the battlefield when its activated ability resolves, the exchange can't happen and the ability will have no effect.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
When its activated ability resolves, Tree of Redemption's toughness will become your former life total and you will gain or lose an amount of life necessary so that your life total equals Tree of Redemption's former toughness. Other effects that interact with life gain or life loss will interact with this effect accordingly.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Any toughness-modifying effects, counters, Auras, or Equipment will apply after its toughness is set to your former life total. For example, say Tree of Redemption is enchanted with Lunarch Mantle (which makes it 2/15) and your life total is 7. After the exchange, Tree of Redemption would be a 2/9 creature (its toughness became 7, which was then modified by Lunarch Mantle) and your life total would be 15.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Alchemist's Refuge
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, activate Alchemist's Refuge's second ability by paying
and tapping it, allowing you to cast spells this turn as though they have flash. - 2Cast Storvald either from your hand or from the command zone by paying
and commander tax, if applicable. - 3When Storvald enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become 1 until end of turn.
- 4Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become 1.
- 5At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Emergence Zone
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, activate Emergence Zone's second ability by paying
, tapping and sacrificing it, allowing you to cast all spells this turn as though they had flash. - 2Cast Storvald either from your hand or from the command zone by paying and commander tax, if applicable.
- 3Storvald enters the battlefield, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become one until end of turn.
- 4Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become one.
- 5At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Vhati il-Dal + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, activate Vhati il-Dal by tapping it, causing Tree of Redemption to have base toughness 1 until end of turn.
- 2Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, swapping your life total with Tree of Redemption's toughness.
- 3At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Leyline of Anticipation
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, cast Storvald either from your hand or from the command zone by paying and commander tax, if applicable.
- 2Storvald enters the battlefield, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become one until end of turn.
- 3Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become one.
- 4At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Ride the Avalanche
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, cast Ride the Avalanche by paying , allowing you to cast the next spell this turn as though it has flash.
- 2Cast Storvald either from your hand or from the command zone by paying and commander tax, if applicable.
- 3When Storvald enters the battlefield, it triggers, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become 1 until end of turn.
- 4Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become 1.
- 5At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Emiel the Blessed
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, activate Emiel by paying
, blinking Storvald. - 2Storvald enters the battlefield, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become one until end of turn.
- 3Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become one.
- 4At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Storvald, Frost Giant Jarl + Tree of Redemption + Near-Death Experience + Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
- 1On the end step prior to your turn, cast Storvald either from your hand or from the command zone by paying and commander tax, if applicable.
- 2Storvald enters the battlefield, causing Tree or Redemption's power and toughness to become one until end of turn.
- 3Activate Tree of Redemption by tapping it, causing your life total to become one.
- 4At the beginning of your upkeep, Near-Death Experience triggers, causing you to win the game.
Necrotic Ooze + Tree of Redemption + Phyrexian Colossus + Auriok Bladewarden
- 1Activate Necrotic Ooze using Auriok Bladewarden's ability by tapping it, giving itself +X/+X until end of turn, where X is Necrotic Ooze's power.
- 2Activate Necrotic Ooze using Phyrexian Colossus' ability by paying eight life, untapping it.
- 3Repeat two additional times.
- 4Activate Necrotic Ooze using Tree of Redemption's ability by tapping it, causing you to swap your life total with Necrotic Ooze's toughness.
- 5Activate Necrotic Ooze using Phyrexian Colossus' ability by paying eight life, untapping it.
- 6Activate Necrotic Ooze using Auriok Bladewarden's ability by tapping it, giving itself +X/+X until end of turn, where X is Necrotic Ooze's power.
- 7Activate Necrotic Ooze using Phyrexian Colossus' ability by paying eight life, untapping it.
- 8Repeat from step 4.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Tree of Redemption
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