Vanquisher's Banner 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
As this artifact enters, choose a creature type. Creatures you control of the chosen type get +1/+1. Whenever you cast a creature spell of the chosen type, draw a card.
Complete guide
Vanquisher's Banner is a versatile five-mana artifact that serves as both a tribal anthem and a powerful engine for card draw. It is a staple in decks that focus on a specific creature type, rewarding you for every spell of that type you cast. By providing a static power and toughness boost alongside consistent value, it ensures your board remains both dangerous and replenished.
Choosing Your Tribe
As Vanquisher's Banner enters the battlefield, you must choose an existing creature type. This is not a triggered ability, so players cannot respond once the artifact begins to resolve. You must select a valid type from the game's official list, such as Golem or Human. Note that you cannot choose card types like 'Artifact' or non-creature subtypes like 'Vehicle'.
How the Trigger Resolves
The card-draw ability triggers whenever you cast a creature spell of the chosen type. This trigger is put onto the stack on top of the creature spell, meaning it will resolve first. Even if your opponent uses a counterspell to stop the creature from entering the battlefield, you still get to draw your card because the act of casting the spell already satisfied the trigger condition.
Managing the Static Bonus
The +1/+1 bonus applies to all creatures you control of the chosen type as long as the Banner is on the battlefield. Keep in mind that if Vanquisher's Banner is destroyed, your creatures lose this bonus immediately. If any of those creatures had damage marked on them that is now equal to or greater than their reduced toughness, they will be destroyed by state-based actions.
Interaction examples
Solemn SimulacrumIf you chose 'Golem' as Vanquisher's Banner entered, casting Solemn Simulacrum will trigger the Banner's ability. You draw a card immediately while the Simulacrum is still on the stack. When the Simulacrum later enters the battlefield, it will be a 3/3 creature instead of a 2/2 thanks to the Banner's static bonus.
The One RingWhile The One Ring provides protection and its own card draw, it does not share a creature type with your creatures. If you have both on the battlefield, Vanquisher's Banner will not trigger when you cast The One Ring because it is not a creature spell. However, the combined card draw from the Banner's cast triggers and The One Ring's activated ability can quickly empty your library to find your winning pieces.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Vanquisher's Banner
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
The choice of creature type is made as Vanquisher's Banner enters the battlefield. Players can't respond to this choice. The bonus starts applying immediately.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
The last ability of Vanquisher's Banner resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if the creature spell is countered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
To choose a creature type, you must choose an existing creature type, such as Fungus or Sliver. You can't choose multiple creature types, such as Fungus Sliver. Card types such as artifact can't be chosen, nor can subtypes that aren't creature types, such as Jace, Vehicle, or Treasure.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to a creature you control of the chosen type may become lethal if Vanquisher's Banner leaves the battlefield during that turn.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
The choice of creature type is made as Vanquisher's Banner enters the battlefield. Players can't respond to this choice. The bonus starts applying immediately.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
The last ability of Vanquisher's Banner resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. The ability will resolve even if the creature spell is countered.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate + Helm of the Host + Vanquisher's Banner
- 1At the beginning of your combat phase, Helm of the Host triggers, creating a nonlegendary token copy of Omarthis with haste.
- 2Put a +1/+1 counter on the Omarthis token or another colorless creature you control.
- 3The nontoken Omarthis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 4The Omarthis token triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 5Repeat from step 3.
Ganax, Astral Hunter + Cloudstone Curio + Slumbering Dragon + Shivan Devastator
- 1Cast Slumbering Dragon by paying
. - 2Vanquisher's Banner triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 3When Slumbering Dragon enters the battlefield, Ganax and Cloudstone Curio trigger.
- 4Resolve the Ganax trigger, creating a Treasure artifact token.
- 5Resolve the Cloudstone Curio trigger, returning Shivan Devastator from the battlefield to your hand.
- 6Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 7Cast Shivan Devastator by paying .
- 8Vanquisher's Banner triggers, causing you to draw a card.
Leashling + Mycosynth Golem + Vanquisher's Banner
- 1Cast Leashling by paying
. - 2Vanquisher's Banner triggers, causing you to draw a card.
- 3Activate Leashling by putting a card from your hand on top of your library, returning Leashling to your hand from the battlefield.
- 4Repeat.
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate + Mirage Mirror + Vanquisher's Banner + Mirror Gallery
- 1Put a +1/+1 counter on a colorless creature you control.
- 2Omarthis's first triggered ability triggers.
- 3In response, activate Mirage Mirror by paying
, causing it to become a copy of Omarthis until end of turn. - 4Resolve the Omarthis trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 5Mirage Mirror triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 6Omarthis triggers, putting a +1/+1 counter on itself.
- 7Repeat from step 5 any number of times.
- 8End the loop by declining to place a +1/+1 counter on a creature.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Vanquisher's Banner
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