Vivien, Champion of the Wilds 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
You may cast creature spells as though they had flash. +1: Until your next turn, up to one target creature gains reach and vigilance. −2: Look at the top three cards of your library. Exile one face down and put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order. For as long as it remains exiled, you may cast it if it's a creature spell.
Complete guide
Vivien, Champion of the Wilds is a versatile green planeswalker that transforms how you deploy your forces. By providing your creatures with flash and offering card selection that hides information from your opponents, she ensures your board state is always unpredictable.
Mastering the Wilds
Vivien's static ability is her strongest asset, allowing you to cast creature spells at any time you could cast an instant. Her +1 ability provides defensive utility by granting reach and vigilance to a creature until your next turn. Her -2 ability functions as a unique form of 'impulse' draw: you look at the top three cards, exile one face down, and can cast it later if it is a creature.
Resolution Step-by-Step
When you activate Vivien's -2 ability, you look at the top three cards of your library and choose one to exile face down. You must exile a card even if none of them are creatures. The remaining two cards go to the bottom of your library in any order. The chosen card remains in exile, and you can look at it at any time. If that card is a creature, you may cast it from exile by paying its mana cost as long as it remains there.
Common Pitfalls
A common mistake involves timing. While Vivien allows you to cast the exiled creature card, you must still follow timing rules. If Vivien is no longer on the battlefield, you lose her static 'flash' effect, meaning you could only cast that exiled creature during your main phase unless another effect grants flash. Additionally, once you cast the card from exile, it becomes a new object; if it is exiled again later, you cannot use Vivien's ability to cast it a second time.
When to Play Vivien
Vivien is best played when you want to keep your mana open for responses or when you need to dig for specific creature threats. Because her -2 ability exiles the card face down, your opponent won't know if you've tucked away a game-winning creature or a land, allowing for strategic bluffs.
Interaction examples
Tezzeret, Cruel CaptainIf you control Vivien, Champion of the Wilds, and use her -2 ability to exile Tezzeret, Cruel Captain, you cannot cast Tezzeret from exile because he is a Planeswalker, not a creature. However, if you used Vivien's ability to exile an artifact creature like a Steel Overseer, you could cast it as though it had flash. Once that artifact creature enters the battlefield, Tezzeret's triggered ability would fire, putting a loyalty counter on him.
The AethersparkIf you have The Aetherspark attached to a creature you control, you can use Vivien's +1 ability to give that creature reach and vigilance. Vigilance is particularly powerful here because it allows the creature to attack (potentially triggering The Aetherspark's loyalty-gain ability) and remain untapped to block using the reach granted by Vivien.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
While resolving Vivien's last ability, you must exile one of the three cards, even if none of them are creature cards. You may look at the exiled card at any time, even if it's not a creature card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You must follow any applicable timing permissions and restrictions if you cast the exiled card. This means that if Vivien leaves the battlefield, you can't cast the creature spell as though it had flash unless another effect allows you to do so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Once you cast the creature card, it leaves exile. You can't cast it again if that card becomes exiled again.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Ulalek, Fused Atrocity + Drowner of Truth // Drowned Jungle + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1Cast any other Eldrazi except Drowner of Truth by paying its mana cost, triggering Ulalek.
- 2Holding priority, cast Drowner of Truth by paying
. - 3Drowner of Truth and Ulalek trigger.
- 4Resolve the Ulalek trigger, causing you to pay to copy all spells you control and then copy all activated and triggered abilities you control, ensuring to put Drowner of Truth's trigger on top of Ulalek's trigger.
- 5Resolve the copy of Drowner of Truth's trigger, creating two 0/1 Eldrazi Spawn creature tokens.
- 6Activate the Eldrazi Spawns by sacrificing them, adding .
- 7Resolve the copy of Ulalek's trigger, causing you to pay to copy all spells you control and then copy all activated and triggered abilities you control, ensuring to put Drowner of Truth's trigger on top of Ulalek's trigger.
- 8Repeat from step 5.
Zask, Skittering Swarmlord + Universal Automaton + Ashnod's Altar + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1Cast Universal Automaton from your hand or graveyard by paying
. - 2Activate Ashnod's Altar by sacrificing Universal Automaton, adding .
- 3When Universal Automaton dies, Zask triggers.
- 4Holding priority, cast Universal Automaton from your graveyard by paying .
- 5Resolve the Zask trigger, causing you to mill two cards.
- 6Repeat from step 2.
Devilish Valet + Mayael's Aria + Avenger of Zendikar + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1At the beginning of your upkeep, Mayael's Aria triggers.
- 2Holding priority, cast Avenger of Zendikar by paying
. - 3Avenger of Zendikar enters the battlefield, triggering itself and Devilish Valet.
- 4Resolve the Avenger of Zendikar trigger, creating a 0/1 Plant creature token for each land you control.
- 5Each Plant token enters the battlefield, triggering Devilish Valet that many times.
- 6Resolve a Devilish Valet trigger, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 7Repeat step 6 for each remaining Devilish Valet trigger.
- 8Resolve the Mayael's Aria trigger, causing you to put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control, gain ten life and win the game.
Devilish Valet + Mayael's Aria + Phylath, World Sculptor + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1At the beginning of your upkeep, Mayael's Aria triggers.
- 2Holding priority, cast Phylath by paying
. - 3Phylath enters the battlefield, triggering itself and Devilish Valet.
- 4Resolve the Phylath trigger, creating a 0/1 Plant creature token for each basic land you control.
- 5Each Plant token enters the battlefield, triggering Devilish Valet that many times.
- 6Resolve a Devilish Valet trigger, doubling its power until end of turn.
- 7Repeat step 6 for each remaining Devilish Valet trigger.
- 8Resolve the Mayael's Aria trigger, causing you to put a +1/+1 counter on each creature you control, gain ten life and win the game.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Seething Song + Storm-Kiln Artist + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1Cast Seething Song by paying
. - 2Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Seething Song.
- 5Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Seething Song copy, adding .
- 7Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding
. - 8Cast Rootha by paying .
Glen Elendra Pranksters + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds + Ornithopter + Shield Sphere
- 1During an opponent's turn, cast the
-cost creature in your hand by paying . - 2Glen Elendra Pranksters triggers, returning the other -cost creature from the battlefield to your hand.
- 3Resolve the spell from step 1.
- 4Repeat.
Glen Elendra Pranksters + Memnite + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds + Kobolds of Kher Keep
- 1During an opponent's turn, cast the -cost creature in your hand by paying .
- 2Glen Elendra Pranksters triggers, returning the other -cost creature from the battlefield to your hand.
- 3Resolve the spell from step 1.
- 4Repeat.
Rootha, Mercurial Artist + Jeska's Will + Storm-Kiln Artist + Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
- 1Cast Jeska's Will by paying .
- 2Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 3Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 4Holding priority, activate Rootha by paying and returning it from the battlefield to your hand, copying Jeska's Will.
- 5Storm-Kiln Artist triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 6Resolve the Jeska's Will copy, adding at least .
- 7Activate a Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding .
- 8Cast Rootha by paying .
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Vivien, Champion of the Wilds
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