Warlord's EliteHow it works & interactions with other cards

Understanding the Additional Cost

Warlord's Elite has a static ability that creates an additional cost to cast the spell. Beyond paying the two generic and one white mana, you must also tap two untapped permanents you control. These permanents can be any combination of artifacts, creatures, or lands. Note that since this is a cost, it cannot be responded to by opponents; once you begin the process of casting the spell, your permanents are tapped immediately.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, announce you are casting Warlord's Elite and move it to the stack. Second, determine the total cost, which includes the mana cost plus the additional cost of tapping two permanents. Third, you may activate mana abilities (like tapping lands for mana). Fourth, pay all costs in any order. This means you could tap two lands to pay for the mana, and then tap two different creatures to satisfy the additional cost. Finally, the spell is officially cast and awaits resolution.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that you cannot use the same permanent to fulfill two different cost requirements simultaneously. For example, if you tap a land to produce mana, that land is now tapped and cannot be used as one of the two untapped permanents for the additional cost. You must have enough untapped resources to cover both the mana and the specific tapping requirement.

Strategic Timing

Warlord's Elite is best played when you have 'expendable' permanents that don't need to be untapped during your opponent's turn. Creatures with summoning sickness are perfect candidates for this cost, as they cannot attack anyway. It also synergizes well in decks that utilize artifacts that don't require tapping for their primary effects.

Interaction examples

Tapping for Efficiency

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have Solemn Simulacrum on the battlefield, it has likely already provided you with a land. When casting Warlord's Elite, you can tap Solemn Simulacrum and a land as the additional cost. This allows you to develop your board without tapping out all of your mana-producing lands, leaving mana open for other spells.

Tribal Synergies

Roaming Throne

If Roaming Throne is on the battlefield and you chose 'Human' or 'Soldier', it will not double the effect of Warlord's Elite because Warlord's Elite has an additional cost, not a triggered ability. However, Roaming Throne is an artifact creature, meaning it can be one of the two permanents you tap to pay the cost for Warlord's Elite.

Resource Management

With only three lands and Warlord's Elite in hand, you cannot cast the spell if you use two of those lands for mana. You would need at least five untapped permanents total (three for mana, two for the cost) to cast it using only lands.