Zurgo Stormrender 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
Mobilize 1 (Whenever this creature attacks, create a tapped and attacking 1/1 red Warrior creature token. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.) Whenever a creature token you control leaves the battlefield, draw a card if it was attacking. Otherwise, each opponent loses 1 life.
Complete guide
Zurgo Stormrender is a powerful aggressive commander that leads your army by generating reinforcements mid-combat. This legendary Orc Warrior ensures that every token you create provides value, whether they fall in battle or are sacrificed for the cause. Mastering his Mobilize ability is key to maintaining card draw and draining your opponents' life totals.
Understanding Mobilize
Mobilize is a triggered ability that occurs whenever Zurgo Stormrender is declared as an attacker. When the ability resolves, you create a 1/1 red Warrior creature token that is already tapped and attacking. Because these tokens are put onto the battlefield attacking, they do not trigger 'whenever a creature attacks' abilities, but they do count as attacking creatures for the remainder of the combat phase.
Token Exit Triggers
Zurgo's second ability tracks how your tokens leave the battlefield. If a token leaves while it is in the 'attacking' state—which lasts from the moment it is created until the end of the combat phase—you draw a card. If the token leaves the battlefield at any other time, such as during the end step sacrifice or if it is destroyed in your main phase, each opponent loses 1 life instead.
Strategic Timing
To maximize card draw, you want your tokens to leave the battlefield during the combat damage step or the end of combat step. If a token survives combat, Zurgo's Mobilize reminder text specifies you must sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step. Since the creature is no longer 'attacking' once combat has ended, this sacrifice will result in opponents losing 1 life rather than you drawing a card.
Interaction examples
Roaming ThroneIf you control Roaming Throne and chose 'Warrior' as its type, Zurgo's Mobilize 1 will trigger twice when he attacks. You will create two 1/1 red Warrior tokens. Additionally, if a Warrior token leaves the battlefield, Zurgo's second ability will trigger twice, allowing you to either draw two cards or cause opponents to lose 2 life.
WarriorZurgo attacks, creating a Warrior token. If the token is blocked and destroyed during the combat damage step, it was an 'attacking' creature when it left the battlefield, so you draw a card. If it isn't blocked and survives until the end step, you sacrifice it; because it is no longer attacking, each opponent loses 1 life.
Solemn SimulacrumIf a board wipe destroys both Zurgo and a token simultaneously, Zurgo 'sees' the token leave the battlefield. If this happens during your main phase, the token was not attacking, so each opponent loses 1 life. Note that Solemn Simulacrum is not a token, so its death will trigger its own card draw ability but will not trigger Zurgo's ability.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Zurgo Stormrender
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
If Zurgo Stormrender leaves the battlefield at the same time as one or more creature tokens you control, its last ability will trigger once for each of those creature tokens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You choose the player, planeswalker, or battle each Warrior token is attacking. They don’t all have to attack the same one, and they don’t have to attack the same player, planeswalker, or battle as the creature with mobilize.
Card named in this ruling
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
Although the Warrior tokens enter as attacking creatures, they were never declared as attacking creatures. Abilities that trigger whenever a creature attacks won’t trigger when the tokens enter attacking.
Card named in this ruling
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Sway of the Stars + Zurgo Stormrender
- 1Cast Sway of the Stars by paying
, causing each player to shuffle their hand, graveyard and all permanents they own into their library, then causing each player to draw seven cards and set their life total to 7. - 2Zurgo triggers for each creature token you control that leaves the battlefield, causing each opponent to lose at least 7 life.
- 3Each opponent loses the game due to having 0 life.
Related cards and tokens
Legal formats
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