Ixalan's Binding
Asked by Geralf_Cecani 6 years ago
Nevermore is one of my favourite commander removal cards, because it doesn't just get rid of them once, it prevents them ever playing it again. However, it obviously can't deal with a commander that's already on the battlefield. That's why Ixalan's Binding, and o-ring/nevermore cross, interested me so much. My question is thus:
When Ixalan's Binding refers to 'the exiled card', does that mean the card currently in exile, the same way that Hostage Taker does, or does it refer to the card that had been 'exiled' with Ixalan's Binding, like Reflector Mage.
This would have an obvious effect on the use of the card, as they could just send the commander to the command zone and the Nevermore effect would be rendered useless.
Geralf_Cecani says... #2
geekmp3 ok thanks!
That's a massive help: now I can add Ixalan's Binding to my list of commander removal spells, along with Darksteel Mutation, Nevermore, Imprisoned in the Moon and Lignify.
No, I didn't know that the one number of sentence's has an effect on the O-rings ability (now I'll probably have to take out Banisher Priest from my Alesha, Who Smiles at Death deck * sigh *), but did you know that if you sacrifice the Fiend Hunter before it's first ability resolves, it's second ability goes on the stack first, wiffs, and then you can exile something with no downside? Neato!
October 27, 2017 8:59 p.m.
Hate to burst your bubble but the oracle text for binding reads:
"If there is no exiled card (perhaps because the exiled permanent was a token or was a commander that moved to the command zone in the Commander variant), Ixalans Binding wont stop players from casting spells."
October 27, 2017 10:20 p.m.
geekmp3: Also, the command zone and the exile zone are definitely NOT the same thing. Back in the early stages of commander they were, when you could Riftsweeper somebody's commander right from the "command zone" into their deck so they would lose access to it.
The command zone was created and is Destinctly different for that reason and a few others. So if you're ever able to get somebody's commander into the exile zone, it's generally as good as gone for the rest of the game. Though with the replacement rules, these days you have to use Mindslaver + a well timed Swords to Plowshares or equivalent combo.
October 28, 2017 6:18 p.m.
Rhadamanthus says... #6
If an effect specifically refers to "the exiled card" then it only means "the card currently in exile that was put there by the previous effect". If there's no card actually in the exile zone then the 2nd ability of Ixalan's Binding won't do anything.
geekmp3 says... #1
Once a permanent leaves the battlefield and returns it is a new instance of the card so while Ixalan's Binding will remove it, if it were to return (as is the case with a Commander sent to the command zone [which is technically still the exile zone]) it does share the same name as the card exiled so it could not be cast.
This is the same way a flicker effect will save a permanent from a targeted removal spell. It returns as a new instance of the permanent and the targeted removal spell cannot change it's target after it's been cast.
Side note: Did you know that as long as an exile effect has a return to the battlefield trigger in the same sentence and not separated by two paragraphs a Commander will return from the command zone to the battlefield once the exile effect is removed like Banishing Light.
(example of one sentence exile effect: Banisher Priest
(example of two sentence exile effect: Fiend Hunter
October 27, 2017 8:33 p.m.