Transcendence

Enchantment

You don't lose the game for having 0 or less life.

When you have 20 or more life, you lose the game.

Whenever you lose life, you gain 2 life for each 1 life you lost. (Damage dealt to you causes you to lose life.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

psionictemplar on Killing by giving opponents "positive" …

1 year ago

I have a non-commander deck that uses Zedruu the Greathearted and Transcendence. Would that fit your theme?

legendofa on What are some combos that …

2 years ago

There are a handful of combos that create unbreakable loops without winning--the one that comes to my mind is Sporemound and Life and Limb.

I guess you could set up something like Ash Zealot and Past in Flames, or put a Transcendence in a life gain deck.

What are you trying to accomplish with this idea?

Neotrup on Will Zedruu+Transcendence+Tales End+gifting to opponent …

2 years ago

@RonPaul21 is correct, the state-triggered ability can't trigger again, even though the control changed. Also, nothing is sending Transcendence to the graveyard. Either the game is over, in which case zones don't really exist, or Zedruu's control changing effect expires with Transcendence's new controller leaving the game, causing it to return to Zedruu's controller and trigger again, as it's trigger just resolved and it's condition is now met again.

legendofa on Will Zedruu+Transcendence+Tales End+gifting to opponent …

2 years ago

Working through this step by step:

Starting point: Zedruu the Greathearted is on the battlefield and two players are at 21 life.

Step 1: Cast Transcendence. It resolves. The "20 or more life" ability triggers and goes on the stack.

Step 2: Before the triggered ability resolves, cast Tale's End targeting the triggered ability of Transcendence.

Step 3: Before Tale's End resolves, activate Zedruu's gifting ability, targeting Transcendence. It resolves, and an opponent gains control of Transcendence. State-based effects are checked, and Transcendence triggers for the opponent, putting the ability on the stack.

Step 4: The Transcendence ability affecting the opponent resolves, and that opponent loses. Transcendence is put into your graveyard.

Step 5: Tale's End resolves, countering the Transcendence ability affecting you. The stack is now empty.

Final result: One opponent has lost, and Transcendence is in your graveyard.

RonPaul21 on Will Zedruu+Transcendence+Tales End+gifting to opponent …

2 years ago

If Zedruu the Greathearted is on the battlefield under my control, I have more than 20 life, and I cast Transcendence then cast Tale's End in response to, and countering, the transcendence "loss" trigger, THEN, in response to that, used Zedruu's ability to gift Transcendence to an opponent with more than 20 life, would that make ONLY my opponent lose the game?

Trying to keep this brief due to the rules, but can go into detail if needed!

Liam77 on Zedru Semo Optimised

2 years ago

Nice big Update:

Minds Aglow, Aggressive Mining, Jeskai Banner, Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind, Terminus, Jinxed Idol, Island Sanctuary, Delusions of Mediocrity, Crown of Doom and Psychosis Crawler

For:

Narset, Parter of Veils, Imprisoned in the Moon, Land Tax, Niv-Mizzet, Parun, Day of Judgment, Mystical Tutor, Solitary Confinement, Transcendence, Gamble, and Alhammarret's Archive

Lands Swap: Meandering River, Izzet Guildgate, Wind-Scarred Crag, Tranquil Cove, Swiftwater Cliffs, Terramorphic Expanse, Evolving Wilds, Temple of Triumph, Vivid Creek

For: Hallowed Fountain, Steam Vents, Clifftop Retreat, Sea of Clouds, Frostboil Snarl, Fabled Passage, Hall of Heliod's Generosity, Arid Mesa, Command Beacon

Tzefick on Barabbas, False Prophet

3 years ago

I would always try to pair these types of effects with Sulfuric Vortex , Leyline of Punishment , Witch Hunt or their ilk.

I don't think it's a bad thing to change it to trigger on life loss. Transcendence works with Evra, Halcyon Witness . Whenever you activate her ability while having more life than she has power, you lose that life and then gain double back, effectively gaining the difference in life. You still have more life than Evra has power, so you can keep pumping up her power and your life total. Then you can finish with Chandra's Ignition . Granted that's a lot of mana.

Transcendence has the issue that it immediately kills you at 20+ life, while a modernized version with a softer drawback could be utilized in interesting fashion.

If it only triggers on damage, it is effectively a catch-all against black's life drain abilities and it means you can freely pay life to keep below the threshold - eliminating the drawback. And it is a creature, so black has plenty of ways to sacrifice it to get out of the drawback. All-in-all I don't think it needs to be easy to eliminate the drawback, because it is easy to get rid of the effect.

DemonDragonJ on Barabbas, False Prophet

3 years ago

Grubbernaut, whatever strategy works with Transcendence will work with this card, as well; I imagine that the best strategy is to use the damage-preventing ability to keep one's self alive while assembling one's win condition, before they lose due to Barabbas's final ability.