Abstruse Archaic

Format legality

Where you can play Abstruse Archaic in sanctioned and popular formats.

All printings (2)

Prices range from $2.66 to $5.04 across finishes. Cheapest printing: Commander Masters at $2.66.

More from Commander Masters

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Rulings

Official rulings from Wizards of the Coast (11).

• 2023-07-28Activated abilities contain a colon. They're generally written "[Cost]: [Effect]." Some keyword abilities (such as equip) are activated abilities and will have colons in their reminder text. An activated mana ability is one that produces mana as it resolves, not one that costs mana to activate.
• 2023-07-28Triggered abilities use the word "when," "whenever," or "at." They're often written as "[Trigger condition], [effect]." Some keyword abilities are triggered abilities and will have "when," "whenever," or "at the beginning of" in their reminder text.
• 2023-07-28Abstruse Archaic's ability targets an ability that is on the stack and creates another instance of that ability on the stack. It doesn't cause any object to gain an ability.
• 2023-07-28The source of the copy is the same as the source of the original ability.
• 2023-07-28If the ability is modal (that is, if it says, "Choose one —" or similar), the mode is copied and can't be changed.
• 2023-07-28If the ability divides damage or distributes counters among a number of targets, the division and number of targets can't be changed. If you choose new targets, you must choose the same number of targets.
• 2023-07-28If the activated ability's cost contains a choice, such as a creature to sacrifice or a number of counters to remove, the copy uses that same information. You can't pay the cost again, even if you want to.
• 2023-07-28Any choices made when the ability resolves won't have been made yet when it's copied. Any such choices will be made separately when the copy resolves. If a triggered ability asks you to pay a cost, you pay that cost for the copy separately.
• 2023-07-28If an ability is linked to a second ability, copies of that ability are also linked to that second ability. If the second ability refers to "the exiled card," it refers to all cards exiled by the ability and the copy. For example, if Tidehollow Sculler's enters-the-battlefield ability is copied and two cards are exiled, they both return when Tidehollow Sculler leaves the battlefield.
• 2023-07-28In some cases involving linked abilities, an ability requires information about "the exiled card." When this happens, the ability gets multiple answers. If these answers are being used to determine the value of a variable, the sum is used. If an ability attempts to create a token that is a copy of "the exiled card," it creates a token for each card exiled this way that is a copy of that card.
• 2023-07-28Abstruse Archaic's ability can copy activated and triggered abilities of dungeons, emblems, planes, and phenomenons. It can't copy the Planechase-specific "planeswalking ability" or the triggered abilities associated with the monarch or initiative designations, as those abilities have no source.

Frequently asked questions