Binding the Old Gods
Tracked across real Commander games played through TurnZero HQ.
Jump to section ▾
What it does
(As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a lore counter. Sacrifice after III.)
I — Destroy target nonland permanent an opponent controls.
II — Search your library for a Forest card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
III — Creatures you control gain deathtouch until end of turn.
Rulings
7 official rulings, in the order Wizards published them.
- 2021-02-05
Each symbol on the left of a Saga's text box represents a chapter ability. A chapter ability is a triggered ability that triggers when a lore counter that is put on the Saga causes the number of lore counters on the Saga to become equal to or greater than the ability's chapter number. Chapter abilities are put onto the stack and may be responded to.
- 2021-02-05
If multiple chapter abilities trigger at the same time, their controller puts them on the stack in any order. If any of them require targets, those targets are chosen as you put the abilities on the stack, before any of those abilities resolve.
- 2021-02-05
Once the number of lore counters on a Saga is greater than or equal to the greatest number among its chapter abilities, the Saga's controller sacrifices it as soon as its chapter ability has left the stack, most likely by resolving or being countered. This state-based action doesn't use the stack.
- 2021-02-05
Once a chapter ability has triggered, the ability on the stack won't be affected if the Saga gains or loses counters, or if it leaves the battlefield.
- 2021-02-05
Removing lore counters won't cause a previous chapter ability to trigger. If lore counters are removed from a Saga, the appropriate chapter abilities will trigger again when the Saga receives more lore counters.
- 2021-02-05
A chapter ability doesn't trigger if a lore counter is put on a Saga that already had a number of lore counters greater than or equal to that chapter's number. For example, the third lore counter put on a Saga causes the chapter III ability to trigger, but chapters I and II won't trigger again.
- 2021-02-05
As a Saga enters the battlefield, its controller puts a lore counter on it. As your precombat main phase begins (immediately after your draw step), you put another lore counter on each Saga you control. Putting a lore counter on a Saga in either of these ways doesn't use the stack.
Rulings are Wizards of the Coast's own, mirrored from Scryfall and refreshed nightly.
In the 99
Every deck whose current list includes Binding the Old Gods, whatever its commander.
Most played under
| Commander | Decks | Games | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anikthea, Hand of Erebos | 1 | 0 | — |
| Auntie Ool, Cursewretch | 1 | 0 | — |
| The Wandering Minstrel | 1 | 0 | — |
| Tom Bombadil | 1 | 0 | — |
Colors it shows up in
- Five-Color 2 decks
- Jund 1 deck
- Abzan 1 deck
Every version of Binding the Old Gods
7 printings, newest first. Prices are the market figures Scryfall publishes, refreshed nightly — a printing with no figure shows a dash rather than a zero, because Scryfall genuinely publishes none for some of them.

The List
- Normal
- —

Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander
- Normal
- $0.34

Edge of Eternities Commander
- Normal
- $0.28

Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander
- Normal
- $0.25

- Normal
- $0.29

- Normal
- $0.21

- Normal
- $0.39
- Foil
- $1.92
Prices from Scryfall, which tracks the TCGplayer and Cardmarket markets. They move daily and are a guide rather than a quote. Search TCGplayer for Binding the Old Gods — a name search across every version, for the printings TCGplayer publishes no direct link to.
Aggregated from Commander games tracked in TurnZero HQ. Every figure counts decks and games only — no individual deck list, player or playgroup is identified. Win rates are withheld below 5 completed games, where the sample is too small to mean anything.