The Battlefield

Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward

$0.15

Cloudshift

$1.22

Felidar Guardian

$2.43

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward + Cloudshift + Felidar Guardian

Overview

Blinking Abdel Adrian (with Cloudshift or Felidar Guardian) causes Abdel to leave the battlefield, which makes any permanents exiled by its previous enter-the-battlefield ability return; when Abdel returns, its enter-the-battlefield ability can exile permanents again and create 1/1 Soldier tokens equal to the number exiled. If Abdel (or any other card) is a commander and would be put into exile, its owner may instead put it into the command zone . Exiled cards are normally kept face up and should be tracked in separate piles to show how they will return . If you exile a token permanent with Abdel's ability, that token ceases to exist and will not return, though you still create a Soldier for it [Ruling 2022-06-10]. Cloudshift and Felidar Guardian both cause a temporary exile (a “blink”) and return of Abdel, but Felidar's ability does the exile-and-return as a triggered ability resolution while Cloudshift is an instant that does the same actions on resolution; creatures returned by effects that say “return under your control” remain under your control indefinitely [Ruling 2018-03-16].

Step 1

Start: Abdel Adrian is on the battlefield and (from a previous entry) has exiled some number of other nonland permanents you controlled 'until Abdel leaves the battlefield' and created 1/1 Soldiers equal to the number exiled.

Step 2

You cast Cloudshift targeting Abdel (or Felidar Guardian enters and its trigger targets Abdel). Cloudshift (or Felidar's triggered ability) resolves and exiles Abdel. Because Abdel leaves the battlefield, the permanents that Abdel had exiled return to the battlefield immediately (they were exiled 'until Abdel leaves the battlefield').

Step 3

Cloudshift then returns the Abdel card to the battlefield under your control (or Felidar's ability returns Abdel as part of its resolution). Abdel has now re-entered the battlefield, so its enter-the-battlefield ability triggers again.

Step 4

When Abdel's ETB resolves, you may exile any number of other nonland permanents you currently control until Abdel leaves the battlefield. For each permanent you exile this time, create a 1/1 white Soldier creature token.

Step 5

If any of the permanents you chose to exile this time are token permanents (including Soldiers created earlier), those tokens cease to exist when exiled and will not return when Abdel later leaves the battlefield, but you still create a Soldier token for each such token exiled [Ruling 2022-06-10].

Step 6

When Abdel later leaves the battlefield again, the permanents exiled 'until Abdel leaves the battlefield' by that last ETB return (except for any that were token objects that ceased to exist when exiled).

Resolution

If you target Abdel Adrian with Cloudshift or target Abdel with Felidar Guardian's enter-the-battlefield trigger, Abdel will be exiled and then returned (a blink). When Abdel leaves the battlefield, any permanents previously exiled by Abdel's own ETB ability return to the battlefield because they were exiled "until Abdel leaves the battlefield". When Abdel returns, its ETB ability triggers again and may exile any number of other nonland permanents you control and create that many 1/1 Soldier tokens. If you choose to exile Soldier tokens with Abdel's ETB, those tokens will cease to exist and will not return, but you will still create Soldiers for them [Ruling 2022-06-10]. If Abdel is your commander and would be put into exile, you may instead put it into the command zone per . Keep exiled objects in separate piles as needed so their return conditions are tracked , and remember exiled cards are normally face up .

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