The Battlefield

Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward

$0.15

Ephemerate

$4.62

Felidar Guardian

$2.43

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

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

Overview

When Abdel Adrian enters the battlefield its triggered ability exiles any number of other nonland permanents you control and creates a 1/1 Soldier token for each one. If you exile/blink Abdel (for example with Ephemerate) those previously-exiled permanents return because Abdel has left the battlefield, and when Abdel returns its enter-the-battlefield trigger can exile them again and create more Soldier tokens — this is governed by linked exile/return behavior and how exile works . Ephemerate can blink Abdel immediately and (because of Rebound) again on your next upkeep; Felidar Guardian’s enter-the-battlefield ability can blink Abdel as it resolves (it may target Abdel if Abdel is another permanent you control), causing the same leave/return sequence. Token permanents exiled by Abdel cease to exist and won’t return, but you still get the Soldier tokens for them [Ruling 2022-06-10].

Step 1

Start state: You control Abdel Adrian and one or more other nonland permanents (for example: an artifact, an enchantment, other creatures). Abdel is on the battlefield and (from a prior entry, or just now) his ETB may or may not have already exiled permanents depending on how he entered earlier.

Step 2

Ephemerate on Abdel path: You cast Ephemerate targeting Abdel; when Ephemerate resolves it exiles Abdel, causing Abdel to leave the battlefield. Because Abdel leaving the battlefield ends the 'until Abdel leaves the battlefield' exile created by Abdel's previous ETB, the permanents Abdel had exiled return to the battlefield . Ephemerate then immediately returns Abdel to the battlefield; when Abdel re-enters, his 'When Abdel enters...' triggered ability goes on the stack and, when it resolves, you may exile any number of other nonland permanents you control (including those that just returned) and create a 1/1 Soldier token for each permanent exiled this way .

Step 3

Ephemerate Rebound: If you cast Ephemerate from your hand, Rebound causes Ephemerate to be exiled as it resolves and gives you the option to cast it from exile at the beginning of your next upkeep for no mana cost; that will produce another blink of Abdel and another run of the above sequence on that upkeep .

Step 4

Felidar Guardian blinking Abdel: If Abdel is on the battlefield and you cast Felidar Guardian, when Felidar’s ETB resolves it may 'exile another target permanent you control, then return that card to the battlefield.' If you target Abdel with Felidar’s ability, Felidar’s ability will exile Abdel (Abdel leaves), which causes any permanents Abdel had exiled to return, and then Felidar’s ability immediately returns Abdel to the battlefield in the same resolution. Abdel’s ETB triggers on that re-entry and can exile those permanents again and create Soldiers. (Felidar cannot target itself because the text says 'another target permanent'.)

Step 5

Interaction with Auras/Equipment/Counters/Tokens: When a permanent is exiled and later returned, the returned object is a new object with no memory of previous attachments or counters; auras that were attached go to graveyard, equipment becomes unattached, and counters are removed [Ruling 2019-06-14]. If Abdel exiles token permanents, those tokens cease to exist and will not return, but Abdel’s ability still creates Soldier tokens for them when it exiled them [Ruling 2022-06-10].

Resolution

Blinking Abdel (via Ephemerate or Felidar Guardian) causes the permanents Abdel exiled to return when he leaves and allows his enter-the-battlefield trigger to run again when he returns, producing new 1/1 Soldier tokens each time he re-enters. Ephemerate will exile Abdel and return him as it resolves (and then, because of Rebound, can do so again on the next upkeep) . Felidar Guardian’s ETB can exile and immediately return another permanent you control (it can target Abdel if Abdel is already on the battlefield), which makes Abdel leave and re-enter in the same resolution so Abdel’s ETB happens again and creates more Soldiers. Token permanents exiled by Abdel cease to exist and do not return [Ruling 2022-06-10]; returning creatures are new objects (auras go to graveyard, equipment becomes unattached, counters are lost) [Ruling 2019-06-14].

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