The Battlefield

Cloudshift

$1.22

Felidar Guardian

$2.43

Preston, the Vanisher

$19.95

AI DraftFeb 26, 2026

Cloudshift + Felidar Guardian + Preston, the Vanisher

Overview

If you Cloudshift Felidar Guardian while Preston, the Vanisher is on the battlefield, Preston will trigger because Felidar entered the battlefield without being cast and will create the token copy. Felidar Guardian’s own enter-the-battlefield ability also triggers and may exile/return another permanent you control (for example, Preston). If Felidar’s ETB blinks Preston before Preston’s trigger resolves, the Preston trigger that was already put on the stack still resolves and creates the token copy of the Felidar that entered (it refers to that entering object), and Blinked tokens cease to exist if exiled by such effects. See , , , Ruling [2018-03-16], and Ruling [2017-02-09].

Step 1

You cast Cloudshift targeting Felidar Guardian; Cloudshift exiles Felidar and then returns it to the battlefield under your control, so Felidar entered the battlefield without being cast (Cloudshift’s resolution creates that enter event) and the returned card is controlled by you (Ruling [2018-03-16] and ).

Step 2

When Felidar enters the battlefield, two triggered abilities are triggered: Preston’s 'Whenever another nontoken creature you control enters, if it wasn't cast...' (triggering because Felidar is another nontoken creature that entered without being cast) and Felidar Guardian’s own 'When this creature enters, you may exile another target permanent you control, then return that card to the battlefield...' Both triggers are put on the stack when they trigger (see general triggered-ability rules).

Step 3

The relative order those triggers are placed on the stack and therefore resolve is determined as normal for triggered abilities; the order in which they resolve affects the sequence of blinks and token creation.

Step 4

If Preston’s trigger resolves first, it will create a token that is a copy of the Felidar Guardian, except it’s a 0/1 white Illusion token. That token is a token, so it is not a nontoken creature and won’t itself cause Preston to trigger (Ruling [2017-02-09] explains token treatment when exiled, and Preston’s text specifically excludes tokens).

Step 5

If Felidar’s ETB resolves first and you choose to exile and return Preston as the 'another target permanent' (or any other permanent), Preston will be exiled and then returned to the battlefield; when Preston returns it is a new object and will itself be able to see future creatures entering, but that re-entry does not retroactively affect the Preston trigger already on the stack created by the earlier Felidar entry (triggered abilities on the stack still resolve and refer to the object that caused them to trigger).

Step 6

Regardless of whether Preston is blinked after creating its trigger, the Preston trigger that was already created when Felidar entered will still resolve and create the token copy that references the creature that caused the trigger (the Felidar that entered).

Resolution

Cloudshifting Felidar Guardian will cause Preston to trigger and create the token copy of the Felidar (because it entered without being cast). Felidar’s ETB trigger can be used to exile and return another permanent you control (including Preston) before Preston’s trigger resolves; the Preston trigger already on the stack still resolves and will create the token copy of the Felidar regardless of whether Preston was blinked afterward. If any of the permanents targeted by Felidar’s ETB or Cloudshift are tokens and are exiled, those tokens cease to exist and won’t return (Ruling [2017-02-09]). Returned cards are controlled by the player named in the effect and remain under that control (Ruling [2018-03-16]).

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