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Commander Nexus
  1. Commander Nexus
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  3. Azula, Cunning Usurper

Command zone

Azula, Cunning Usurper

Azula, Cunning Usurper

Legendary Creature — Human Noble Rogue

Azula wants a deck that deals one damage at a time, again and again. It also works in a deck built around Humans, Nobles or Rogues.

  • Mana cost2 genericblueblackblack
  • Blue, Black ()
  • Power / toughness4 / 4
  • RarityRare

Firebending 2 (Whenever this creature attacks, add redred. This mana lasts until end of combat.)

When Azula enters, target opponent exiles a nontoken creature they control, then they exile a nonland card from their graveyard.

During your turn, you may cast cards exiled with Azula and you may cast them as though they had flash. Mana of any type can be spent to cast those spells.

Build a deck with Azula Find it in the app

Archetypes
Themes

Cards That Fit Azula, Cunning Usurper

Picked for what they do in Azula's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Azula's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

Does what Azula, Cunning Usurper does6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Azula, Cunning Usurper

explain how Azula works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

"Firebending N" is a keyword that represents the ability "Whenever this creature attacks, add N {R}. Until end of combat, you don't lose this mana as steps end."

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

Any other mana you add during combat will still be lost as normal when moving between steps of combat.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

Casting an exiled card causes it to leave exile. You can't cast it multiple times.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

Firebending abilities aren't mana abilities. They use the stack and can be responded to.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

Mana from firebending abilities isn't lost until you leave combat and go to your second main phase. It can be used at any time during combat, even after combat damage has been dealt.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

Multiple instances of firebending on the same creature trigger separately, each granting you the appropriate amount of mana.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

The six types of mana are white, blue, black, red, green, and colorless.

Wizards of the Coast 2 Oct 2025

You pay the costs for an exiled card if you cast it. You may pay any alternative costs the card has rather than the card's mana cost.

8 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Azula, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryUBPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.PingersPinger decks deal one damage at a time, again and again, to pick off small creatures and wear opponents down. The damage usually comes from creatures you tap to deal 1 damage, or from cards that deal damage whenever something happens.Open the Pingers pageRepeatable DamageDeals damage again and again rather than once. It comes from an activated ability you can use every turn, or a trigger that fires whenever something happens. Walking Ballista, Impact TremorsOpen the Repeatable Damage pageGraveyard HateEmpties graveyards or stops cards from coming back out of them, shutting down decks built on reusing their graveyard. Bojuka Bog, Scavenger Grounds. It answers a whole plan rather than one card: without it, something like Eternal Witness keeps returning the same card all game.Open the Graveyard Hate pageFlash EnablerLets you cast things at instant speed, including on other players' turns. Holding up mana and deciding later is a real advantage. Leyline of Anticipation, Emergence ZoneOpen the Flash Enabler pageETB ValueDoes something useful the moment it arrives: an enter the battlefield ability, which players shorten to ETB. You keep that effect even if the card is removed straight afterwards, which is why these pair so well with flicker cards that make them enter again. Solemn Simulacrum, The One RingOpen the ETB Value page