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Jackal, Genius Geneticist

Jackal, Genius Geneticist

Legendary Creature — Human Scientist Villain

Jackal wants a deck that casts lots of instant and sorcery spells. It also suits a deck that keeps making its creatures bigger turn after turn.

  • Mana costgreenblue
  • Blue, Green ()
  • Power / toughness1 / 1
  • RarityRare

Trample

Whenever you cast a creature spell with mana value equal to Jackal's power, copy that spell, except the copy isn't legendary. Then put a +1/+1 counter on Jackal. (The copy becomes a token.)

Build a deck with Jackal Find it in the app

Themes

Cards That Fit Jackal, Genius Geneticist

Picked for what they do in Jackal's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Jackal'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

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Jackal, Genius Geneticist

explain how Jackal 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 19 Sep 2025

If a spell has {X} in its mana cost, use the value chosen for that X to determine the mana value of that spell.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

If the spell that's copied has an X whose value was determined as it was cast, the copy will have the same value of X.

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

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Jackal, 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 glossaryUGPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, G for green. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.SpellslingerSpellslinger decks cast lots of instants and sorceries, one-time spells, and play creatures that reward every spell you cast. Instants and sorceries take effect once and then go to your graveyard, and an instant can even be cast during another player's turn.Open the Spellslinger pageSpell CopyingCopies a spell or an ability. The copy is not cast, so it costs nothing extra and does not set off cards that care about casting a spell. Reverberate, Storm-Kiln ArtistOpen the Spell Copying pageCounter EngineAdds +1/+1 counters over and over rather than once. A counter here is a small permanent marker that raises a creature's power and toughness for good. It is not a counterspell, which is a different thing entirely. Something that adds them every turn makes your whole board bigger and keeps it that way. Hardened Scales, Corpsejack MenaceOpen the Counter Engine page+1/+1 CountersPuts +1/+1 counters on creatures, permanently raising their power and toughness. Unlike a temporary boost that wears off at end of turn, these markers stay put and stack up over a long game. Hardened Scales, The Great HengeOpen the +1/+1 Counters page+1/+1 Counters+1/+1 counter decks put small markers on their creatures that make each one permanently bigger, and keep adding more every turn. Each +1/+1 counter adds one to a creature's power (the damage it deals) and toughness (the damage it can take).Open the +1/+1 Counters pageLegends MatterCards that care about legendary cards: rewards for casting them, discounts, or bonuses for each one you control.Open the Legends Matter page