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Command zone

Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

Legendary Creature — Vampire Wizard

Jeleva wants a deck that casts extra spells for free off the top of its deck. It leads the ready-made Mind Seize deck (2013).

  • Mana cost1 genericblueblackred
  • Blue, Black, Red ()
  • Power / toughness1 / 3
  • RarityMythic

Flying

When Jeleva enters, each player exiles the top X cards of their library, where X is the amount of mana spent to cast Jeleva.

Whenever Jeleva attacks, you may cast an instant or sorcery spell from among cards exiled with Jeleva without paying its mana cost.

Build a deck with Jeleva Find it in the app

Archetypes

Cards That Fit Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

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

Decks Led by Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

Jeleva leads a ready-made deck.PreconShort for preconstructed deck: a ready-to-play deck sold in a box by Wizards of the Coast. A Commander precon comes with its commander and all 100 cards, so you can play it straight away and change cards later.Open the full glossary

Rulings for Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge

explain how Jeleva 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 17 Oct 2013

If Jeleva leaves the battlefield, the exiled cards will remain exiled indefinitely. If Jeleva enters the battlefield again, it won't be associated with the cards the "other" Jeleva exiled. The new Jeleva will exile a new set of cards. Only those cards can be cast using Jeleva's last ability.

Wizards of the Coast 17 Oct 2013

If the card has {X} in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as its value.

Wizards of the Coast 17 Oct 2013

If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay alternative costs such as overload costs. However, you can pay additional costs such as kicker costs. If the card has mandatory additional costs, you must pay those.

Wizards of the Coast 17 Oct 2013

If you cast an instant or sorcery card using Jeleva's last ability, you do so while that ability is resolving. If you choose not to (or you can't), you won't get a chance to cast it later unless the ability triggers again.

Wizards of the Coast 17 Oct 2013

The card is cast before blocking creatures are declared.

Wizards of the Coast 17 Oct 2013

When casting an instant or sorcery card this way, ignore all timing restrictions based on the card's type. Other timing restrictions, such as "Cast [this spell] only during combat," must be followed.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Feb 2014

If Jeleva enters the battlefield without being cast, then no mana was spent to cast it. This means X will be 0, so no cards will be exiled.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Feb 2014

The amount of mana you spent to cast this creature is usually equal to its mana value. However, you also include any additional costs you pay, including the cost imposed for casting your commander from the command zone.

Wizards of the Coast 1 Feb 2014

You can't choose to pay extra mana to cast a creature spell unless something instructs you to.

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

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Jeleva, 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 glossaryUBRPlayers write colors as letters: U for blue, B for black, R for red. Blue is U because B was already taken by black.Cascade/Free CastCascade decks cast extra spells for free, straight from the top of their deck, every time they cast the right card. Cascade turns over cards from the top of your library until it hits a cheaper spell, which you may cast without paying for it.Open the Cascade/Free Cast pageFree CastCan be cast without paying its mana cost when a condition is met, often "if you control your commander". Because it costs nothing, you can still answer something after your mana is already spent. Fierce Guardianship, Deflecting SwatOpen the Free Cast 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 pageLibrary ManipulationCards that let you look at, rearrange or play from the top of your deck, so you control what you draw next.Open the Library Manipulation page