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Commander Nexus
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  3. MJ, Rising Star

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MJ, Rising Star

MJ, Rising Star

Legendary Creature — Human Performer

MJ wants a deck that gains life over and over and gets rewarded for it. It also suits a deck that keeps making its creatures bigger turn after turn.

  • Mana cost2 genericwhite
  • White ()
  • Power / toughness2 / 3
  • RarityUncommon

Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.)

Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on MJ.

Build a deck with MJ Find it in the app

Themes
  • Humans
  • Performers

Cards That Fit MJ, Rising Star

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

Rulings for MJ, Rising Star

explain how MJ 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

Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, MJ, Rising Star's ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, planeswalkers, and/or battles at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

If MJ, Rising Star is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, she won't receive a counter from her ability in time to save her.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something or "equal to the number" of something, that life is gained as one event and MJ, Rising Star's ability triggers only once.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause MJ, Rising Star's ability to trigger, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.

Wizards of the Coast 19 Sep 2025

The ability of MJ, Rising Star triggers just once for each life-gaining event, regardless of how much life is gained.

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

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with MJ, 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 glossaryWPlayers write colors as letters: W for white.LifegainLifegain decks gain life over and over and use cards that reward each gain with extra cards, creatures or damage to opponents. Everyone starts at 40 life in Commander, so the extra life also keeps you safe while you set up.Open the Lifegain pageLifegain PayoffTurns life gain into an actual effect: draining opponents, drawing cards, or growing creatures each time you gain life. Without one of these, gaining life mostly just delays things. Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose, Sanguine BondOpen the Lifegain Payoff 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 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 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