Selvala wants a deck that makes huge amounts of mana for giant spells. It also suits a deck that removes its creatures and brings them right back to reuse them.
Mana cost
Green ()
Power / toughness2 / 3
RarityMythic
Whenever another creature enters, its controller may draw a card if its power is greater than each other creature's power.
, : Add X mana in any combination of colors, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.
Picked for what they do in Selvala's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Selvala'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.Open the full glossary
explain how Selvala 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 Coast23 Aug 2016
If the new creature isn't on the battlefield as the first ability resolves, use its power when it left the battlefield to determine whether its controller may draw a card. Note that effects that reduced its power before it left the battlefield will apply.
Wizards of the Coast23 Aug 2016
Selvala's last ability is a mana ability. It doesn't use the stack and can't be responded to. If the greatest power among creatures you control is 0 or less at that time, no mana is added.
Wizards of the Coast23 Aug 2016
The new creature's power is compared to the power of each other creature on the battlefield as the first ability resolves. If another creature has the same or higher power than the new creature's power, no one may draw a card.
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 glossaryGPlayers write colors as letters: G for green.Big ManaBig Mana decks build up far more mana than usual, then spend it on huge spells. Some are X spells, which have X in their cost and get stronger the more mana you put in.Open the Big Mana pageBig ManaProduces several mana at once from a single source, rather than the one extra mana most acceleration gives you. That surplus is what lets a deck cast something enormous far ahead of schedule. Compare Ramp, which is a reusable source you build up over time, and Burst Mana, which pays out once and is then gone. Cabal Coffers, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Savage VentmawOpen the Big Mana pageRampAn effect that accelerates your mana, giving you a reusable mana source beyond the usual one land per turn. Cultivate Rampant GrowthOpen the Ramp pageGame ChangerCards that warp the game disproportionately around themselves, requiring immediate answers.What the brackets meanBlink/FlickerBlink decks briefly remove their own creatures from play and return them at once, so every 'when this enters' ability happens again. The move is called a flicker, and it can also rescue a creature from a spell aimed at it.Open the Blink/Flicker pageETB PayoffRewards you whenever your permanents enter the battlefield. It either gives you something for each arrival or makes their 'when this enters' abilities happen twice. Impact Tremors, PanharmoniconOpen the ETB Payoff pageDrawDraws you extra cards. More cards means more choices every turn, and in a 100-card deck it is the main way to find the pieces you need. Rhystic Study, SkullclampOpen the Draw page
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: Add X mana in any combination of colors, where X is the greatest power among creatures you control.
Open the full glossary
