Format legality is set when the card releases on Oct 2, 2026. It will be legal in Standard at release.
Confidence:StrongSolidPlausibleTentativeSpeculative
- Legendary Creature — Vampire AngelBW
Lifegain pair: one card gains life while the other rewards lifegain. They reinforce each other in a lifegain deck.
- Creature — Bear DemonBW
Lifegain pair: one card gains life while the other rewards lifegain. They reinforce each other in a lifegain deck.
- Legendary Creature — Human Noble VillainB
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Creature — Spirit // Enchantment — AuraU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- ArtifactC
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- ArtifactR
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Artifact Creature — Robot NinjaC
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Legendary Creature — Human WizardR
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Creature — Human Shapeshifter AssassinBU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Legendary Creature — Human ArtificerUW
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Creature — DragonU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Legendary Artifact — EquipmentC
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- ArtifactU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Enchantment — AuraU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Creature — ShapeshifterU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- EnchantmentBRW
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Legendary Creature — Spider Human HeroBU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Creature — Shapeshifter Rogue // LandU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Battle — Siege // Creature — ZombieBU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Legendary Creature — Human ArtificerRU
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Legendary Creature — Human ClownRW
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Artifact — Equipment // Artifact — EquipmentC
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Creature — Bird BardU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Creature — ShapeshifterGU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Legendary Creature — Human ArtificerR
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
MTG Arena only
Synergies with cards played only on MTG Arena (including Arena rebalances). They aren't available in paper Magic.
Confidence:StrongSolidPlausibleTentativeSpeculative
- Creature — Human MonkR
Copy engine: one card makes a copy of a creature every turn, and the other's enter-the-battlefield effect rewards each copy. Real, repeatable value — the partner can't untap or re-enter the copier, so it never goes infinite.
- Artifact Creature — Phyrexian ShapeshifterU
One-shot copy enabler: a card enters as a copy of another (Phantasmal Image, Body Double, Phyrexian Metamorph), firing the partner's substantive ETB once. Not a repeating chain — fires once on entry — but valuable when the partner's ETB is combo-grade (graveyard reanimator, mana doubler, etc.).
- Enchantment Creature — NightmareB
Fear of Ridicule creates token copies, feeding Archive Arbiter's ETB or copy payoff.
- Creature — Bat ClericB
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Creature — HumanC
Ominous Traveler bounces a permanent, enabling Archive Arbiter's recast / spell-cast trigger.
- EnchantmentG
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Legendary Creature — Human AssassinG
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Creature — InsectG
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Creature — Goblin ArtificerR
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Legendary Creature — Human NobleGRW
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Creature — Frog DruidBG
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Legendary Creature — Bird MonkRUW
Xho Cai, Flickering Talon blinks (exiles and returns) a permanent, re-firing Archive Arbiter's enter-the-battlefield effect.
- Legendary Creature — Human ClericUW
Niambi, Beloved Protector returns creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, re-firing Archive Arbiter's enter-the-battlefield effect.
- Legendary Planeswalker — TeferiUW
A-Teferi, Time Raveler bounces a permanent, enabling Archive Arbiter's recast / spell-cast trigger.
- Creature — Elf DruidGRW
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- EnchantmentUW
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Legendary Artifact — SpacecraftW
Candela, Aegis of Adagia bounces a permanent, enabling Archive Arbiter's recast / spell-cast trigger.
- Artifact Creature — Equipment PhoenixR
Forgeborn Phoenix returns creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, re-firing Archive Arbiter's enter-the-battlefield effect.
- Creature — Frog ScoutGU
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- ArtifactC
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Creature — CatW
Archive Arbiter gains life in big chunks or many small hits, fueling A-Ocelot Pride's life-gain payoff.
- Creature — Human ClericW
Both cards trigger when a creature enters the battlefield — they fire together.
- Artifact Creature — ConstructB
Forgefire Automaton returns creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, re-firing Archive Arbiter's enter-the-battlefield effect.
- Creature — Vampire SoldierB
Legion Reconsecrator returns creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield, re-firing Archive Arbiter's enter-the-battlefield effect.
- Creature — Dragon // Sorcery — OmenGRU
Stonehide Ancient bounces a permanent, enabling Archive Arbiter's recast / spell-cast trigger.
Twinmaw Stormbrood // Charring Bite5W1RCreature — Dragon // Sorcery — OmenRW
Valkyrior Skyrider4WCreature — God Warrior HeroW
Lamentation5BCreature — Elemental IncarnationB
Spiritual Guardian3WWCreature — SpiritW
Arborback Stomper3GGCreature — BeastG
Staunch Defenders3WWCreature — Human SoldierW
Noxious Gearhulk4BBArtifact Creature — ConstructB
Invasion of Dominaria // Serra Faithkeeper2WBattle — Siege // Creature — AngelW
Loxodon Restorer4WWCreature — Elephant ClericW
Bulwark Giant5WCreature — Giant SoldierW
Shu Soldier-Farmers4WCreature — Human SoldierW
Jedit's Dragoons5WCreature — Cat SoldierW