Encore in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Last updated on August 13, 2026

Jubilation | Illustration by Vincent Christiaens

Encore was created in Commander Legends, the first draftable set with Commander in mind, and it’s an amalgamation of many different mechanics. Myriad inspired the “attack every other player with creature tokens” mechanic, while unearth is referenced as a creature mechanic that works from the graveyard. Some players even call encore a flashback for creatures, so to speak.

Encore is a powerful mechanic that can spice up your Commander games, and some of these cards even see play in other formats. Today, we take a look at the rules of encore and some small tidbits on how it interacts with other mechanics.

Let’s dive in!

How Does Encore Work?

Mist Dancer | Illustration by Christina Kraus

Encore is an activated ability on creatures that only works when the creature is in your graveyard. It’s similar to flashback on instants and sorceries. If your encore creature is in your graveyard, you can pay the encore cost and exile the creature at sorcery speed. When you do, you create a token copy of that creature with haste for each opponent you have, and each token must attack a different player if able.

Encore was developed with a Commander pod in mind; in a typical 4-player Commander game, you’ll encore a creature and create three token copies of it, one for each player.

The interesting part of encore is that it not only scales based on the game you’re playing, but most encore cards do something when they enter the battlefield, attack, or die. A simple design like Briarblade Adept gives -1/-1 to a creature, while a card like Belonging creates three 1/1 changeling tokens, so you’ll get nine 1/1 tokens total with encore.

The History of Encore in MTG

Encore was created in Commander Legends in 2020 with 16 card designs. It’s a mechanic that goes on any creature and in any color. Many common creatures have encore, considering that Commander Legends is a set in which you can draft a Commander deck.

From there, WotC has used encore as a deciduous recurring mechanic in Commander precons, with occasional new encore cards. The Brothers’ War Commander, New Capenna Commander, Modern Horizons 3 Commander, and even newer offerings like Tarkir: Dragonstorm Commander and Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander have included encore cards.

In fact, Lorwyn Eclipsed Commander did something very cool with encore in early 2026 with a cycle of rare encore incarnations named after feelings, which is a direct reference to the original Lorwyn cycle (Guile, Purity, Hostility).

Does Encore Work in 1v1 Games?

Yes, it does, but you’ll only create a single token, considering that you only have one opponent and that the mechanic scales based on the number of opponents you have.

Does Encore Work in Two-Headed Giant?

Yes, encore works in Two-Headed Giant (2HG), and it will create one token copy for each opposing player, two in total, and each copy has to attack that specific player if able.

MTG rules say that although in a 2HG game you have an opposing team, the rules apply individually for attackers and blockers. It’s especially important when the player being attacked matters, considering cards like Propaganda or Curse of Predation.

Can You Encore at Instant Speed?

No. The encore mechanic only works at sorcery speed. You can grant a creature you control encore at instant speed, but you can’t activate the encore ability at instant speed.

How Does Encore Interact with Token Doublers?

Encore creates token copies of the creature, and if you have any effect in play that doubles the tokens created, then encore creates two copies of the encore creature attacking each player. So, if you have Anointed Procession in play, each encore activation creates two copies of your encore creature for each opponent you have.

Can You Keep Encore Tokens with “End the Turn” Effects?

Yes, you can, but there are some tricky MTG rules interactions.

The encore mechanic says: “Sacrifice them at the beginning of the next end step.” Let’s say you have a card like Sundial of the Infinite, which ends the turn when activated. If you use this on your turn any time before your own end step, the encore tokens will still be sacrificed at the beginning of the next end step, which will occur on your opponent’s turn. You only delayed the trigger that will force you to sacrifice your creature tokens.

However, there’s a better way to prevent this altogether. You’ll need to activate the Sundial at the end of your turn, when the sacrifice triggers are on the stack. This way, the stack will become empty, and you won’t have to sacrifice your token copies anymore because their delayed trigger has already gone off.

Can Encore Tokens Attack Planeswalkers?

Normally they can’t because they need to attack their matching opponent if able. Encore tokens must necessarily attack enemy players, but if they can’t attack an opponent for some reason (goad mechanic, tax effects), they can perform any action, and in this case, they can attack a planeswalker.

Encore vs. Myriad

Both mechanics are multiplayer-centric, and they allow you to create a token copy of a creature for each of your opponents. In fact, the idea of myriad is almost identical to encore. The biggest difference is that myriad works on each attack while the creature is alive on the battlefield. Myriad lets you use the original creature to attack one opponent, and token copies of the myriad creature will attack the other opponents. There’s the risk of losing the myriad creature on this attack. Encore just works once and from the graveyard. That’s why many players call encore a one-time myriad effect.

Gallery and List of Encore Cards

Cards with Encore

• Angel of Indemnity
• Belonging
• Kangee's Lieutenant
• Kinsbaile Courier
• Soul of Eternity
• Amphin Mutineer
• Kitesail Skirmisher
• Mist Dancer
• Subterfuge
• Trove Tracker
• Briarblade Adept
• Elvish Dreadlord
• Eumidian Wastewaker
• Exquisite Huntmaster
• Lamentation
• Rakshasa Debaser
• Coastline Marauders
• Fathom Fleet Swordjack
• Impulsive Pilferer
• Impulsivity
• Spellbinding Soprano
• Fin-Clade Fugitives
• Jubilation
• Broodmate Tyrant
• Sliver Gravemother
• Phyrexian Triniform

Cards that Grant Encore

• Wire Surgeons
• Araumi of the Dead Tide
• Graywater's Fixer

Best Encore Cards

#11. Araumi of the Dead Tide

Araumi of the Dead Tide can give non-encore creatures encore. A card like Gray Merchant of Asphodel is pretty interesting to give encore to, as you’ll create three token copies of it, so at least 6 devotion in total, and you’ll drain each opponent for 6 and gain 18 life. It’s also excellent with cards that do something when they enter and something when they die, like Solemn Simulacrum. In this case, you’ll ramp three times and draw three cards.

#10. Amphin Mutineer

Amphin Mutineer is basically Pongify on a stick. You can use this card as a removal spell early, and encore it later when the table is ugly and there are many must-kill threats on the battlefield. You can get extra value by blinking this card, too.

#9. Impulsive Pilferer

Impulsive Pilferer actually saw some play in 1v1 Constructed formats as a 1-cost goblin that dies into a Treasure token, making it a nice sacrifice target. It’s also one of the few encore creatures that doesn’t cost a ton.

#8. Phyrexian Triniform

Phyrexian Triniform has a huge encore cost of 12, but what you get is very interesting. Attack each player for 9 haste damage, and you’ll be left with three 3/3 Phyrexian Golem tokens, nine total.

#7. Sliver Gravemother

Sliver Gravemother is very interesting as an encore design, because slivers work well in multiples, especially those that raise power and toughness. Giving encore to a Muscle Sliver and attacking means that each sliver you control gets +3/+3 for this attack phase. Not all sliver abilities stack, but Harmonic Sliver can destroy a bunch of permanents when encored, and Synapse Sliver can draw you a lot of cards.

#6. Rakshasa Debaser

Rakshasa Debaser is a fun one. The token copies can last only until the end of turn, but the free reanimation spells you get are permanent. The main problem here is that this card is just a vanilla 6/6 that must attack to do something great, so the encore speeds things up for just 2 more mana.

#5. Broodmate Tyrant

Broodmate Tyrant is a callback to many cards, but mainly Broodmate Dragon. And for 1 mana more, we get more stats and more abilities. Encoring this gives you so many dragons, and although it looks like a win-more card, that’s sometimes what you need in EDH to get back into the match. What I like most about this card is that its main cost and its encore cost are practically the same.

#4. Jubilation

Jubilation is excellent in go-wide decks. Encoring one of these gives your creatures a huge bonus, usually +6/+6 and trample, and each Jubilation token is an 11/11 trampler itself.

#3. Elvish Dreadlord

Elvish Dreadlord is a small sweeper that scales into a full Plague Wind when you encore it. In a dedicated elves deck, your elves will be the only creatures standing while other players watch their creatures get -9/-9.

#2. Subterfuge

Subterfuge has a home in GU ramp decks where you can jump a big creature and draw some cards on the front side. But later in the game, the encore is just absurd as a finisher if you can give this ability to three creatures (including the tokens produced by the ability).

#1. Angel of Indemnity

I love Sun Titan-esque cards, and Angel of Indemnity is a nice flying and lifelink creature with a strong reanimation effect. If you encore this with a full graveyard, it’s a massive lifegain and card advantage swing, and the cost on either mode isn’t prohibitive for what you’re getting.

Wrap Up

Fiery Encore | Illustration by Justyna Gil

Encore is a cool multiplayer-centric mechanic that also works well in a one-player game. It scales well, so to speak. A mechanic like myriad doesn’t work at all in a 1v1 game, and other multiplayer mechanics like initiative or monarch tend to be incredibly good (almost broken) in 1v1 games, so it’s nice when a mechanic hits the right power level. Encore also works from the graveyard, so it has many synergies with looting, discard, and self-mill.

What do you think about the encore mechanic, guys? Do you run encore creatures in your Commander deck? Let me know what you think in the comments section below. Be sure to check out Draftsim's Discord, as well as our YouTube Channel, The Daily Upkeep.

Thanks for reading, and stay safe out there!