Exalted
Exalted is a triggered ability first introduced in Shards of Alara and also featured in Conflux and Alara Reborn, and returning in Magic 2013. Whenever a creature you control attacks alone, that creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn for each creature with exalted. Originally an ability that defined the White-dominated shard of Bant, it now also appears in Black.
From the ()
Rulings
- If you declare exactly one creature as an attacker, each exalted ability on each permanent you control (including, perhaps, the attacking creature itself) will trigger. The bonuses are given to the attacking creature, not to the permanent with exalted. Ultimately, the attacking creature will wind up with +1/+1 for each of your exalted abilities.
- Some cards with exalted abilities have other abilities that also trigger when a creature you control attacks alone. Each time a creature you control attacks alone, both the exalted ability and the other ability will trigger.
- If you attack with multiple creatures, but then all but one are removed from combat, your exalted abilities won't trigger.
- Some effects put creatures into play attacking. Since those creatures were never declared as attackers, they're ignored by exalted abilities. They won't cause exalted abilities to trigger. If any exalted abilities have already triggered (because exactly one creature was declared as an attacker), those abilities will resolve as normal even though there may now be multiple attackers.
- Exalted abilities will resolve before blockers are declared.
- Exalted bonuses last until end of turn. If an effect creates an additional combat phase during your turn, a creature that attacked alone during the first combat phase will still have its exalted bonuses in that new phase. If a creature attacks alone during the second combat phase, all your exalted abilities will trigger again.
- In a Two-Headed Giant game, a creature "attacks alone" if it's the only creature declared as an attacker by your entire team. If you control that attacking creature, your exalted abilities will trigger but your teammate's exalted abilities won't.
Examples
Color percentages
There is a total of 31 cards that involve exalted, which divide by color as such:
- Multicolor = 10 (32%)
- White = 9 (28%)
- Black = 5 (16%)
- Blue = 3 (10%)
- Green = 3 (10%)
- Land = 1 (3%)
Creature that grants Exalted
Plane card that grants Exalted
- Bant (all creatures)
Trivia
- Exalted was the defining mechanic for the Bant shard. Despite this, in Magic 2013, the mechanic is now also in Black.
- Exalted was featured as rules card 1 of 5 in the Shards of Alara set.
- Exalted Angel and Exalted Dragon don't have exalted