Emperor of Bones
At the beginning of combat on your turn, exile up to one target card from a graveyard. {1}{B}: Adapt 2. Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on this creature, put a creature card exiled with this creature onto the battlefield under your control with a finality counter on it. It gains haste. Sacrifice it at the beginning of the next end step.
Rulings (6)
Jun 7, 2024 · Finality counters aren't keyword counters, and a finality counter doesn't give any abilities to the permanent it's on. If that permanent loses its abilities and then would go to a graveyard, it will still be exiled instead.
Jun 7, 2024 · If any permanent with a finality counter on it would go to a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead.
Jun 7, 2024 · Finality counters don't stop permanents from going to zones other than the graveyard from the battlefield. For example, if a permanent with a finality counter on it would be put into its owner's hand from the battlefield, it does so normally.
Jun 7, 2024 · You can always activate an ability that will cause a creature to adapt. As that ability resolves, if the creature has a +1/+1 counter on it for any reason, you simply won't put any +1/+1 counters on it.
Jun 7, 2024 · Multiple finality counters on a single permanent are redundant.
Jun 7, 2024 · If a creature somehow loses all of its +1/+1 counters, it can adapt again and get more +1/+1 counters.
Where it’s played now
Inclusion by archetype · Modern
| Archetype | Format | Inclusion | Copies | Decks (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golgari Scam | Modern | 100% | 2–4× | 20 |
| Orzhov Blink | Modern | 100% | 2–4× | 8 |
| Rakdos Scam | Modern | 100% | 3× | 5 |
| Esper Scam | Modern | 100% | 3× | 3 |
| 4-Color Blink | Modern | 100% | 4× | 1 |
| Grixis Frog | Modern | 97.1% | 2–4× | 137 |
| Esper Blink | Modern | 83.8% | 1–3× | 99 |
| Mardu Blink | Modern | 75% | 2× | 4 |