Magic: The Gathering is rich with storytelling. Every card in every set tells a small piece of a broader epic, typically highlighting a particular character, Artifact, or event. One specific subtype goes one level deeper.

Through Sagas, an Enchantment subtype with multiple Chapters representing evolving card functionality, Wizards of the Coast tells an entire story across multiple Chapters on a single card.

Explaining the Saga Subtype

While the idea for Sagas originated with the original Planeswalker design from Future Sight, the first instances didn't see print until Dominaria's release in 2018.

Sagas are a subtype of Enchantments, printed with a customized frame that deviates from the typical Magic card. The card is split vertically rather than horizontally -- the art is on the right half of the card, while the card's rules text is printed on the left side.

Every Saga card is printed using the same template, so they all look the same. The Lore Counters are your indicators for which Chapter of the Saga you're activating as you march through the "story."

Gameplay follows the rules text on the card. The reminder text at the top explains, "As this Saga enters and after your draw step, add a Lore Counter." Often, this card moves to the graveyard once the final Chapter is activated.

Usually, as soon as you cast a Saga, Chapter I activates as it enters the battlefield. At the beginning of your first main phase, you add a Lore Counter and trigger Chapter II. At the beginning of your next first main phase, you add a third Lore Counter, trigger Chapter III's effect, and then Sacrifice the Enchantment.

Sometimes a Chapter Ability is repeated more than once, such as on Rite of Belzenlok. In this case, you get the same Triggered Ability from both Chapter I and Chapter II. Other than the "I" and "II" being clustered together next to the text of the first ability, everything else functions identically.

While Planeswalkers can activate multiple abilities over an indefinite number of turns, Sagas are an interesting way of obtaining incremental value from a single card over a fixed number of turns. Barring extenuating circumstances, your Saga will be in play one turn for each of its Chapters before being sacrificed.

Additional Rulings on How Sagas Work

Typical play patterns of Sagas are straightforward and basically operate as written on the card. Tournament players may want to understand how Sagas work in more detail (Comprehensive rules section 714):

• A Chapter symbol is a Keyword Ability that represents a Triggered Ability referred to as a Chapter Ability. In other words, you can Stifle a Chapter's Triggered Ability.
• If you manage to Proliferate a Saga such that its number of Lore Counters exceeds the last Chapter printed on the card, no additional Chapters are triggered (i.e., nothing happens) and once its final Chapter Ability leaves the stack, the Saga will be sacrificed anyway.
• Adding Lore Counters only activates the corresponding Chapter's Triggered Ability -- the previous Chapters aren't activated again.
• Once a Chapter Ability has triggered, it's on the stack and won't leave the stack even if counters are removed from the Saga. When that Chapter resolves, however, it will use the current characteristics of the Saga to determine the effects.
• Removing Lore Counters won't cause a previous Chapter ability to trigger; however, you'll be able to proceed with adding Lore Counters as usual at the beginning of your next main phase, allowing you to "double dip" on a Saga's early Chapters.

While these rules are necessary to clarify every possible scenario in tournament play, most times Sagas will play out as expected based on the card's rules text.

For example, Elspeth Conquers Death was a popular Saga in Control decks in tournaments while it was Standard legal because it Exiled a powerful permanent, slowed your opponents down on the following turn, and then returned a powerful Creature or Planeswalker from your graveyard to the battlefield, all using the same card.

Evolutions of the Saga Subtype

Early Sagas all followed this relatively consistent templating: an Enchantment enters, triggers one Chapter per turn, and is then sacrificed after the last Chapter resolves. This includes all Sagas printed in Dominaria, Theros Beyond Death, and Kaldheim.

Then Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty deviated from the historical Saga templating. Enchantment Sagas from this set began as any other Saga, entering as Enchantment -- Sagas with a Lore Counter, marching forward turn by turn while giving you incremental value with each Chapter Ability. Then, upon resolution of the final Chapter, something exciting happened.

Rather than being sacrificed, the Saga is Exiled and returns transformed. Instead of simply sacrificing the Enchantment, thereby ending its utility, you instead receive a permanent Creature with additional abilities.

This made Neon Dynasty's Sagas extremely powerful and created dynamic gameplay, particularly in Limited. Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki creates a 2/2 Treasure-making Creature and a double rummage effect and then transforms into a powerful Creature afterwards.

After Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, Wizards returned to the previous Saga templating for a couple sets. Then, in March of the Machine, Wizards created a cycle of five Praetors that all started as Creatures and could transform into a Saga.

Elesh Norn // The Argent Etchings, as an example, is a 3/5 Creature with Vigilance that taxes your opponents for . Then if you pay its transform cost, you Exile Elesh Norn and return it to the battlefield as The Argent Etchings, a Saga with three unique Chapters.

The coolest part is after completing the final Chapter, rather than sacrificing the Saga, you Exile and transform the Saga back to Elesh Norn again. All five Praetors from this cycle follow this templating.

Then, Final Fantasy implemented yet another innovation on the Saga subtype by making them Enchantment Creatures.

Consider Summon: Bahamut as an example. This Saga Dragon enters and triggers Chapter I. Then, while it's in play, it functions as a 9/9 Flying Creature.

This is powerful, but unlike the transformed Creatures from Kamigawa: Neon Dynasty, the Saga Creatures in Final Fantasy are still sacrificed after their final Chapter. Thus, Summon: Bahamut only sticks around for two attack phases because it doesn't have Haste and it is sacrificed promptly after Chapter IV.

These Enchantment Creatures add their own interesting, dynamic layer to Limited gameplay.

Conclusion

There is one unique Saga that sees significant gameplay and merits honorable mention: Urza's Saga (not to be confused with the set Urza's Saga).

Originally printed in Modern Horizons 2, Urza's Saga is an Enchantment Land Saga. It counts as your Land drop and can't be countered but it can be destroyed by Wasteland. Other than that oddity, it follows the standard Saga templating with three Chapters and a sacrifice trigger after the final Chapter.

Saga cards really give WOTC the chance to flex their creativity. At just a two on the Storm Scale (meaning Sagas are now Deciduous), these are virtually guaranteed to reappear in many future sets, including Star Trek.

Their versatility and ability to tell an entire story using a single card make them popular amongst both the game developers and the player base, which is why they are a staple in Magic.