First printed in Foundations (2024)
All 8 prints
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Creature — Angel
Flying
Whenever you gain life, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Whenever you put one or more +1/+1 counters on this creature, draw a card. This ability triggers only once each turn.
"I will not rest until you know peace."
3/3
- Illustrated by
- Ekaterina Burmak
Legality
- Legal in
- Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Legacy, Vintage, Future Standard, Historic, Timeless, Alchemy, Penny Dreadful, Gladiator, Commander, Duel Commander, Oathbreaker, Brawl, Standard Brawl, Competitive Brawl
- Not legal in
- Pauper, Premodern, Old School 93/94, Pauper Commander, PreDH, Tiny Leaders
Rulings (6)
- Exemplar of Light's second ability triggers just once for each life-gaining event, whether it's 1 life from Dazzling Angel or 4 life from Apothecary Stomper.
- If Exemplar of Light is dealt lethal damage at the same time that you gain life, it won't receive a counter from its second ability in time to save it.
- Exemplar of Light's last ability triggers whenever you put one or more +1/+1 counters on it for any reason, not just as a result of its second ability.
- In a Two-Headed Giant game, life gained by your teammate won't cause Exemplar of Light's second ability to trigger, even though it caused your team's life total to increase.
- If you gain an amount of life "for each" of something or "equal to the number" of something, that life is gained as one event and Exemplar of Light's second ability triggers only once.
- Each creature with lifelink dealing combat damage causes a separate life-gaining event. For example, if two creatures you control with lifelink deal combat damage at the same time, Exemplar of Light's second ability will trigger twice. However, if a single creature you control with lifelink deals combat damage to multiple creatures, players, planeswalkers, and/or battles at the same time (perhaps because it has trample or was blocked by more than one creature), the ability will trigger only once.
Prices
MTGO price: 0.006 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 1 Nov 2026).
Combos
6 combos, the most popular first:
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite damage…: Exemplar of Light + Shalai and Hallar (+ 1 other requirement)
- Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers…: Agatha's Soul Cauldron + Exemplar of Light + Walking Ballista
- Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers…: Agatha's Soul Cauldron + Exemplar of Light + Triskelion
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite lifegain…: All Will Be One + Bloodthirsty Conqueror + Exemplar of Light
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature, Infinite lifegain…: All Will Be One + Exemplar of Light + Exquisite Blood
- Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain triggers…: Agatha's Soul Cauldron + Deathbringer Thoctar + Exemplar of Light
