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Emperor of Bones

First printed in Modern Horizons 3 (2024)

All 3 prints

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Emperor of Bones

Creature — Skeleton Noble

At the beginning of combat on your turn, exile up to one target card from a graveyard.
1 genericBlack: 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.

2/2

Illustrated by
Josh Hass

Legality

Rulings (6)

  • 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.
  • If any permanent with a finality counter on it would go to a graveyard from the battlefield, exile it instead.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Multiple finality counters on a single permanent are redundant.
  • If a creature somehow loses all of its +1/+1 counters, it can adapt again and get more +1/+1 counters.

Prices

MTGO price: 0.07 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 1 Nov 2026).

In Limited on MTG Arena

Win rates in Arena drafts and sealed, retrieved from 17Lands (CC BY 4.0).

Win rates of Emperor of Bones in Limited
Set GIH WR vs set IWD Games
Modern Horizons 3 (MH3), Premier Draft 58.5% +3.4 +7.0 13518
Modern Horizons 3 (MH3), Sealed 59.9% +3.9 +7.1 973
GIH WR
win rate of the games in which the card was in the opening hand or drawn
vs set
points above or below the average win rate of all decks in the set
IWD
improvement when drawn: GIH WR minus the win rate when the card stayed in the library
Games
games in which the card was seen

Modern In 116 of 2683 decks (4.3%), most in Moonshadow

Staple: main deck, 7% of decks (#94)

Share of decks
4.4%
▼ 3.3 vs previous 30 days
2026-08-10: 12.1% 2026-08-17: 12.7% 2026-08-24: 11.4% 2026-08-31: 10.1% 2026-09-07: 10.3% 2026-09-14: 7.6% 2026-09-21: 5.4% 2026-09-28: 5.9% 2026-10-05: 3.4% 2026-10-12: 4.8% 2026-10-19: 4.6% 2026-10-26: 5.2%
Weekly, last 90 days
Decks
119
119 main, 1 sideboard
Avg. copies
2.6
in the main deck
Win rate
58%
20 top 8 (challenges only)

Archetypes by metagame share

Archetype Meta Play it
Moonshadow 12.7% 0%
Domain Zoo 5.0% 9%
WUBRG (unclassified) 2.6% 3%
Goryo's Vengeance 2.2% 17%
Mono-Black (unclassified) 2.0% 31%
Esper Blink 1.7% 100%
WUB (unclassified) 1.2% 22%
UB (unclassified) 1.1% 17%

Played together with

Card Together Lift
Thoughtseize99%4.3
Fatal Push83%4.6
Polluted Delta82%3.3
Marsh Flats76%3.0
Undercity Sewers68%7.4
Watery Grave68%6.6
Quantum Riddler63%4.4
Hallowed Fountain60%3.7
Shadowy Backstreet56%10.4
Godless Shrine56%6.6

Best win rate

DeckRecord
Esper Blink
Dasikk in Modern Challenge 32
7-1
88%
Esper Blink
Dioferreira in Modern Challenge 32
7-2
78%
UB
TomCairns in Modern Showcase Challenge
7-2
78%
Moonshadow
Villimey in Modern Showcase Challenge
7-2
78%
UBR
JPA93 in Modern Challenge 96
7-2
78%
WUB
ipadbro1 in Modern RC Super Qualifier
7-2
78%
Domain Zoo
kasa in Modern Challenge 32
6-2
75%
Domain Zoo
Sarlanga in Modern Challenge 32
6-2
75%

Challenges only: MTGO publishes only the 5-0 league decks.

Latest decks

DeckCopiesFinish
UBR
JPA93,
3 main #18
of 66
4-3
Goryo's Vengeance
Sommertroll,
1 main #28
of 66
4-3
WUB
Serosocram,
3 main #7 (top 8)
of 28
4-2
Goryo's Vengeance
DiamondAtog,
1 main #24
of 28
0-3
WUB
Serosocram,
3 main #28
of 58
3-3
Esper Blink
HyPPeR,
3 main 5-0
Mono-Black
Andy12dd,
4 main 5-0
WUB
Serosocram,
3 main #9
of 57
4-2

Legacy In 21 of 1561 decks (1.3%), most in Death and Taxes

Share of decks
1.3%
▲ 1.0 vs previous 30 days
2026-08-10: 0.6% 2026-08-17: 0.5% 2026-08-24: 0.5% 2026-08-31: 0.0% 2026-09-07: 0.0% 2026-09-14: 0.0% 2026-09-21: 0.9% 2026-09-28: 0.8% 2026-10-05: 1.8% 2026-10-12: 1.5% 2026-10-19: 1.2% 2026-10-26: 1.7%
Weekly, last 90 days
Decks
21
21 main, 0 sideboard
Avg. copies
2.2
in the main deck
Win rate
60%
3 top 8 (challenges only)

Archetypes by metagame share

Archetype Meta Play it
Death and Taxes 3.5% 31%
WUBG (unclassified) 1.6% 8%
Mono-Black (unclassified) 0.8% 15%

Played together with

Card Together Lift
Thoughtseize100%3.5
Wasteland95%1.8
Marsh Flats86%4.5
Cloak and Dagger, Entwined81%30.8
Overlord of the Balemurk81%28.7
Lion Sash81%24.8
Flickerwisp81%24.3
Meteor Sword81%23.8
Pre-War Formalwear81%23.4
Skyclave Apparition81%23.4

Best win rate

DeckRecord
Death and Taxes
Ian Hoffman in BCDL 30 - Ohio
4-1
80%
Death and Taxes
xJCloud in Legacy Showcase Challenge
7-2
78%
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata in Legacy Challenge 16
6-2
75%
Death and Taxes
JohnDoe397 in Legacy Challenge 16
5-2
71%
Death and Taxes
Btholt99 in Legacy Challenge 32
4-2
67%
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata in Legacy Challenge 32
4-2
67%
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata in Legacy Challenge 32
4-2
67%
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata in Legacy Challenge 16
3-2
60%

Challenges only: MTGO publishes only the 5-0 league decks.

Latest decks

DeckCopiesFinish
WUBG
Yukke,
2 main 5-0
Death and Taxes
Btholt99,
1 main #14
of 44
4-2
Death and Taxes
olbeda,
1 main #28
of 44
1-4
Death and Taxes
xJCloud,
1 main #18
of 298
7-2
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata,
3 main #9
of 29
3-2
Death and Taxes
Ian Hoffman,
1 main #4 (top 8)
of 32
4-1
Death and Taxes
yoshiwata,
3 main #14
of 53
4-2
WUBG
Yamaro,
2 main 5-0

Commander In 24 of 6520 decks (0.4%), most in Tayam, Luminous Enigma

Share of decks
0.4%
= vs previous 30 days
2026-08-17: 0.0% 2026-08-24: 0.3% 2026-08-31: 0.6% 2026-09-07: 0.2% 2026-09-14: 0.5% 2026-09-21: 0.2% 2026-09-28: 0.5% 2026-10-05: 0.1% 2026-10-12: 0.5% 2026-10-19: 0.5% 2026-10-26: 0.1%
Weekly, last 90 days
Decks
25
25 main, 0 sideboard
Avg. copies
1.0
in the main deck
Win rate
33%
4 top 8 (challenges only)

Archetypes by metagame share

Archetype Meta Play it
Tayam, Luminous Enigma 1.9% 18%
The Wise Mothman 0.1% 25%

Played together with

Card Together Lift
Bayou100%5.4
Delighted Halfling100%3.1
Orcish Bowmasters100%3.0
Gaea's Cradle100%2.8
Birds of Paradise100%2.2
Command Tower100%1.2
Tayam, Luminous Enigma96%50.0
Wall of Roots96%37.4
Carrion Feeder96%31.3
Archon of Emeria96%24.5

Best win rate

DeckRecord
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Tapang in Eye of The Tiger (Lion) CEDH Tournament- Win a Lion's Eye Diamond
3-2
60%
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Matthew Schaefer [TRINE] in Perfect Storm Comics & Games - Tabernacle 10K
2-3
40%
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Will Hallowell in BellsCon CEDH Tournament
0-5
0%

Challenges only: MTGO publishes only the 5-0 league decks.

Latest decks

DeckCopiesFinish
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
{CCC} Tanner Nelson,
1 main #10
of 23
1-2
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Jonah Williams,
1 main #11
of 20
1-3
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Simone Ghelli,
1 main #5 (top 8)
of 19
2-2
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Jake Smith,
1 main #44
of 45
0-3
The Wise Mothman
Patrick Rice,
1 main #42
of 53
0-2
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Matthew Schaefer [TRINE],
1 main #66
of 150
1-3
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
R3mand,
1 main #143
of 150
0-3
Tayam, Luminous Enigma
Reign,
1 main #20
of 41
1-3

Duel Commander In 14 of 111 decks (12.6%), most in Grist, the Hunger Tide

Staple: main deck, 12% of decks (#208)

Share of decks
12.6%
▼ 1.3 vs previous 30 days
2026-08-10: 16.7% 2026-08-17: 13.5% 2026-08-24: 7.6% 2026-08-31: 6.7% 2026-09-07: 10.8% 2026-09-14: 24.3% 2026-09-21: 9.7% 2026-09-28: 10.3% 2026-10-05: 14.3% 2026-10-12: 16.1% 2026-10-19: 5.0% 2026-10-26: 16.7%
Weekly, last 90 days
Decks
14
14 main, 0 sideboard
Avg. copies
1.0
in the main deck
Win rate
–
0 top 8 (challenges only)

Archetypes by metagame share

Archetype Meta Play it
Grist, the Hunger Tide 3.6% 100%
Slimefoot and Squee 3.6% 100%
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar 1.8% 100%
Lluwen, Imperfect Naturalist 1.8% 100%
Flamewar, Brash Veteran 0.9% 100%
Goro-Goro and Satoru 0.9% 100%

Played together with

Card Together Lift
Orcish Bowmasters100%5.0
Fatal Push100%2.5
Demonic Tutor100%2.3
Polluted Delta100%1.7
Verdant Catacombs100%1.7
Wooded Foothills100%1.5
Bloodstained Mire100%1.5
Marsh Flats100%1.4
Prismatic Vista100%1.3
Command Tower100%1.3

Best win rate

No challenge results yet.

Challenges only: MTGO publishes only the 5-0 league decks.

Latest decks

DeckCopiesFinish
Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar
Swimmaf,
1 main 5-0
Lluwen, Imperfect Naturalist
flchmt,
1 main 5-0
Lluwen, Imperfect Naturalist
flchmt,
1 main 5-0
Grist, the Hunger Tide
NicolasP,
1 main 5-0
Goro-Goro and Satoru
qaN,
1 main 5-0
Grist, the Hunger Tide
Pasdejambon,
1 main 5-0
Slimefoot and Squee
Mikey051092,
1 main 5-0
Grist, the Hunger Tide
NicolasP,
1 main 5-0