Alliance in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Trevor Galvin 18 days ago MTG Cards, MTG Rules

Last updated on February 26, 2026

Gala Greeters (Streets of New Capenna, Russian) - Illustration by Olga Tereshenko

Gala Greeters | Illustration by Olga Tereshenko

We’re friends, right? Let’s form an alliance to make MTG the best game out there! Friends, allies, and even begrudging companions may all form alliances to achieve a bigger goal. But what is it in Magic, and what can it do for you?

Is alliance a keyword we should expect to see often? Are there powerful creatures with alliance? Should I focus on the alliance keyword in my next build? All this and more as we build an alliance to make each other better at MTG. Let's get into it!

Table of Contents show

How Does Alliance Work?

Rumor Gatherer | Illustration by Simon Dominic

Alliance is an ability that triggers whenever a creature enters the battlefield. Every card with the keyword is a creature, and they all have different effects.

The alliance mechanic been given the nickname “creaturefall” as a way to compare it to the mechanics and rulings of the landfall ability. The alliance abilities work with casting creatures, creating tokens, and any other way a creature ETBs.

The History of Alliance in MTG

The alliance keyword was first printed in Streets of New Capenna. It was created for the partying monsters of the Cabaretti, and has been linked to the social connections famed by the crime family. It’s an ability word that has only appeared sparingly outside its original us in SNC.

Many “creaturefall” abilities, including alliance, have tried to grab hold as the main Selesnya () philosophy. It's not an evergreen mechanic, and unlikely to become one any time soon.

Is Alliance an Activated Ability?

No, alliance is a triggered ability. Unlike activated abilities that have a cost and a colon, alliance looks for creatures entering the battlefield which could happen in a number of ways, but is not an activated ability. So while Aang, Swift Savior has a cool airbending ability that triggers on ETB, it also has waterbending as a simple activated ability to transform it into Aang and La, Ocean's Fury.

What if You Control Multiple Alliance Creatures?

If you control multiple creatures with alliance and a creature enters the battlefield, all the abilities trigger. They may be put onto the stack in any order, with the last one on the stack being the first trigger to resolve. An opponent may respond at any time as each alliance trigger resolves.

What if the Creature Entering the Battlefield Has an ETB Ability?

The ETB ability is placed on the stack in any order with the alliance triggers. Once again, the last trigger on the stack is the first one to resolve. The alliance ability doesn’t nullify any ETB effects.

Gallery and List of Alliance Cards

For those who play exclusively on MTG Arena, there are some Alchemy rebalances and digital-only cards with alliance. These include reworks of Celebrity Fencer, Sizzling Soloist, and Social Climber, as well as the Alchemy: New Capenna exclusive Back-Alley Gardener.

Best Alliance Cards

#9. Back-Alley Gardener

Back-Alley Gardener is a great way to gain land advantage in Alchemy and Historic. It helps you seek a land and put it onto the battlefield tapped for every creature that enters. I believe the value here is the mana value, and the fact that it can be any land.

#8. Boss’s Chauffeur

Boss's Chauffeur is an Eternal format creature-centric addition. It can grow big depending on the number of creatures you control and creatures that ETB. You gain a bigger board presence based on the number of counters it had once this card dies.

This is a card to pair in decks with lots of creatures or creature tokens, maybe under a commander like Rhys the Redeemed.

#7. Witty Roastmaster

Witty Roastmaster probably could've been lumped together with Raphael, Tough Turtle, but it's really a popular effect and I want to call out the differences. The Roastmaster costs more and that's big in a red burn deck. Normally I'd appreciate the power, but toughness matters more on a card that wants to hang out on the battlefield as long as possible.

#6. Raphael, Tough Turtle

Raphael, Tough Turtle comes into play surprisingly fast and speeds up the game no less. The 3 toughness is great to dodge some cheap removal and small creatures, and keeps Raph on the table to deal more damage.

#5. Rose Room Treasurer

Rose Room Treasurer is another Eternal format alliance card. You can hoard Treasure tokens with it and do some direct damage if you can create or cast lots of creatures in a single turn.

This isn’t a meta-breaking card, but it may be fun in some creature and token-style Commander decks.

#4. Slash, Reptile Rampager

At five mana, Slash, Reptile Rampager is primed to finish matches. Because if you have any creatures left to play, tack on a Shock to opponent's faces, and if that still doesn't work, Slash has the puts a lot of power on the table

#3. Galadriel, Light of Valinor

Galadriel, Light of Valinor is kind of like a super-Gala Greeters that you can put in the command zone. This Bant commander is all about value, which you'll be swimming in if you can reliably trigger all three alliance modes each turn.

#2. Devilish Valet

Here we go! A doubling effect based on creatures entering the battlefield. The exponential growth and trample of Devilish Valet are where all the value lies. Cards like Scute Swarm or Rabble Rousing can put so many creatures on board that your opponents won't be able to defend against a giant Devilish Valet.

#1. Gala Greeters

This is my favorite, and possibly the best alliance card. Gala Greeters gives you a ton of versatility when creatures enter. You can build up mana, gain life, or grow it with counters.

I love this card for any green-splashed Standard decks, and it has a ton of value in lots of other Constructed formats.

Decklist: Allied Creatures in Pioneer

Adeline, Resplendent Cathar | Illustration by Bryan Sola

I took a stab at making a deck for alliance, which fits Pioneer legality. The idea behind the deck is to overwhelm your opponents with cards like Devilish Valet and Jetmir, Nexus of Revels.

The main way to avoid board wipes and removal is to quickly win with the token-creating and card-fetching abilities of Rabble Rousing. Mondrak, Glory Dominus from All Will Be One adds a great token doubling effect.

You may need a little luck with the cards you draw and which ones your opponent draws to compete with some of the control decks. I sprinkled in some more recent cards, but the deck needs more tuning given the current Standard rotation.

Wrap Up

Witty Roastmaster | Illustration by Joe Slucher

Alliance isn’t a deep and lasting keyword in MTG, but it does have some value. It's mostly relegated to Commander, but Magic will always see creatures being put into play, so count on these cards to be relevant.

Which alliance creature is your favorite? Do you hope we see this mechanic again soon? I love to hear from my fellow MTG peers, so tell me what you think of this mechanic in the comments or over on Draftsim's official Twitter.

Keep your friend close and grind out those wins!

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Trevor Galvin

Trevor Galvin played Magic as a rowdy middle schooler in the early 2000s, then took a long break before rejoining the battle in 2017. He loves playing Limited and also plays Standard to grind for those coins. He currently lives in Japan and plays MTG Arena every day.