In addition to the usual features of gods of Theros — being indestructible and requiring devotion to be a creature — Ephara has a unique triggered ability. During each upkeep step (yours and your opponent’s), Ephara’s trigger looks backward in time to see if a creature entered the battlefield under your control on the previous turn. Most of the time, this will be because you cast a creature spell during a main phase on your turn, so Ephara will subsequently let you draw a card during your opponent’s upkeep.
But… might there be a way to trigger Ephara during your own upkeep as well? To answer that question, we look to the trickiness of her colors, blue and white. Casting a creature with flash, such as Breaching Hippocamp, on your opponent’s turn will result in Ephara triggering on your turn. A spell like Advent of the Wurm that puts a creature token onto the battlefield will trigger her, as will using the second ability of Triad of Fates to make your creature already on the battlefield momentarily disappear and return. In a multiplayer game, with these instant-speed effects, you can potentially draw a card during every single player’s turn!
One last thing that some players might miss. Ephara’s ability says “another creature,” so she can never trigger from herself entering the battlefield, no matter how much devotion you have!
Today’s Rules Tip written by Jen Wong