Hostage Taker

{2}{U}{B}

Creature — Human Pirate

LCCThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander#271rare
Border
black
Security stamp
oval
Frame
2015
Pull rate
about 1 per booster
Illustrator
Wayne Reynolds
Found in
The Lost Caverns of Ixalan Commander Deck Ahoy Mateys
Printings10CombosIn 43
CommanderLegalModernLegalStandardNot legal
Format legality
AlchemyNot legal
BrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
Competitive BrawlLegal
DuelLegal
Future StandardNot legal
GladiatorLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
Old SchoolNot legal
PauperNot legal
Pauper CommanderNot legal
PennyLegal
PioneerLegal
PreDHNot legal
PremodernNot legal
StandardNot legal
Standard BrawlNot legal
TimelessLegal
Tiny LeadersNot legal
VintageLegal
When this creature enters, exile another target creature or artifact until this creature leaves the battlefield. You may cast that card for as long as it remains exiled, and mana of any type can be spent to cast that spell.
2/3

Plays as: Cast From Exile · Exile Removal

Market · per finishspark updated 17h ago · prices as of 2026-07-12
Nonfoil+3.8%
$0.27
$0.01 low-$0.05 gap
Cheapest playable copy$0.23· across 10 printings

Rulings

8 · latest Sep 29, 2017 · one tap opens all
  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    Auras attached to the exiled permanent will be put into their owners' graveyards. Any Equipment will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled permanent will cease to exist.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    Hostage Taker has received errata to prevent it from targeting itself. The correct Oracle wording appears above.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    If Hostage Taker leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the target permanent won't be exiled.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    If a token is exiled this way, it will cease to exist and won't return to the battlefield. You can't cast it.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    If it's still in exile, the exiled card returns to the battlefield immediately after Hostage Taker leaves the battlefield. Nothing happens between the two events, including state-based actions.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    In a multiplayer game, if Hostage Taker's owner leaves the game while the card is still exiled and another player owns that card, the exiled card will return to the battlefield under its owner's control. Because the one-shot effect that returns the card isn't an ability that goes on the stack, it won't cease to exist along with the leaving player's spells and abilities on the stack.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    In a multiplayer game, if a player leaves the game, all cards that player owns leave as well. If you leave the game, any spell or permanent cards you control from Hostage Taker's ability are exiled.

  • WotCSep 29, 2017

    Once you begin to cast the exiled card, it's considered a new object. You'll control that spell and the permanent that spell becomes even if Hostage Taker leaves the battlefield.