Sam, Loyal Attendant - Combos & Interactions

Sam, Loyal Attendant role: Sam reduces Basalt Monolith's activated untap cost while it is a Food.

Timing: The loop works during Sam's controller's turn.

Rules notes: Verified Oracle identity: Sam is a {1}{G}{W} 2/4 legendary Halfling Peasant with partner with Frodo, a beginning-of-combat Food trigger, and a static ability reducing activated abilities of Foods by {1}. Official partner construction rules: Sam and Frodo may both be commanders. Their combined color identity is white-black-green, the remaining library has 98 cards, and only the named partner is allowed. Sam alone is a legal green-white commander with a 99-card library. Official partner tracking rules: The two commanders are tracked separately for commander tax and commander damage. Casting one does not increase the other's tax, and 21 damage is not combined between them. Official Food rules: Food is an artifact type, not a creature type. A Food cannot be sacrificed to pay multiple costs, and effects referring to Food include nontoken Food artifacts. Sam and Frodo combat timing: Rules inference: Sam's trigger resolves in the beginning-of-combat step, then the active player receives priority before declare attackers. The new Food may be activated for {1} while Sam is present, gaining 3 life before Frodo attacks and allowing Frodo's condition to see that life gain. Food activation cost reduction: Sam reduces generic mana in every activated ability of a Food, not only a Food token's printed activation. It cannot reduce colored mana or a cost below zero, and it does not remove tap or sacrifice costs.

Last reviewed: Aug 22, 2026

Sam, Loyal Attendant role: Sam supplies the Food activation discount.

Rules notes: Camellia gives this line black-green color identity, so it is legal only in the Frodo/Sam Abzan configuration. Verified Oracle identity: Sam is a {1}{G}{W} 2/4 legendary Halfling Peasant with partner with Frodo, a beginning-of-combat Food trigger, and a static ability reducing activated abilities of Foods by {1}. Official partner construction rules: Sam and Frodo may both be commanders. Their combined color identity is white-black-green, the remaining library has 98 cards, and only the named partner is allowed. Sam alone is a legal green-white commander with a 99-card library. Official partner tracking rules: The two commanders are tracked separately for commander tax and commander damage. Casting one does not increase the other's tax, and 21 damage is not combined between them. Official Food rules: Food is an artifact type, not a creature type. A Food cannot be sacrificed to pay multiple costs, and effects referring to Food include nontoken Food artifacts. Sam and Frodo combat timing: Rules inference: Sam's trigger resolves in the beginning-of-combat step, then the active player receives priority before declare attackers. The new Food may be activated for {1} while Sam is present, gaining 3 life before Frodo attacks and allowing Frodo's condition to see that life gain. Food activation cost reduction: Sam reduces generic mana in every activated ability of a Food, not only a Food token's printed activation. It cannot reduce colored mana or a cost below zero, and it does not remove tap or sacrifice costs.

Last reviewed: Aug 22, 2026

Sam, Loyal Attendant role: Sam discounts the Food activation from {2} to {1}.

Rules notes: Verified Oracle identity: Sam is a {1}{G}{W} 2/4 legendary Halfling Peasant with partner with Frodo, a beginning-of-combat Food trigger, and a static ability reducing activated abilities of Foods by {1}. Official partner construction rules: Sam and Frodo may both be commanders. Their combined color identity is white-black-green, the remaining library has 98 cards, and only the named partner is allowed. Sam alone is a legal green-white commander with a 99-card library. Official partner tracking rules: The two commanders are tracked separately for commander tax and commander damage. Casting one does not increase the other's tax, and 21 damage is not combined between them. Official Food rules: Food is an artifact type, not a creature type. A Food cannot be sacrificed to pay multiple costs, and effects referring to Food include nontoken Food artifacts. Sam and Frodo combat timing: Rules inference: Sam's trigger resolves in the beginning-of-combat step, then the active player receives priority before declare attackers. The new Food may be activated for {1} while Sam is present, gaining 3 life before Frodo attacks and allowing Frodo's condition to see that life gain. Food activation cost reduction: Sam reduces generic mana in every activated ability of a Food, not only a Food token's printed activation. It cannot reduce colored mana or a cost below zero, and it does not remove tap or sacrifice costs.

Last reviewed: Aug 22, 2026

Sam, Loyal Attendant role: Sam makes the Food activation resource-neutral.

Rules notes: Warren Soultrader and Experimental Confectioner are black, so this is a Frodo/Sam Abzan line, not a Sam-alone line. Verified Oracle identity: Sam is a {1}{G}{W} 2/4 legendary Halfling Peasant with partner with Frodo, a beginning-of-combat Food trigger, and a static ability reducing activated abilities of Foods by {1}. Official partner construction rules: Sam and Frodo may both be commanders. Their combined color identity is white-black-green, the remaining library has 98 cards, and only the named partner is allowed. Sam alone is a legal green-white commander with a 99-card library. Official partner tracking rules: The two commanders are tracked separately for commander tax and commander damage. Casting one does not increase the other's tax, and 21 damage is not combined between them. Official Food rules: Food is an artifact type, not a creature type. A Food cannot be sacrificed to pay multiple costs, and effects referring to Food include nontoken Food artifacts. Sam and Frodo combat timing: Rules inference: Sam's trigger resolves in the beginning-of-combat step, then the active player receives priority before declare attackers. The new Food may be activated for {1} while Sam is present, gaining 3 life before Frodo attacks and allowing Frodo's condition to see that life gain. Food activation cost reduction: Sam reduces generic mana in every activated ability of a Food, not only a Food token's printed activation. It cannot reduce colored mana or a cost below zero, and it does not remove tap or sacrifice costs.

Last reviewed: Aug 22, 2026