Kalonian Hydra

Creature — Hydra

Trample

Kalonian Hydra enters the battlefield with four +1/+1 counters on it.

Whenever Kalonian Hydra attacks, double the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.

Discussion (51)

TwinStags on Skullbriar, Oh Lawd He Comin’

6 days ago

Commander_Olim

Corpsejack Menace is okay. 4 cmc for a 4/4 with one ability that occasionally lands is lackluster. Too often, double counters only net one extra counter. This isn’t without saying, paired with Kalonian Hydra you can win a game real quick. If it was 1cmc less or had a bonus ability I’d be down.

GerryAvalanche on Please help upgrading my Golgari ...

1 week ago

Xica Thanks for the advise, that was really helpful! I was already thinking about getting rid of Corpsejack Menace, since it is far to slow to actually have an impact. Winding Constrictor takes advantage of Explore when it really matters, since t4 and beyond the +1/+1 part of explore seems to fall behind.
You are very right, I should not rely on Explore entirely but use it as quasi-ramp plus quasi-scry (which is a cool concept imo).

I'm gonna add Deadeye Tracker and remove the Elves. I thought of mana sinks in form of big creatures (Kalonian Hydra as it synergizes with counters or Carnage Tyrant, since it seems pretty resilient in my experience).
Not sure about the hydra though, it synergizes but that's it. I don't know if I just would be better of with a couple Goyfs or something similar, despite all synergy...
Do you have any advise on that?

Scytec on Experiment Kraj: a budget experiment

3 weeks ago

Loyal Guardian and Master Biomancer will help you get your counters on all your creatures. Fellwar Stone, Elvish Mystic, Llanowar Elves, Arbor Elf, Kiora's Follower, and Boreal Druid are all early plays that ramp you up and get you ahead on mana. This is all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll try to remember to take another look when i get home. You may also consider something like Kalonian Hydra just as an alternate win condition. Haha

hejtmane on Herald of Secret Streams or ...

3 weeks ago

Depends on your deck but when I drop Herald I always become target number one in my proliferate deck. I was running atrax but switched to bant proliferate to be different. Anyways I am not sure about the rest of your deck but when I drop creatures like Kalonian Hydra and Jenara, Asura of War Managorger HydraPrimordial Hydra hearld is 500 ties better than Abzan. Really comes down to deck but I prefer herald

Here's my deck if interested +1/+1 Counter/Proliferate

multimedia on Nissa who shakes her A**

3 weeks ago

Hey, in the future please link to the deck you would like me to look at. Nice Gaea's Cradle :)

Why is this your favorite deck of the three? Why Hydras with Nissa? Some Hydras are fine, but with many you risk disrupting the main game plan of Vastwood Seer of getting lands. When you're established in the mid to late game and can make lots of mana, that's when most Hydras become options to cast. Before that happens, in the early game, you want to focus on getting seven lands to have Animist.

The early game is more important with Nissa as Commander then the late game. Animist helps you in the mid and late game, but you can't get Animist's repeatable value unless you get a lot of lands in the early to mid game.

---

The strength of Vastwood Seer is being a three drop who can flip fast into Nissa, Sage Animist, only needing seven lands. Vastwood Seer is all about lands, consider more lands? More lands and Vastwood Seer can benefit from more cards that let you play additional lands per turn. Consider expanding on this for upgrades?

• Azusa, Lost but Seeking
• Exploration
• Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
• Burgeoning
• Sakura-Tribe Scout

Nissa's Pilgrimage is nice with cards that let you play an additional land per turn. Crop Rotation is among the best land tutors in Commander for Cradle because it's a one drop, instant and puts the land onto the battlefield. Nature's Lore and Wood Elves search for and put a Forest onto the battlefield untapped.

Other cards to consider adding:

• Avenger of Zendikar: huge threat, cares about how many lands you control, landfall is good with Animist and it uses counters.
• Kalonian Hydra: among the most powerful Hydras, when it attacks a Doubling Season counter effect for itself and all other creatures you control who have a counter.
• Hydra Omnivore: enchant it with Hydra's Growth to make a huge threat to all your opponents.
• Eternal Witness
• Nissa, Vital Force: her -6 ultimate is not difficult to achieve and it's powerful when you have lots of lands ETB. 5/5 Elemental land to attack for her +1.
• Tireless Tracker: landfall is good with Animist and she uses counters.
• Sakura-Tribe Elder
• Temur Sabertooth: mana sink to abuse creatures who have an ETB ability such as Genesis Hydra, Witness, etc.

Avenger, Kalonian Hydra or End-Raze Forerunners can be a win condition interaction. Finale of Devastation where X=10 or more, tutor for Forerunners/Kalonian. You must have Avenger/Plants on the battlefield before you cast Finale that way Avenger/Plants get the +X/+X haste bonus. Unfortunately, can't tutor for Avenger with Finale and get the +X/+X haste bonus with all the Plants only with Avenger.

Good luck with your deck.

bigdutts on Enchanted Rainforest

1 month ago

SWAP:

• Shimmerwing Chimera >> Eidolon of Blossoms
• Cold-Eyed Selkie >> Destiny Spinner
• Jace, Wielder of Mysteries >> Oko, the Trickster
• The Magic Mirror >> Song of Freyalise
• Annul >> Swan Song
• Island >> Hinterland Harbor
• Island >> Novijen, Heart of Progress
• Island >> Karn's Bastion
• Island >> Breeding Pool
• Island >> Evolving Wilds
• Island >> Terramorphic Expanse
• Kiora Bests the Sea God >> Primeval Bounty
• Kumena's Awakening >> Bow of Nylea
• Combine Guildmage >> Simic Guildmage
• Stroke of Genius >> Enigmatic Incarnation
• The First Iroan Games >> Master Biomancer
• Thada Adel, Acquisitor >> Kalonian Hydra
• Nessian Hornbeetle >> Avatar of the Resolute
• Folio of Fancies >> Zameck Guildmage
• Thirst for Meaning >> Courser of Kruphix
• Archetype of Imagination >> Primordial Hydra
• Regenesis >> Arasta of the Endless Web
• Prosperity >> Nylea, God of the Hunt

mickalopagus on Union of the Snake

1 month ago

I like the proliferation with managorger. I think you dont have enough planeswalkers to make Bioessence Hydra really worth it. Kalonian Hydra is the MVP for any counters deck IMO, and he costs the same mana. I get if youre trying to do something different, but that would be a suggesstion.

Other great proliferate creatures you might like:

Evolution Sage, partnered with Cultivate can be pretty cool, turns Broken Bond into a proliferate card also

Fathom Mage is completely underrated and great card draw

Herald of Secret Streams is a wincon card that can surprise opponents especially if youve got a beefy managorger

Give / Take for card draw and of course

Bioshift to respond to kill cards targeting gorger, suddenly the creature they didnt kill/block is a 20/20.

chrclgry on Jund Counters

1 month ago

Personally I think Voracious Hydra is better than Kalonian Hydra. The ability to impact the board as soon as you cast it means it's more suitable to cast on X equals 3 than just slamming a Kalonian Hydra.