Protean Hydra

Creature — Hydra

Protean Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it.

If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.

Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step.

Combos

• Predatory Urge + Protean Hydra

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (47)

Max_Hammer on

5 months ago

Huh, it broke, eh? Oh well, here's the list again, not hidden. (I usually accordion lists, so they don't take up three acres in comment space)

• Polukranos, World Eater isn't X-cost, but he can poke at all of your other masochistic hydras, feeding them. That, or just act as removal.

• Primordial Hydra is going to get out of hand fast, if people let him.

• Neverwinter Hydra is going to, on average, be a 11/11 if you're just paying the two to bring it out and letting your commander foot the rest of the bill (Average roll for 4d6 is 10.5).

• Hungering Hydra and Protean Hydra both like tickles.

• Steelbane Hydra is some extra removal, if need be.

• Hooded Hydra could be cool. You get snakes!

• Capricopian is a goat! What's not to like?

• Mistcutter Hydra, Wildwood Scourge, Feral Hydra, and Stumpsquall Hydra are all here, I suppose. They work, technically.

• Genesis Hydra is here, but is also kind of less than useless (if you add a bunch more X-cost creatures. If not, it wouldn't be a bad addition). If a bunch of your big creatures are going to be 0/0's unless you pay their cost, then you don't want to play them for free, really.

• Astral Cornucopia isn't a hydra, but it is X-cost and would give Palette more doots.

• Strength of the Tajuru and Squall Line could both work well, too, also feeding Palette.

• Path of Ancestry just for an extra little doot.

P.S. I swear I'm not being paid by Big Elementalist.

Max_Hammer on

5 months ago

You also said you think you might need more ramp, right? Well, I counted eighteen ramp spells. Unless you play test it and you think it needs more, then it probably doesn't. Although, I think you need some more hydras.

Fortunately, I also found some hydras for you!

Stealthy hydras here Show

Oh, no, you found the secret hidden hydras!

• Kalonian Hydra is going to double the +1/+1 counters on all of the hydras you have.

• Primordial Hydra is something you already have on your maybe list, but this should definitely be on your list.

• Neverwinter Hydra is statistically going to be at least give you what you paid back into it, but hopefully it'll give you a lot more. For 4d6 (which is if you're only paying two and using Gargos to pay for the rest) will on average give you 11.5 counters, so it's not a bad deal.

• Steelbane Hydra is just plain good removal.

• Polukranos, World Eater is pretty solid removal and can be used to feed any enrage mechanics you have in your hydras.

• Protean Hydra and Hungering Hydra would both kick ass in a deck like this. Lifeblood Hydra is an honorable mention.

carpecanum on KABLAMza and his big scary boys

6 months ago

Something like Skanos Dragonheart gets a temporary boost that becomes a permanent boost to that Ambitious Dragonborn.

Scepter of Celebration, Sylvan Offering and other token producers would give you more creatures to take advantage of your cards that put counters on everything like Master Chef (and Loyal Guardian and Cathars' Crusade which i see in the maybe board).

I always like Hungering Hydra and Protean Hydra if you have something that pays for the X cost like Hamza (I have a Rosheen Meanderer and Animar, Soul of Elements)

thefiresoflurve on Thousands of health? Not a problem

7 months ago

Capricopian -> Protean Hydra? Both enter as 4 mana 3/3s, and while

1) Protean Hydra doesn't interact with Genesis Hydra very well 2) Protean Hydra doesn't have inherent Trample Buuuut

Protean Hydra can get hella huge super quick. :D (Also people can't bribe it)

Steelbane Hydra is also great for repeated artifact/enchantment removal in creature form (albeit a bit expensive).

if you end up adding Aggravated Assault, you should also consider Bear Umbra and Savage Ventmaw, since those are good value cards in and of themselves that will also win games on the spot with an Aggravated Assault out.

TetrAggressive on Zaxara, Nightmare Hydra

2 years ago

Hey I also recently built a Zaxara deck. I'm opting not to run the infinite mana enchantments so my deck differs from yours in power level but I still have a couple suggestions you might like:

• Ertai's Meddling not only is it on theme but in a pinch (in a scenario where your opponent could easily pay the mana, or maybe you only have 3 mana leftover after a turn) you can use it as a hard counter even if the suspend counters aren't that high. Any other X spell counter in that scenario would be dead so I think it's a solid include (it's also hilarious to suspend someone's spell for like 10 turns).

• On the topic of counterspells, Mana Drain and Plasm Capture are very on theme for gorging a huge amount of mana off someone else to not only offset tempo but also funnel it into an even bigger X-spell/hydra. Drain is pricey for sure so Spell Swindle could be another option as it accomplished the same thing.

• Since you're running Protean Hydra I cannot recommend Retribution of the Ancients enough. This card has been an all-star in my deck on its own with by turning all your hydras into removal, but with Protean Hydra specifically it can be used to abuse the second clause of its ability, netting massive amounts of counters alongside the removal. Say for instance you have some leftover mana and an 8/8 Protean Hydra, as long as there is any valid target on the board, right before EoT you can remove all but one counter to hit the creature with -X/-X and then add twice that many back growing the hydra. It's very powerful.

• Wilderness Reclamation is a worse Seedborn Muse but does allow you to do one trick that can be pretty powerful. Once the trigger to untap your lands at endstep goes on the stack you can float all your mana, then also use all the mana that just untapped and sink it into a big instant speed X spell which can catch people off-guard. This also works well with flash-enablers like Alchemist's Refuge and/or Winding Canyons which I also recommend.

Lastly here's some cards I'd look into that are pretty self-explanatory: Hadana's Climb  ^Flip, Greater Good and Mana Reflection.

If you want to check out my list it's here: X Spell Tribal?

Good luck in your games with it!

HydraOoze on Hydra hell

2 years ago

Primordial Hydra and Protean Hydra are some really fun options. Also Vigor and Reyhan, Last of the Abzan are good utility cards in this type of deck.

djs314 on ZaXara, the eXemplary

2 years ago

Based on a friend's advice:

Took out:

Heroic Intervention Command Beacon Animist's Awakening Profane Command Villainous Wealth Dominate Lim-Dul's Vault Stroke of Genius

Put in:

Asceticism Cavern of Souls Kindred Discovery Pemmin's Aura Herald of Secret Streams Hungering Hydra Protean Hydra Voracious Hydra

LittleBlueHero on Brokkos: Whoomp, There It Is

2 years ago

BenjaminPMiller

Wow great suggestions. I have 2 playsets of Blackblade Reforged (it was a pet card of mine in standard) I can't believe I didn't think about it.

I hadn't considered the interaction with hydras... especially Protean Hydra It works the same way with phantom creatures like Phantom Tiger etc. I may have some tweaking to do.