Pointed Discussion

Another amazing card from the Eventide set; I just wish that more of the Eventide cards were as practical as this one.

I use this with Sage of Fables. As many non-creature counters as you have blue mana.

If you get it to stick with Juniper Order Ranger, you will be able to counter as many noncreature spells as you have blue mana. Each sacrifice will also pump the Ranger, too. So, you get a big Ranger with a good way to protect him. I'm sure stock went up with the Ranger when persist came out, so I don't imagine that this is an original idea.

Another good idea would be to use her with Sigil Captain. When she comes back into play, she will be a 1/1, so Sigil Captain's ability will trigger, making her a 3/3 with no -1/-1 counters. Same idea as the Ranger, but the combo is standard legal.

What the hell is this? This is one of those cards that should NEVER be combo'd under any circumstance - as I've played against a blink deck with this. Never again..

Against my better judgment, this card gets 5 for sheer power and maybe artwork? 0/5 for flavor and balance though.

This card offers excellent protection from removal even if you aren't able to combo it. If you are able to combo it, you can lock down your opponent's non-creature spells as long as you have blue mana to spend. And as an extra bonus, her ability doesn't even require her to tap, so you can attack with her as well! Unfortunately it doesn't have Flash, but having Persist already, it would have been too good.

Simic Graft.

compare to wizard replica , spiketail drakeling

Fun combo with Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker.

iv always ben confused about the rulling of + and - counters. i thought that if a creature had a +1/+1 counter on it and a -1/-1 counter on it then it would just have both. but on multiple comments i have heard of people refering to methods of adding +1/+1 counters to remove -1 counters. the rullings say nothing. please explain.

@bijart_dauth

+1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters cancel each other out. But this isn't the place to discuss rules. You should instead ask your questions on the forum, or consult the comprehensive rules.

I love that she's casting a Negate.

Insanely good combo with Sage of Fables. You effectively get unlimited use of U: counter target noncreature spell.

If you can then take care of their creatures/creature spells, you're set.

This + Melira, Sylvok Outcast :D

She doesn't need a combo, she's all ready a power house.

great card even without the persist. Persist makes it godlike.

I switched out my swamps with Drowned Catacombs and Jwar Isle Refuges just so i can splash blue in my green/black deck to play this chick with Melira, Sylvok Outcast

it's so incredibly brutal to feel locked down. all the persisters wont die so you get infinitely chumped and any non creature spell you cast fizzles so why try? It's the only deck I have that can play archenemy without the schemes haha

This card can mean INFINITE NONCREATURE COUNTER FOR EACH if comboed with Melira, Shirei or Sage of Fables... The combo with Sigil Captain also works, because the creature's power and toughness are checked when it enters the battlefield, and so counters that enters with the creature and continuous effects (such as Elesh Norn's power and toughness alterations) are counted.
There are different "layers" for power and toughness determination, and are (in order):
1) characteristic-defining abilities (for example Nightmare: "this creature's power and toughness are each equal to the number of swamps you control");
2) effects that set power and toughness to certain values (for example Diminish, "target creature becomes 1/1 until end of turn");
3) effects that modify power and toughness (for example Immolation: "enchanted creature gets +2/-2");
4) counters which affect power and toughness;
5) effects that switch power and toughness (for example Dwarven Thaumaturgist).
For example, if I control three swamps and a Nightmare with a +1/+1 counter enchanted with Immolation and targeted by Diminis and Dwarver Thaumaturgist's activated ability:
- it's 3/3 for the three swamps,
- then Diminish makes it 1/1,
- then Immolation makes it 3/-1,
- then he +1/+1 counter makes it 4/0,
- then Dwarven Thaumaturgist makes it 0/4, and it DOESN'T GO TO THE GRAVEYARD because the 0-or-less toughness is checked on the total of all the effects; at the end of the turn Diminish and Dwarven Thaumaturgist's ability will end and it is:
- 3/3 for the swamps
- 5/1 for Immolation
- 6/2 for the +1/+1 counter.

Combos well with Melira, Sylvok Outcast and not to mention Thousand-year elixir for infinite use :D

Its funny that a faerie "archmage" sacrifices itself like many human apprentices do, look at Daring Apprentice, apprentice necromancer, overeager apprentice. Human equivalents of archmages are able to perform their duties with a tap, but a little bug lady with wings has to pop to do it :P

Most Definately a core card in my Shirei, Shizo's Caretaker. This card yields impeccable defense, and can allow me to pull of my Thoughtpicker Witch/Black Cat Lockdown combo incredibly well
5/5

Just be very careful about using this with Doubling Season; otherwise, the persist will be for naught.

EDIT: Thanks for the idea, AlphaNumerical. Just have to figure out if it's even needed when I already have four Mystic Snakes included...

EDIT THE SECOND: New way to make her a nightmare: Cathars' Crusade.

@Kryptnyt: She's an archmage and not an apprentice because she can sacrifice herself and come back from it.

This is pretty brutal. Without any combos you get two negates and some evasion power. Its very hard to stop, because the most common way to deal with creatures is with noncreature spells.

Shes no Teferi at stopping counters, but is quite handy in EDH where you get one of each
4.5/5 Stars

Great with Deadeye Navigator, hysterical with Mikaeus, the Unhallowed.

Broken with Master Biomancer