Managing to make this a 4/4 to start with gives it protection from a whole lot of things out there - and if you're sporting more bombs - is one of the best walls in the game - cause nobody wants to swing into the great Hydra unprepared.
Vinifera7
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(3 votes)
It's the hydra from Hercules! Each time you cut a head off, it sprouts into two more heads.
Dragek
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
mixxed with a red pinger=full of win
singaz
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I love the flavor of this card. It's a traditional hydra from greek mythology *not hercules*
Definitely going in my deck.
True_Mumin
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Imagine this thing with a Behemoth Sledge.
andreagrey
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Imagine this thing with a Behemoth Sledge * ungoddly *
Well due to the wording on the protean hydra and the wording on Behemoth Sledge the hydra is basicly immune to damage.
UltimaCenturion
★★★★☆ (4.2/5.0)(4 votes)
Hydra was one of the monsters Hercules, in the original story, had to face. There was also a crab (I think that crab even got to be a constellation,) fighting with it. A very small crab, actually. Should cost more. Play in a red deck, deal damage to it, and it can grow pretty fast. Too fast. Add "Soul's Might" or some such card, and it'd be twice as big, instantly.
whiteman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this card the best good word.
TheNoblefool
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Takes a solid hosing from everlasting torment, but other than that, pretty powerful.
God_of_Destruction
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I killed one in the pre-release... not much useful but the mana cost is great...
Qazior
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It doesn't matter if a source which deals damage to this has wither or not, that damage is still prevented.
MasterOfEtherium
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Twenty Heads Are Better Than One - Karl Malone
realworldedit
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Imagine this with Doubling season!
djdaquin
★★☆☆☆ (2.9/5.0)(4 votes)
This card is pretty broken...I soo want one before it gets banned
Haha I made this guy pick up and leave FNM last week by playing this card...seriously, he just straight dropped out.
Grimn777
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
not too broken. Has no evasion or protection/shroud. If it is really late game and you play a huge one, it will be destroyed quickly.
Not as good as Apocalypse Hydra, but it works better for Green-White people like me.
FD_02
★★☆☆☆ (2.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Amazing flavor, dissappointing in play. It needs to be at least 5/5 taking into account the current Standard burn spells (read: Flame Javelin and Lightning Bolt) and after that it can still get Terminated, Doom Bladed or other destroy spells. And this guy has a huge target on every single one of his heads...
SocialExperiment
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(5 votes)
I love this card. If you play something that gives him +1/+1 without putting counters on him ("all Green creatures get +1/+1" or something) he can't be killed, since the damage that would kill him is prevented, and then he can attack all you like with no fear of retribution.
VirtueVsVice
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
"Not as good as Phytohydra
Or Vigor"
Idk about being better than Phyto. Phyto comes into play as a 1/1 -- not much of a threat if opponent doesn't block it. Pro H can come into play as a 4/4 for the same price and one less color-type. Also, you can get pro H out earlier if you so choose. Not saying Phyto is bad, just less versatile.
jhimbob
★★★★☆ (4.7/5.0)(5 votes)
Great example of a Mythic Rare, flavourful and powerful, but not broken.
Designer_Genes
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.8/5.0)(5 votes)
Most people are claiming this is broken, apparently. I think this card sucks. Bad.
Xelopheris
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Get him out with a decent number of counters, give him some form of buff (kicked Vines of Vastwood comes to mind), then knock off his counters.
AgesofThunder
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Say you have a 5/5 one of these guys out and gigantiform it. that means that since gigantiform won't affect his counters he gets to keep all of them, making him a 13/13 trampler that is nearly impossible to get rid of in standard unless your opponent runs black or white. In which case , still ,imagine the amount of damage this thing could do if it even survived one turn under these conditions.
Worst case scenario this guy is unable to attack without being killed outright, but even in that case he makes for an excellent wall as the threat of your opponent's attack making him a monster may convince them not to try anything.
Mikolash
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
You could always Lightning Bolt him yourself to pump him up at the end of your turn.
Gomorrah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
If you play this, you better have a Vines of Vastwood in your hand, or he's probably dead. If you do, though, this can be one of the scariest monsters on the battlefield.
Flanktacular
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
It's really good, but it's more vulnerable, now that Zendikar added Vampire Hexmage. A lot of people use vampire decks and it can be frustrating when a litte 2/1 destroys a 10/10 or more.
.Fighter.
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Holy...gotta get this guy for my deck. My deck produces land like mad once I get going, so if I drop him late game, he could end up with massive amounts of power.
Neutralion
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
MFG whats this?
Black_Justicar
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
Since card text reads "If damage would be dealt.... prevent that damage..." then Lightning Bolt and Flame Javelin would simply *** it off. My 13 year old pulled this out on me in his first C2010 deck, and all I could do was let it hit me for 3 points a turn... but hey, that meant he didn't have a blocker. Unsummon and the like would certainly work against it, or terror ... if they still have those these days.
blindthrall
★★☆☆☆ (2.8/5.0)(2 votes)
If all the heads are cut off, doesn't it die before it gets the extra counters at the end of the turn? Something that's a 0/0 dies the next time state-based effects are checked, not at the end of the turn. So all the fuss over a souped up Fungusaur ? I'll take Feral Hydra any day.
Mumba
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Good card, but too vulnerable. Pacifism, exile, destroy etc will take care of it and if I understand how it works it will die if all it's counters are removed since it will be a 0/0 by then, so you better give it an enchantment or equipment which make it at least 0/1.
Gohoubi
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(4 votes)
I just want to clarify that if this creature is ever a 0/0, it will go to the graveyard. If it's a 1/1 and its blocked by a 1/1, both will die. The power of the card is using non-counter boosting effects, like a creature giving +1/+1 to all green creatures. At that point, it's invulnerable to all damage. It can still be pacified, destroyed, or exiled, though.
I like it based on the versatility of the X mana cost. Will see if it makes it in a deck.
Lege
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(2 votes)
I have a playset of these, you should get them as well while they're cheap. And they will not be after I tell you about this mad casual combo:
Imagine playing this with Spidersilk Armor, Gaea's Anthem, Glorious Anthem or *any* enchant creature or equipment that boosts its toughness. Voila, you have a perpetually growing creature that CANNOT be destroyed by damage, ever. If you splash white for Indestructibility (makes your creature Wrath of God-proof) or perhaps use Privileged Position or Shielding Plax (makes your creature immune to all sorts of nasty things) you have one badical critter on your side.
kilovortex
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
one the most fun cards out of the set !! play him as a 3/3 or more and then through a gigantiform on it.
typezeroserodin
★★★☆☆ (3.8/5.0)(2 votes)
This card works really well in a graft deck, if anyone plays one like me.
If you don't know what graft does, then here's an example. : (Simic Initiate)
Okay, so, it's fourth turn or so, and you only have three graft creatures on the field and four mana to work with. Well, play Protean Hydra, spend 1 green and 3 on X, and you now have a 4/4 hydra. Graft from your other three creatures and you now have an instant 7/7 on fourth turn. This effect only magnifies the later in the game you play, so, when you're on turn 7, for example, assuming you have 7 mana and, lets say, 5 graft creatures in play, you can now have a 14/14 hydra for seven green.
Definitely worth constructing a +1/+1 counter deck around, if you're feeling like doing some searching.
PEVE_O
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
In my experience they either don't block it or do enough damage to kill it.
Donovan_Fabian
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The best thing about this card is it can be a variable 1/1 all the way up to as many land as you can pay for counters in your deck. The bad thing about it.. the supposed prevent damage doesn't prevent very much actually, if the damage is anything over the amount of the hydras toughness or equal to it, it still dies. The only advantage is that it may slowly gain strength via you play firespouts or something when it has 4/4 or volcanic fallout if it has 3/3 already, making it grow a few counters a turn. Phytohydra is technically the all out better card, but appropriately costs 5 in g/w colored mana instead of 1g and x. Oh and yes there was a hydra in both the hercules movie and myth, and both had an ability to regrow 2 heads in place of every one that was cut off.
Ramp into it with standard green methods, one of which is Noble Hierarch. Gloat because your hydra isn't killable by pure damage anymore as long as it attacks alone.
EpicPridemage
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
this + green white deck (protection from black until cloak) + whispersilk cloak = epic
You could also give it a permanent toughness-boosting effect like Gaea's Anthem, then Pariah becomes a godly enchantment to have on this card. Any damage you would take only makes it stronger, with the added bonus of you being immune to damage.
BetrayerKol
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This, plus leech bonder with any aura that lets it tap is amazing.
Nikeyeia
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
@True_Murmin: I've done that some times. It looks like this:
Me: Protean Hydra, as a 6/6 (I usualy got a lot of mana in this deck)
Opponent: Better gonna get rid of that...
Me: Behemoth Sledge
Opponent: O.o
Me: Attack
Them: Gotta block it to survive
Me: Doubling Season
Them: Trampling 26/26? I scoop.
Me: *Inset evil laugh*
RuthieA
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
This would be fun with Godhead of Awe--She'd not only make it a 1/1 base (and thus immune to damage since even if all the counters were removed, it'd still be a 1/1), as well as making all of the other creatures too small to deal with it. Add in Sigil Captain, and it gets free counters for entering as a 1/1. Probably a bit hard to pull off, but it would be fun nonetheless.
Nugglaro
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Leyline of vitality is going to make this card awesome.
It's an easy way to make all your hydras indestructible and they can start out on the battlefield before the game even starts!
Not to mention Leyline of vitality seems to be the only leyline that stacks, packing a playset of them isn't as detrimental as the others.
DeathDark
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
The lack of creativity is underwhelming. And just so you know, giving him Whispersilk Cloak does not make him epic; it takes away everything that makes him special. Lightning Greaves will work for Shroud, if that's what you want, but you WANT to have him blocked.
if protean hydra is put into you graveyard by say...a destroy target non black, then when you bring it out of your gy does it still have the counters on it?
CallmeMerry
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I love this card. I have a GB deck that I use in casual play and he gets amazingly powerful in the later game if not taken care of, especially with a combo that I am quite fond of. Give him some sort of + to toughness (I use Moldervine Cloak to take advantage of the Dedge, but countless cards would work), and use Fate Transfer and you get to buff up any creature you have on the battlefield, plus the Hydra is doubling in strength every time you do it. Needless to say, he has gotten ridiculus in some of the longer games I play.
fuzzyman
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
me and my friend are haveing an argument on the ruling of this card so i need someone who can tell me for sure, due to the wording on the card is it immune to death touch, lifelink, poison counters, and any other form of damage depandent abilitys? also just to clear this up he told me that a new ruling was put on this card saying that if more damage is dealt to it then it has +1/+1 counters that the damage caries over to any other form of toughness it has, if so why is it not posted
Comments (59)
Definitely going in my deck.
Well due to the wording on the protean hydra and the wording on Behemoth Sledge the hydra is basicly immune to damage.
Should cost more. Play in a red deck, deal damage to it, and it can grow pretty fast. Too fast.
Add "Soul's Might" or some such card, and it'd be twice as big, instantly.
Haha I made this guy pick up and leave FNM last week by playing this card...seriously, he just straight dropped out.
Or Vigor
Or Vigor"
Idk about being better than Phyto. Phyto comes into play as a 1/1 -- not much of a threat if opponent doesn't block it. Pro H can come into play as a 4/4 for the same price and one less color-type. Also, you can get pro H out earlier if you so choose. Not saying Phyto is bad, just less versatile.
Worst case scenario this guy is unable to attack without being killed outright, but even in that case he makes for an excellent wall as the threat of your opponent's attack making him a monster may convince them not to try anything.
I like it based on the versatility of the X mana cost. Will see if it makes it in a deck.
Imagine playing this with Spidersilk Armor, Gaea's Anthem, Glorious Anthem or *any* enchant creature or equipment that boosts its toughness. Voila, you have a perpetually growing creature that CANNOT be destroyed by damage, ever. If you splash white for Indestructibility (makes your creature Wrath of God-proof) or perhaps use Privileged Position or Shielding Plax (makes your creature immune to all sorts of nasty things) you have one badical critter on your side.
If you don't know what graft does, then here's an example. : (Simic Initiate)
Okay, so, it's fourth turn or so, and you only have three graft creatures on the field and four mana to work with. Well, play Protean Hydra, spend 1 green and 3 on X, and you now have a 4/4 hydra. Graft from your other three creatures and you now have an instant 7/7 on fourth turn. This effect only magnifies the later in the game you play, so, when you're on turn 7, for example, assuming you have 7 mana and, lets say, 5 graft creatures in play, you can now have a 14/14 hydra for seven green.
Definitely worth constructing a +1/+1 counter deck around, if you're feeling like doing some searching.
You could also give it a permanent toughness-boosting effect like Gaea's Anthem, then Pariah becomes a godly enchantment to have on this card. Any damage you would take only makes it stronger, with the added bonus of you being immune to damage.
Me: Protean Hydra, as a 6/6 (I usualy got a lot of mana in this deck)
Opponent: Better gonna get rid of that...
Me: Behemoth Sledge
Opponent: O.o
Me: Attack
Them: Gotta block it to survive
Me: Doubling Season
Them: Trampling 26/26? I scoop.
Me: *Inset evil laugh*
It's an easy way to make all your hydras indestructible and they can start out on the battlefield before the game even starts!
Not to mention Leyline of vitality seems to be the only leyline that stacks, packing a playset of them isn't as detrimental as the others.
Deathtouch? Who cares. Sword of Kaldra? No matter. Phage? A weakling. All you need is Gift of the Deity, and you've got it in the bag. Gilder Bairn works well, too.
just make sure you don't let him die, to like Doom blade.
I just got a foil version of this card for 2.5$... It's the definition of mythic jank. :(