This is pretty sweet art and an underwhelming card.
ThisisSakon
★★★★☆ (4.6/5.0)(11 votes)
With art like that I can't help but read Bioshit...
Also, for those who say "underwhelming" I guess you could draw a crapload of cards by Bioshifting your Fathom Mage.
Trygon_Predator
★★★☆☆ (3.6/5.0)(6 votes)
Compare to the more flexible Fate Transfer. A pity, since should be the color of moving counters around.
CORRBentOrgy
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(6 votes)
It deserves a 3/5, simply because its a solid card. Not amazing, but considering that, unlike Fate Transfer, you can choose how many counters to move, meaning you don't have to sacrifice all the power from one creature to the next.
Secondly, it costs one mana, on top of that, it can be either blue or green, and is at instant speed, so it can be used to save an important creature from a burn, or as a combat trick. Not going to block my 2/2? Great, its now a 7/7, have fun.
Lastly, it works extremely well with Simic's keyword, Evolve. Fathom Mage being only one card that benefits from it. Master Biomancer will love it too.
So again; its a brilliant card without being game changing.
Vakyoom
★★★★☆ (4.1/5.0)(5 votes)
Combo's with Simic, Golgari, Green in general, Humans, Vampires(multicolored perhaps) and Predator Ooze... Among other unmentioned things.
The cheap cost and hybrid mana choice, plus being able to choose how many to move(Setting up for Simic Manipulator, Fathom Mage, etc) and on top of that, it's instant so you get to move all counters from your big blocked creature onto your measly unblocked creature and win games.
Oh, also it's only a common... This set's too pro. 4.5/5
Cyberium
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
Simic combat tricks are the best, shifting offense/defense with one mana, not to mention the synergy on various creatures. You can cast this on enemy Ally creatures to weaken them accordingly.
Purplerooster
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(2 votes)
A possible combat trick that can set up other simic shenanigans. 3.2/5.
pedrodyl
★☆☆☆☆ (1.9/5.0)(4 votes)
Meh. Not worth a card slot I don't think.
LordOfTheFlies87
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(3 votes)
Very cool effect. Sadly horrible art. Ick.
Toketsu
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Would this combo well with precursor golem? As in... remove 2 counters from target and pick precursor golem as target and all 3 golems would get 2 counters. Help me out here
lethal_coffee
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(6 votes)
I think this is one of those cards that people wholly underestimate, until they lose a game to it. Even in Limited, it's super versatile: along with the obvious Simic combos/card-draw, move a ton of couters to Gyre Sage at instant speed then use her ability for ridiculous mana-ramping.
That being said, Wizards obviously made it a common for a reason.
roguepariah
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I have a feeling this card will be indispensable in evolve decks. It does a lot of work for a common, consolidating counters, triggering abilities, enabling evolve, providing options for combat tricks. This little thing does a lot.
@toketsu, Precursor Golem will only copy an "instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single golem". This spell requires two targets so doesn't meet the conditions to trigger Precursor Golem's ability.
Curlie-Joe
★★☆☆☆ (2.2/5.0)(2 votes)
instant speed, and also counter manipulation, and only 1 cmc... YES just wish it had flashback for the same cost
I find it interesting this is both a one-drop and a common. And the more I think about it, I'm satisfied with how powerful that actually turns out to be (not too much.) It's just Good. :) You do Science to your creatures, you make some bigger, you surprise-block....all good ^_^
You probably DON'T normally do a mass exodus of counters to a Super Beatstick for the Win, but it CAN happen as well! :D
Afroofthenight
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Simic is just screaming to have an Isochron Scepter this time around.
_Wicker_
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This won me a few games at the prerelease. I'd swing with a few creatures, they'd block or kill the heavies to survive but I would bioshift onto a 1/1 spire tracer they let through for the win. Good combat trick and great cost.
goneandromeda2099
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Moving several counters onto Fathom Mage and then immediately playing another Bioshift and putting those counters onto Gyre Sage is super duper fun.
SRSFACE
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This makes scavenge more viable. The biggest issue scavenge has as an ability is the guy you throw your counters on to gets nuked pretty much much instantly. All you need to do is leave behind a green and you just saved your counters from dying along with it. That's the thing about split mana cards: they have big uses outside of the "intended" dual-colors.
StyxTBeuford
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
People are severely underestimating this card.
With Corpsejack Menace this card basically reads "Move any number of 1/1 counters from target creature onto another target creature, then double them." It's at instant speed as well, so it's a combat trick, and the ability to move your counters onto a creture, then retrigger evolve the next main phase makes it a very versatile card.
I'm gonna run a playset of these in Simic for sure.
CastleOrange
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Doesn't generate only new value. This card was awkward to use during the pre-re.
psychichobo
★★★☆☆ (3.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card does require the right deck. I reckon Scavenge decks will get more out of this, or really any deck that heavily focuses on putting counters on your own creatures.
And you can't complain when your hydra doesn't die in vain.
Lupus15
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.5/5.0)(2 votes)
Would it be possible to move -1/-1 counters with Bioshift?
Hussalo
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
BUG is gonna be super sweet, and this will help.
DoragonShinzui
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Compare to the more expensive Fate Transfer. Pretty handy, since this is 1 mana for an effect Simic is going to love.
OrgasmandTea
★☆☆☆☆ (1.0/5.0)(1 vote)
I feel that a cantrip would have made this card, maybe for an extra green mana.
Monkeypantsa
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
With Corpsejack Menace out, or preferably several, any counters you have can turn an unblocked creature into a kill shot no problem. Fantastic instant, I give it 4/5
Diachronos
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
If only there were a reliable way to cast this more than 8 times in a game in Standard...
People are greatly underestimating this. It's bringing a lot of things to the table that can shake up the way you play your deck.
You can use it to get more uses out of your Undying creatures. It lets you save all of the +1/+1 counters that you've built up on a creature when your opponent tries to remove it, which goes really nicely with Scavenge or other cards that can only give counters a limited number of times. When you're attacked, steal the counters from that beatstick you just hit your opponent with and throw them on the chump you've been saving as a blocker.
Still not good enough? Then Bioshift some counters onto your Fathom Mage so you can draw something "better" and quit complaining.
stanfonz
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(2 votes)
One incredible combo with this card: Protean Hydra. "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."
abcent1
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
so many cool tricks to use this with. save undying creatures, bump up gyre sage and biomancer, toy with your opponents. i got 4 of these running with 4 strangleroot geist, thats like infinite ammo..
Throw the counters you been gathering on your cloudfin onto a wild beastmaster Then a biomass evolution for good measure And glaring spotlight, why not? gg
Squeekems
★★★☆☆ (3.2/5.0)(2 votes)
Combo with Wild Defiance! It triggers on two of your creatures. You have, at least, two 4/4 creatures doing something for the turn. That is only for one mana too!
Rating: 4/5
joy2will12
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
This card with Protean Hydra is insane! You can remove all the counters from it and move them somewhere else, then at the end of your turn protean hydra has double the counters it started with!
DaLucaray
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
This card won me a game.
Background- My friend had a Golgari Deck with ridiculous cards like Necropolis Regnant. It was generally really good- I could not beat it. After the Dragon's Maze prerelease, he had integrated Gruul elements. It went from good to unstoppable.
Anyway, we were at a stalemate, his rubblehulk slowly growing, and my Savageborn Hydra also growing. He had 15 health, and my hydra had 16 +1/+1 counters. Niether of us wanted to attack with our monstrosities, so we were stuck. I realized I had a Cloudfin Raptor on the field and this in my hand, while he had nothing with flying or reach. I shifted all the Hydra's counters to the puny 1/2 and swing for 16 in the air, winning the game.
muestro
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Can you cast this card without any counters out on your creatures... choosing 0 as your counter choice?
xaipe24
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I like the idea of using when removing a enemy's creature. During combat, throw this on the stack with a doom blade. Pull all the counters off of a blocking fattie and onto the creature you're about to toast. Two birds, two stones, 3CC.
themisteranderson
★★★☆☆ (3.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Versing a guy playing simic, he's got a primordial hydra on the field with 96 tokens while I've got a royal assassin on the field chilling untapped ready to pounce if he get's aggressive. He attacks, I tap my assassin to kill it and he bioshifts 96 tokens to a battering krasis and hits me for 99 trample, crushing all my poor little deathtouch blockers in the process. Really strong card in certain circumstances.
Mr.Whatever
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Ironically, combining this with something like Catch // Release (Catch) could make an excellent Simic killer.
IF Monstrosity turns out to be a real keyword in Theros then this card is going to be awesome in the future. The ability to reuse a Monstrosity ability is going to be instant Shenanigans. If I am right then I will return to this and post the following message "Bingo!" But if I am being trolled then I will apologize ahead of time.
chrome_dome
★☆☆☆☆ (1.5/5.0)(1 vote)
@ ThisisSakon
Poor humanoid mutant forgot he couldn't use toilet paper without hands.
Irraticate
★★★★☆ (4.0/5.0)(1 vote)
Step 1: Build up Rubblebelt Raider. Step 2: Play Wild Beastmaster Step 3: Next turn, attack with everything. Step 4: Bioshift the counters from Rubblebelt Raider to Wild Beastmaster. Step 5: Shake the opponent's hand and try not to feel bad.
On second thought, let me do it for you, for a heck of a Simic Manipulator.
AlphaWolfs
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Ruling Question with Heroic. If I have a Centaur Battlemaster with Three +1/+1 counters on himself, and a Fabled Hero with No +1/=1 counters on himself, which of the following situation occurs as from card text? I think, according to the card, it moves the counters as it targets them, so I'll have to go with situation A, but I want to get more reliable sources from this.
Situation A: Bioshift targets Centaur Battlemaster and can move up to three of his +1/+1 counters to Fabled Hero. After Bioshift resolves, Centaur Battlemaster and Fabled Hero Heroic ability kicks off giving them both their +1/+1 counters, leaving Centaur Battlemaster with Three (or more) +1/+1 counters and Fabled Hero Four (or Less; Minimal 2) +1/+1 counters.
Situation B: Bioshift targets Centaur Battlemaster and triggers their Heroic ability BEFORE Bioshifts ability kicks off, giving Centaur Battlemaster SIX +1/+1 counters he could move to Fabled Hero. This means Centaur Battlemaster has No (maybe more) +1/+1 counters and Fabled Hero has SEVEN +1/+1 counters (9/9 double strike :P).
Either way, IT TRIGGERS TWO HEROIC ABILITIES FOR ONE MANA! AND WORKS WITH THE MAJORITY OF HEROIC +1/+1 ENABLERS!!!! WOOT!
JimmyNoobPlayer
★★★★★ (5.0/5.0)(1 vote)
@AlphaWolfs: Bioshift can trigger any two distinct creatures you own. They don't need to have counters alread on them, and you don't have to choose the number of counters to move until the spell resolves. Heroic triggers when the targeting spell is cast, not when it resolves. Bioshift removes and places the counters as it resolves, like any spell would. So your Situation B is the result.
1- Cast Bioshift, targetting your two heroic creatures. 2- Heroic abilities trigger and then resolve 3- Bioshift resolves. Now you can decide which counters to remove and replace.
Corpsejack Menace makes everything very interesting. 1- Corpsejack Menace, Fabled Hero, and Centaur Battlemaster are on the field, owned by you, and have no +1/+1 counters. 2- Cast Bioshift, targeting Fabled Hero and Centaur Battlemaster. 3- Each heroic ability triggers, which Corpsejack replaces on resolution. Hero has 2 counters, Battlemaster has 6. 4- Bioshift resolves. You decide to remove the six counters from Battlemaster and place them on Hero. Corpsejack doubles them. 5- Fabled Hero now has 2 + 12 counters. Add Aqueous Form or Gods Willing and two more counters, season to taste, and serve with a side of your opponent's tears.
(I checked two different forums online to make sure I understood the rules correctly.)
@vantha: Unfortunately Monstrous isn't directly related to the counters, adding counters is just something else the trigger does. Your monster can have the counters moved away without losing its Monstrous state, and adding counters to a baby monster won't turn it monstrous.
Boroski
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
I might use this in my mono green undying deck. Your vorapede about to die? bioshift his counter to another creature! :D
Works well with Heroic - Bioshift targets 2 creatures.
Eg, your Heroic gets Lightning Bolted, you play this instant. 2/2 Heroic first resolves to give +1 counter. Then you may move all counters onto another creature.
if that creature also has heroic, it will trigger also. awesome?!
Kaellach
★★★★☆ (4.5/5.0)(1 vote)
Using this with Young Wolf will make people cry of frustration :)
RedJaron
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
JimmyNoob has the feel of this. Everyone who thinks this is underwhelming isn't thinking in proper terms of counters and creature targeting. With the Innistrad block you had Cathar's Crusade, Wild Defiance, Champion of Lambholt and the Parish, Unruly Mob, Gavony Township, Grimgrin, Increasing Savagery, Lumberknot, Mikaeus, Predator Ooze, and a whole host of Undying and Morbid creatures to play with. If you felt splashy you could even go for the counter vampires.
M13 had the rings, Slumbering Dragon, and the Primordial Hydra.
RTR had Evolve, Scavenge, Common Bond, Corpsejack Menace, Fathom Mage, Gyre Sage, and more.
M14 brought even more hydras.
And now Theros brings Heroic with a lot of counters.
What we have here is an spell for 1 very flexible hybrid mana that can target and trigger two creatures and let you move a many counters as you want. All at instant speed. This is a solid workhorse of a card that has been relevant for its whole life. It can set up all sorts of combo tricks, finishing moves, card draw ( Fathom Mage and Triton Fortune Hunter, ) and even maintain lockdowns ( hit two Wavecrash Tritons, though admittedly in this instance Triton Tactics would be better. )
jonrds
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
I almost missed that this says "any number". Which means it doesnt kill protean hydra like fate transfer does. Im liking this card.
Also, if you are looking for a similar, more drastic card in different colors, consider spike cannibal.
Phoenixreborn9
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Thank god they released this. And then the heroic mechanic. Simic is awesome.
MachineAge
☆☆☆☆☆ (0.0/5.0)
Perfect heroic trigger. Trigger the effect of 2 creatures at once, perhaps saving one or just buffing up your most powerful dude. Love it.
Comments (55)
Also, for those who say "underwhelming" I guess you could draw a crapload of cards by Bioshifting your Fathom Mage.
Secondly, it costs one mana, on top of that, it can be either blue or green, and is at instant speed, so it can be used to save an important creature from a burn, or as a combat trick. Not going to block my 2/2? Great, its now a 7/7, have fun.
Lastly, it works extremely well with Simic's keyword, Evolve. Fathom Mage being only one card that benefits from it. Master Biomancer will love it too.
So again; its a brilliant card without being game changing.
The cheap cost and hybrid mana choice, plus being able to choose how many to move(Setting up for Simic Manipulator, Fathom Mage, etc) and on top of that, it's instant so you get to move all counters from your big blocked creature onto your measly unblocked creature and win games.
Oh, also it's only a common... This set's too pro. 4.5/5
That being said, Wizards obviously made it a common for a reason.
@toketsu,
Precursor Golem will only copy an "instant or sorcery spell that targets only a single golem". This spell requires two targets so doesn't meet the conditions to trigger Precursor Golem's ability.
just wish it had flashback for the same cost
You probably DON'T normally do a mass exodus of counters to a Super Beatstick for the Win, but it CAN happen as well! :D
With Corpsejack Menace this card basically reads "Move any number of 1/1 counters from target creature onto another target creature, then double them." It's at instant speed as well, so it's a combat trick, and the ability to move your counters onto a creture, then retrigger evolve the next main phase makes it a very versatile card.
I'm gonna run a playset of these in Simic for sure.
And you can't complain when your hydra doesn't die in vain.
People are greatly underestimating this. It's bringing a lot of things to the table that can shake up the way you play your deck.
You can use it to get more uses out of your Undying creatures.
It lets you save all of the +1/+1 counters that you've built up on a creature when your opponent tries to remove it, which goes really nicely with Scavenge or other cards that can only give counters a limited number of times.
When you're attacked, steal the counters from that beatstick you just hit your opponent with and throw them on the chump you've been saving as a blocker.
Still not good enough? Then Bioshift some counters onto your Fathom Mage so you can draw something "better" and quit complaining.
Then a biomass evolution for good measure
And glaring spotlight, why not?
gg
Rating: 4/5
Background- My friend had a Golgari Deck with ridiculous cards like Necropolis Regnant. It was generally really good- I could not beat it. After the Dragon's Maze prerelease, he had integrated Gruul elements. It went from good to unstoppable.
Anyway, we were at a stalemate, his rubblehulk slowly growing, and my Savageborn Hydra also growing. He had 15 health, and my hydra had 16 +1/+1 counters. Niether of us wanted to attack with our monstrosities, so we were stuck. I realized I had a Cloudfin Raptor on the field and this in my hand, while he had nothing with flying or reach. I shifted all the Hydra's counters to the puny 1/2 and swing for 16 in the air, winning the game.
He attacks, I tap my assassin to kill it and he bioshifts 96 tokens to a battering krasis and hits me for 99 trample, crushing all my poor little deathtouch blockers in the process.
Really strong card in certain circumstances.
You know you want to.
Poor humanoid mutant forgot he couldn't use toilet paper without hands.
Step 2: Play Wild Beastmaster
Step 3: Next turn, attack with everything.
Step 4: Bioshift the counters from Rubblebelt Raider to Wild Beastmaster.
Step 5: Shake the opponent's hand and try not to feel bad.
On second thought, let me do it for you, for a heck of a Simic Manipulator.
If I have a Centaur Battlemaster with Three +1/+1 counters on himself, and a Fabled Hero with No +1/=1 counters on himself, which of the following situation occurs as from card text? I think, according to the card, it moves the counters as it targets them, so I'll have to go with situation A, but I want to get more reliable sources from this.
Situation A:
Bioshift targets Centaur Battlemaster and can move up to three of his +1/+1 counters to Fabled Hero. After Bioshift resolves, Centaur Battlemaster and Fabled Hero Heroic ability kicks off giving them both their +1/+1 counters, leaving Centaur Battlemaster with Three (or more) +1/+1 counters and Fabled Hero Four (or Less; Minimal 2) +1/+1 counters.
Situation B:
Bioshift targets Centaur Battlemaster and triggers their Heroic ability BEFORE Bioshifts ability kicks off, giving Centaur Battlemaster SIX +1/+1 counters he could move to Fabled Hero. This means Centaur Battlemaster has No (maybe more) +1/+1 counters and Fabled Hero has SEVEN +1/+1 counters (9/9 double strike :P).
Either way, IT TRIGGERS TWO HEROIC ABILITIES FOR ONE MANA! AND WORKS WITH THE MAJORITY OF HEROIC +1/+1 ENABLERS!!!! WOOT!
1- Cast Bioshift, targetting your two heroic creatures.
2- Heroic abilities trigger and then resolve
3- Bioshift resolves. Now you can decide which counters to remove and replace.
Corpsejack Menace makes everything very interesting.
1- Corpsejack Menace, Fabled Hero, and Centaur Battlemaster are on the field, owned by you, and have no +1/+1 counters.
2- Cast Bioshift, targeting Fabled Hero and Centaur Battlemaster.
3- Each heroic ability triggers, which Corpsejack replaces on resolution. Hero has 2 counters, Battlemaster has 6.
4- Bioshift resolves. You decide to remove the six counters from Battlemaster and place them on Hero. Corpsejack doubles them.
5- Fabled Hero now has 2 + 12 counters. Add Aqueous Form or Gods Willing and two more counters, season to taste, and serve with a side of your opponent's tears.
(I checked two different forums online to make sure I understood the rules correctly.)
@vantha: Unfortunately Monstrous isn't directly related to the counters, adding counters is just something else the trigger does. Your monster can have the counters moved away without losing its Monstrous state, and adding counters to a baby monster won't turn it monstrous.
Eg, your Heroic gets Lightning Bolted, you play this instant.
2/2 Heroic first resolves to give +1 counter. Then you may move all counters onto another creature.
if that creature also has heroic, it will trigger also. awesome?!
M13 had the rings, Slumbering Dragon, and the Primordial Hydra.
RTR had Evolve, Scavenge, Common Bond, Corpsejack Menace, Fathom Mage, Gyre Sage, and more.
M14 brought even more hydras.
And now Theros brings Heroic with a lot of counters.
What we have here is an spell for 1 very flexible hybrid mana that can target and trigger two creatures and let you move a many counters as you want. All at instant speed. This is a solid workhorse of a card that has been relevant for its whole life. It can set up all sorts of combo tricks, finishing moves, card draw ( Fathom Mage and Triton Fortune Hunter, ) and even maintain lockdowns ( hit two Wavecrash Tritons, though admittedly in this instance Triton Tactics would be better. )
Also, if you are looking for a similar, more drastic card in different colors, consider spike cannibal.