Pointed Discussion

Green modular.

Kinda wish it was a beast creature (like Wumpus or thoctar) and was just fat for this effect; feels odd that this effect is essentially giving other creatures hydra heads.

I can get over it though :D

And my Hydra tribal grows, muaha, muahaha, muahahahaAHAHAHAHA

Its not the best hydra, but at least its got semi protection from doom blade.

It's like... the organic version of modular. Probably gonna be great friends with Kalonian Hydra back there.

It hardly compares with Primordial Hydra or Savageborn Hydra, does it? Still, I suppose it could work with Corpsejack Menace all the same.

Great art, and more of 's iconic big tribe is a good thing. But how does it compare to Jugan, the Rising Star?
Jugan: pay for a 5/5 legendary flier that gives you 5 +1/+1 counters when it dies.
V. Hydra: means it can cost whatever you want it to. For the same CMC as Jugan, you pay for a vanilla 0/0 with 4 +1/+1 counters that it gives you when it dies.
So in terms of mana investment and general quality, Jugan wins - a 5/5 flier is more useful than a 4/4 vanilla at the same cost (the hydra is more splashable though).
However, the hydra comes with the advantage of operating via +1/+1 counters that are already on it, so any form of doubling/proliferating shenanigans applies. And of course, if you have the mana you can pay more for a bigger creature, but it's still less efficient than other creatures can get.

Well... It's ok for limited and casual decks. In all serious constructed decks, it's simply far too slow. It's like a severely limited, more expensive and less flexible version of forgotten ancient.

Vinebound Hydra!

Smallest hydra shown in a pic and we still don't get to see what the rest of their bodies look like. I always wonder, for like the giant hydras, is what they eat lol? Like they're so much bigger than anything, it's hard to imagine there being a sustainable population of hydras on any plane.

I also like how this is "set" in Zendikar's Vastwood. I can see it fitting into that block mechanically, and I appreciate seeing more of other planes in the core set. Building a brand of settings. I approve.

Apparently hydras are much scarier in Kalonia.

Can someone explain the last ruling:

In some unusual cases, Vastwood Hydra will have enough -1/-1 counters put on it to make its toughness 0 or less. If this happens, the ability will still distribute a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Vastwood Hydra before the -1/-1 counters were put on it. For example, if Vastwood Hydra has two +1/+1 counters on it and three -1/-1 counters are put on it, two +1/+1 counters will be distributed.

Unless the rules have changed, shouldn't the +1/+1 counters be removed?

121.3. If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it as a state-based action, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it.

Well i have a question. The card says When Vastwood Hydra dies, you may distribute a number of +1/+1 counters equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on Vastwood Hydra among any number of creatures you control. For example if the hydra has 10 counters on them and i have 2 creatures on the battlefield and hydra dies i put for example 5 counters to one and 5 to another or 10 to each of them?

Huh...! Now, it doesn't exactly work, but I'll still call this guy Arcbound Hydra!

I think that this card is beautiful for simic decks. If you have a master biomancer out, it takes care of two counters, letting you tap less mana to pump it up, and you can pump it up more with Vorel of the Hull Clade. When it finally does get destroyed (or blown up, as I like to say) it won't go to waste. This creature is one of those cards that is just there to die and won't go to waste when it does. I also find that it can be useful in Golari if a Corpsejack menace is out as well.

I say this card is a 4/5.

Its a decent limited card, but if you go up against R/B sacrifice its a huge liability, as they can steal/sac your hydra allowing them to put the counters on their own creatures.

I might be aging myself but this card reminds me of Krakilin from back in Tempest except I think the regenerate ability is more relevant while Supreme Verdict is out than this guy's ability. Plus, Krakilin was an uncommon, this guy takes up a rare slot and is irrelevant against control. For this I say,
"Release the Krakilin!"
Ok, I'm done now.

At first I couldn't see the appeal of this card over the other hydras out there. But then I remembered Corpsejack Menace.

Reply to an old question, but in case some are still curious: QuesoMadness, if enough -1/-1 counters are put on the hydra such that it's toughness is less than 1, two different state based actions will be triggered- mutual counter annihilation, yes, but also the creature being placed in the graveyard. When they both try to happen at the same time, the creature is placed in the graveyard and considered to have still had its full collection of +1/+1 counters on it when it did. There are a couple of other cards where this entertaining situation can occur and matter (for instance, Undying- see the Dark Ascension FAQ).