My only objection with this card is how quickly
they were willing to obsolete Feral Hydra. This
card is absolutely nuts, especially if you run
anything that can pump its toughness.
This card is almost sure to be underestimated.
You get a decent ratio of power to investment,
and it's very hard to kill on top of that -
outright impossible if you add Elephant Guide or
Behemoth Sledge. Wonder if we'll get Hercules as
a mythic rare in M11?
Constructed:
Cut one head off two grow back, sounds like a
bad horrow flick. My question is how is this
going to work out with Wither?
Casual & Multiplayer:
Going to make a new weed deck. I think I will us
it with the Graft ability.
Limited:
This can be a bet stick unless there is
non-damage removal spell available. It make for
a real good blocker too. Good thing it does not
fly.
Overall a good card.
Costructed: 3
Casual: 3
Multiplayer: 3
Limited: 4
Later
Miguel
Paul
Magic The Gathering COTD:
Protean Hydra
Welcome back readers
today’s card just oozes with fantasy flavor,
Protean Hydra is the epitome
epitimy of the mystical hydra
creature. Every head you manage to cut off is
immediately replaced by two more heads. This
hydra starts with X +1/+1 counters on it as it
enters the battlefield, whenever damage would be
dealt to it you remove that many +1/+1 counters
and at the end of turn you put two on the hydra
for each counter removed. An interesting affect
attached to a mana intensive creature, a
creature that for the most part can’t be dealt
less damage than what would kill him unless an
opponent wants to tangle with an even more
frightening monster.
In standard with the
introduction of M10 I don’t predict Protean
Hydra making much of an impact as its vulnerable
to all spot removal that works on more commonly
played creatures. In Extended and eternal
formats it wont likely see play unless it’s in
some bizarre combo deck. In casual and
multiplayer creatures like Protean Hydra can
become nearly unstoppable, ramping into the
hydra of dropping it late game when most
opponent’s removal is exhausted dropping this
creature and giving it evasion allows you to
keep fat on the board in one convenient
creature. In limited its mana intensive but can
survive and grow from combat, an interesting
possibility but nothing immediately jumps out to
me about its playability in limited. It’s great
to see card designs like this from Wizards,
flavorful and fun to play, an interesting
addition to Magic 2010.
Today's card of the day is Protean Hydra which to
me is the first real Hydra design. In mythology
when you cut off one head of the hydra two more
grow back. Wizards has brought this idea home
with new +1/+1 counter mechanics. As a mythic
rare you may not see too many of them the next
two weekends, but if you happen to get one it is
a limited bomb.
The two tricks here start with dealing damage to
your own creature, which is easy enough with Red
in Standard having cards like Prodigal
Pyromancer or Pyroclasm. This is much like the
old Fungusaur strategy and similar to the more
recently released Spitemare, so decks that used
them may enjoy the additional target. The more
devious strategy is simply using any kind of
toughness enhancement without a +1/+1 counter
involved. This grants the hydra damage immunity
as it prevents all damage received to remove
counters instead. Note that it can and will die
from zero toughness if all counters are removed
without another effect in play keeping it alive.
Constructed could have some seriously fun decks
built around this card, but it isn't really
going to change the game. It is still vulnerable
to most forms of removal and true protection
requires an additional card.
Without any evasive skills or trample making it
a direct threat Green has many other weapons in
their arsenal that would press an opponent more
effectively.
Casual is already warming up the Hydra decks to
make a happy X mana cost home for this latest
addition. It is a fun card to drop on the table
and keep up with enchantments or Giant Growth.
Limited is where Protean Hydra will truly shine
as there are fewer options to deal with it and
it is costed quite low. Early on even at three
or four mana it is a credible threat and as a
late game draw it can hit the field at a truly
impressive size. In booster draft if you open a
pack with it, play the card, even if you haven't
drafted Green it is worth the splash. In sealed
it is almost an automatic inclusion in any build
available.
Multiplayer is probably the worst place for the
Hydra as it increases the odds of someone having
an answer for it. It doesn't pressure multiple
players at once and paints a giant target on
your field as nobody will want to see it stick
around long enough to bulk up.
