Protean Hydra
Current paper retail
Card Kingdom$4.99
Cardmarket€3.22
ManaPool$3.33
TCGplayer$4.86
Buylist (dealers pay)
Card Kingdom$2.75
MTGO (Cardhoarder)
retail$0.02 tix
90-day paper retail (USD)
3 providers
This printing
SetM10
Collector #200
Released2009-07-17
Raritymythic
ArtistJim Murray
LanguageEN
Layoutnormal
ScryfallOpen ↗

Protean Hydra

MythicColour IDMV 1
Creature — Hydra
This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
If damage would be dealt to this creature, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.
Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from this creature, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step.
0 / 0
Card capabilities
Creature
Derived deterministically from card types, Oracle text and keywords. Not a strategic evaluation.
Format legality
Other printings
1 other English printingEarliest 2010-07-16Newest 2010-07-16Cheapest priced $4.46 in M11
Rulings (6)
wotc1 Oct 2009
If multiple +1/+1 counters are removed from Protean Hydra at once, its last ability will trigger that many times.
wotc1 Oct 2009
Protean Hydra’s last ability triggers whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from it for any reason, not just when a +1/+1 counter is removed by its second ability.
wotc1 Oct 2009
All damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is prevented, even if it doesn’t have that many +1/+1 counters on it. This is true even if Protean Hydra has no +1/+1 counters on it at all (and is able to remain on the battlefield because some other effect is boosting its toughness). If the amount of damage that would be dealt to Protean Hydra is greater than the number of +1/+1 counters on it, all the +1/+1 counters on Protean Hydra are removed from it.
wotc1 Oct 2009
If any +1/+1 counters are removed from Protean Hydra during the end step, its last ability will trigger and set up a delayed triggered ability that will trigger at the beginning of the next end step (which is near the end of the following turn).
wotc1 Oct 2009
If unpreventable damage is dealt to Protean Hydra, the Hydra’s second ability will try to prevent it and fail (meaning that damage has its normal results), and it will also remove that many +1/+1 counters from Protean Hydra.
wotc1 Oct 2009
If a -1/-1 counter is put on Protean Hydra while it has +1/+1 counters on it, that -1/-1 counter and a +1/+1 counter will be removed from it as a state-based action. This will cause Protean Hydra’s last ability to trigger.