Hydras have been one of the most iconic monster kinds available to green in recent years. Among the ranks of new cards released to Magic, nearly every set has one monstrous hydra. With the enormous amount of hydras trampling and slithering about the game, it’s little wonder that Hydra-tribal decks would make their way into Commander.
While hydras don’t have the same level of tribal support as other Magic tribes like elves and goblins, there are still a number of cards that any Hydra deck should include. So, here are the Top 10 Most Powerful Hydra Cards in Magic The Gathering without further ado!
Voracious Hydra
Hydra is a voracious creature. It takes one of the most important mechanics present in most hydras and outperforms the competition. The great majority of hydras will have an X in their converted mana cost and will arrive with an equal number of +1/+1 counters. This allows you to adjust the size of the hydras you cast as the game continues and you acquire access to additional mana.
Hydra’s voraciousness comes with the extra benefit of a choice. When it enters the battlefield, its controller can have it combat a creature, essentially making it a removal spell, or it can enter with double the amount of +1/+1 counters, effectively making it a versatile hydra that can provide a lot of value.
Evolution Sage
Proliferate is a naturally strong ability that may generate scary and potent synergies when used repeatedly. As you produce enormous quantities of extra counters on your permanents, this may rapidly get out of hand.
Every time a land under your control enters the battlefield, Evolution Sage causes you to multiply. Because Hydras’ bodies are mostly made up of +1/+1 counters, Evolution Sage allows its controller to strengthen each of their hydras just by playing lands.
Gyre Sage
As previously stated, Hydra decks expand in size as the game proceeds, allowing a hydra player to cast greater and larger hydras as the game develops. Gyre Sage is an elf with the ability “evolve” who gets a +1/+1 counter each time a creature under your control enters the battlefield with power or toughness higher than the Gyre Sage.
Because you’ll be casting bigger monsters, this should ideally happen every time you cast one. Gyre Sage’s second ability, which allows it to tap for an amount of green mana equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on it, is crucial. A Hydra deck with early access to a Gyre Sage will have an absurd amount of mana to help cast even larger monsters.
Protean Hydra
Protean Hydra is the hydra that most closely resembles the Greek mythological Hydra. It has the same flexible X cost as the majority of other hydras, but it also has an additional tasty ability. When damage is inflicted to Protean Hydra, that damage is avoided, and that many +1/+1 counters are removed.
If it survives the encounter, a number of +1/+1 counters equal to double the amount removed are placed on Protean Hydra during the following end step, essentially regrowing two heads in lieu of those that were lost!
Somberwald Sage and Rosheen Meanderer
Somberwald Sage and Rosheen Meander are two cards in a hydra-tribal Commander deck that has a lot in common. You’ll need a lot of mana to make Hydras the best they can be, and that’s exactly what Somberwald Sage and Rosheen are here to provide.
Somberwald Sage and Rosheen Meanderer, both three and four drops, may tap for enormous amounts of mana, albeit with certain constraints. Somberwald sage taps for three mana of any color, which can only be used to cast creature spells, whereas Rosheen taps for four colorless mana, which can only be used to cast spells that cost X.
Fortunately for Hydra players, many of the cards in their decks will be creatures with X in their mana costs, which means these two creatures will be able to provide plenty of mana to help you ramp up massive Hydras.
Animar, Soul of Elements
The only reason Animar, Soul of Elements isn’t higher on this list because of the many colors in Animar’s casting cost, which means that not all possible hydra decks will run Animar. Animar, on the other hand, is a grand slam for those who can handle it.
A +1/+1 counter is placed on Animar whenever you perform a creature spell, letting it swiftly grow bigger. This, however, is not Animar’s attraction. Animar’s true power resides in his ability to decrease the cost of any creatures you cast by the amount of +1/+1 counters he has. When it comes to casting Hydras, with the assistance of Animar, you’ll be casting gigantic creatures for relatively little mana since cost reduction essentially replaces X costs with additional free mana.
As if that weren’t enough, Animar is immune to both black and white, which means that a lot of removals will be made worthless on him!
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds
Selvala, Heart of the Wilds is frequently compared to Somberwald Sage and Rosheen Meanderer, despite the fact that she takes some assistance to get started. Selvala can tap for one green mana to add an amount of mana of any color combination equal to the greatest power among creatures you control.
Selvala will frequently be able to produce more mana than all of your lands combined, given that we’ll be casting huge monsters. As if that weren’t enough, whenever a creature enters the battlefield, its controller can draw a card if that creature has the most power among all creatures in play.
Because you’ll be casting progressively massive hydras, you’ll almost always be the only player who can take advantage of this ability, which allows each hydra you cast to replace itself in your hand.
Unbound Flourishing
Remember how Voracious Hydra’s ability to double the number of counters it enters with was previously mentioned? Unbound Flourishing is a cheaply priced enchant that doubles the value of X in any permanents you cast with X in their cost. It’s a great addition to any Hydra deck.
This increases the value and potency of almost every Hydra you have access to by a factor of two, thereby doubling their worth and power. This card was created with Hydra tribal in mind and even has beautiful hydra artwork.
Gargos, Vicious Watcher
Gargos is an excellent example of a hydra tribal staple since he is one of the only cards in Magic that explicitly references other hydras. Gargos is an 8/7 for six mana that decreases the cost of any hydras you cast by four mana, allowing them to enter with four additional +1/+1 counters, similar to Animar’s effect. Gargos also makes it difficult for other players at the commander table to remove your Hydras since if a spell or ability targets one of your creatures, Gargos can battle any creature you choose.
Doubling Season
Doubling Season, regarded as one of the most powerful green cards in commander, combines several features from previous cards on this list into a single card. Doubling Season is essentially a better version of Unbound Flourishing in that it doubles the number of any counters placed on any permanents you control, synergizing well with virtually all of your Hydras as well as practically every other card on this list.
Doubling Season doubles the value of cards like Gyre Sage and Animar that place counters on themselves and proliferate triggers from Evolution Sage. You don’t want to be without a copy of Doubling Season if you’re presently developing a Hydra Commander deck or if you’re revising one you already have.
