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Best +1/+1 counter commanders

+1/+1 counters make creatures bigger for good — and a counters deck adds more of them every turn, doubles them and spreads them around. Here are ten commanders that build around counters, from proliferate engines to commanders that turn each counter into damage or cards.

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The 10 best +1/+1 Counters commanders

We started from commanders that players build often for this theme on EDHREC. The order is our own: how well the commander fits the theme, how consistently the deck does its thing, how hard it is to stop, and how it holds up at a four-player table. It is not a popularity ranking, and no win rates are involved.

  • Beginner-friendly A clear plan with few decisions per turn
  • Budget-friendly The commander is inexpensive and the deck works without pricey staples
  • High power Among the strongest versions of the theme
Atraxa, Praetors' Voice — Magic: The Gathering card
1

Atraxa, Praetors' Voice

Complexity: MediumHigh power

At the beginning of your end step Atraxa proliferates, so every creature with a +1/+1 counter gets another one, every planeswalker gains loyalty, and any other counter you care about grows too. Four colors give you every counter card: Hardened Scales, Walking Ballista, Doubling Season. Flying, vigilance, deathtouch and lifelink make her a threat and a wall at once. The most flexible counters commander in the game.

Strengths

  • A free proliferate every turn
  • Four colors: every counter card available
  • Excellent keywords on a 4/4 flyer

Watch out for

  • Four-color mana base
  • One of the most expensive commanders on this page

Best for: Players who want the strongest, most flexible counters deck.

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Shalai and Hallar — Magic: The Gathering card
2

Shalai and Hallar

Complexity: LowHigh powerBeginner-friendly

Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on a creature you control, Shalai and Hallar deal that much damage to target opponent. Every counter you place is a burn spell, so counter doublers double the damage too. Walking Ballista, Cathars’ Crusade and proliferate turn into a stream of damage without attacking. A 3/3 flyer with vigilance in Naya colors.

Strengths

  • Turns every counter into direct damage
  • Doublers double the damage
  • Flying and vigilance

Watch out for

  • Each trigger hits one opponent
  • Only counters on creatures count

Best for: Players who want a direct, easy-to-read plan.

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Tidus, Yuna's Guardian — Magic: The Gathering card
3

Tidus, Yuna's Guardian

Complexity: MediumBudget-friendly

At the beginning of combat on your turn, Tidus can move a counter from one of your creatures to another — onto a flyer, an unblocked attacker or away from a creature about to die. Whenever creatures with counters deal combat damage to a player, you may draw a card and proliferate, once each turn. Three mana in Bant colors, a steady engine of cards and growth.

Strengths

  • Card draw and proliferate every turn
  • Moves counters where they matter
  • Three mana

Watch out for

  • Needs creatures with counters to connect
  • Only once per turn

Best for: Players who like flexible, steady engines.

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The Wise Mothman — Magic: The Gathering card
4

The Wise Mothman

Complexity: High

When The Wise Mothman enters or attacks, each player gets a rad counter — so each player mills at the start of their main phase. Whenever one or more nonland cards are milled, from any library, Mothman puts a +1/+1 counter on that many target creatures. Every turn of every player grows your board, and self-mill cards in Sultai colors keep it going on your own turn.

Strengths

  • Counters on every player’s turn
  • Self-mill and graveyard value
  • A 3/3 flyer

Watch out for

  • Opponents get graveyard value from the mill too
  • Pricier than most three-color commanders

Best for: Experienced players who like graveyards and big triggers.

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Ms. Bumbleflower — Magic: The Gathering card
5

Ms. Bumbleflower

Complexity: High

Whenever you cast a spell, Ms. Bumbleflower makes an opponent draw a card, puts a +1/+1 counter on a creature and gives it flying until end of turn. The second time it resolves in a turn, you draw two cards. Cheap spells grow a creature, make it fly over blockers and refill your hand faster than the cards you give away. Bant colors and a group-hug feel.

Strengths

  • A counter and flying from every spell
  • Two cards on your second spell each turn
  • Easy to make friends at the table

Watch out for

  • Opponents draw cards too
  • Needs many cheap spells

Best for: Players who like politics and spell-heavy decks.

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Hakbal of the Surging Soul — Magic: The Gathering card
6

Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Complexity: LowBeginner-friendlyBudget-friendly

At the beginning of combat on your turn, each Merfolk you control explores: a land on top goes into your hand, anything else gives the Merfolk a +1/+1 counter. Whenever Hakbal attacks, you may put a land from your hand onto the battlefield, or draw a card instead. Every turn means counters, lands and cards. A Merfolk typal deck with a counters core in Simic colors.

Strengths

  • Counters or cards every combat
  • Ramp from attacks
  • Simic and inexpensive

Watch out for

  • Merfolk only
  • Explore that finds a land gives no counter

Best for: Newcomers and players who like typal decks.

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Giada, Font of Hope — Magic: The Gathering card
7

Giada, Font of Hope

Complexity: LowBeginner-friendlyBudget-friendly

Each other Angel you control enters with an additional +1/+1 counter for each Angel you already control, and Giada taps for {W} to cast Angels. The third Angel enters with two extra counters, the fifth with four. A two-mana commander that ramps into a board of big flyers. Mono-white keeps the deck simple; the Angels themselves bring lifegain and protection.

Strengths

  • Two mana and ramps right away
  • Each Angel bigger than the last
  • Mono-white and simple

Watch out for

  • Angels only
  • Many good Angels are expensive to cast

Best for: Newcomers who want a flying typal deck.

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Marchesa, the Black Rose — Magic: The Gathering card
8

Marchesa, the Black Rose

Complexity: MediumBudget-friendly

Marchesa and all your other creatures have dethrone: attacking the player with the most life gives them a +1/+1 counter. Whenever a creature you control with a +1/+1 counter dies, it returns to the battlefield at the beginning of the next end step. Creatures with counters keep coming back, and their enter abilities happen again. Grixis colors add removal and sacrifice outlets.

Strengths

  • Counters for every creature that attacks the leader
  • Creatures with counters return when they die
  • Grixis removal

Watch out for

  • Dethrone only counts against the player with the most life
  • Exile stops the recursion

Best for: Players who like grindy, resilient decks.

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Betor, Ancestor's Voice — Magic: The Gathering card
9

Betor, Ancestor's Voice

Complexity: HighBudget-friendly

At the beginning of your end step, Betor puts +1/+1 counters equal to the life you gained this turn on another creature you control, and returns a creature card from your graveyard whose mana value is at most the life you lost this turn. Lifelink and lifegain grow one creature a lot; paying life with your own cards brings creatures back. A 3/5 flying lifelinker in Abzan colors.

Strengths

  • Big counter bursts from lifegain
  • Reanimation from paying life
  • A 3/5 flyer with lifelink

Watch out for

  • Only one creature gets the counters
  • Needs both lifegain and life loss for full value

Best for: Experienced players who like balancing two resources.

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Toph, the First Metalbender — Magic: The Gathering card
10

Toph, the First Metalbender

Complexity: HighBudget-friendly

At each of your end steps Toph earthbends 2: a land you control becomes a 0/0 creature with haste and two +1/+1 counters, and it comes back tapped if it dies or is exiled. That is a new creature with counters every turn, ready for proliferate and counter doublers. She also makes your nontoken artifacts lands, so artifacts become more bodies to earthbend. Naya colors.

Strengths

  • A new creature with counters every turn
  • Earthbent lands return when they die
  • Artifacts count as lands

Watch out for

  • Losing land creatures means losing mana
  • Needs counter payoffs to shine

Best for: Players who like unusual board states.

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+1/+1 Counters commanders compared

All ten at a glance. Complexity and budget are our judgement; see each commander above for the reasons.

#CommanderColorsPlanComplexityBudget-friendlyBuild
1Atraxa, Praetors' VoiceProliferate everything, every turnMedium—Build
2Shalai and HallarEvery counter is damageLow—Build
3Tidus, Yuna's GuardianMove counters, draw and proliferateMediumYesBuild
4The Wise MothmanEveryone mills, you get countersHigh—Build
5Ms. BumbleflowerEach spell: a counter and flyingHigh—Build
6Hakbal of the Surging SoulMerfolk explore every combatLowYesBuild
7Giada, Font of HopeAngels enter with extra countersLowYesBuild
8Marchesa, the Black RoseDethrone and recursionMediumYesBuild
9Betor, Ancestor's VoiceLifegain becomes counters, life loss reanimatesHighYesBuild
10Toph, the First MetalbenderLands become creatures with countersHighYesBuild

How does a +1/+1 counters deck work in Commander?

+1/+1 counters are permanent: unlike a pump spell, they stay until the creature leaves the battlefield. A counters deck puts them on many creatures, makes each placement bigger, and adds more every turn — until its board is too large to fight in combat.

How a counters deck wins

  • Combat. A board of creatures that grows each turn simply outsizes the table.
  • Damage from counters. Walking Ballista and Shalai and Hallar turn counters into direct damage.
  • Proliferate. One counter on everything, then proliferate every turn.

The card types a counters deck needs

  • Counter makers: creatures and spells that place counters, such as Rishkar and Cathars’ Crusade.
  • Doublers: Hardened Scales, Branching Evolution, Conclave Mentor, Doubling Season.
  • Proliferate: Karn’s Bastion, Inexorable Tide, Evolution Sage.
  • Protection against wipes: The Ozolith keeps the counters when creatures die.

Strengths and weaknesses

Counters decks are steady and hard to outgrow, and doublers make every card stronger. The risk is concentration: big creatures make big targets, and a board wipe takes every counter with it. Spread counters across several creatures and keep a way to rebuild.

Common mistakes

  • All counters on one creature. That is a Voltron deck, with Voltron’s risks.
  • Doublers without makers. Hardened Scales does nothing without counters to place.
  • Forgetting evasion. Big ground creatures still get chump-blocked.

Who enjoys counters?

Players who like steady growth, adding things up and seeing their board get bigger every turn. It suits newcomers well, because each card is easy to understand.

Key cards and synergies for +1/+1 Counters

Cards that show up in many +1/+1 Counters decks, by the job they do. Which ones fit depends on your commander’s colors.

Counter doublers

Every placement becomes bigger.

Counter makers

Place counters every turn.

Proliferate and protection

More of what you already have, and a way to keep it.

Best budget +1/+1 Counters commanders

Counters decks are easy to build cheaply: Hardened Scales and most counter makers are inexpensive. These three commanders do their job without the costly doublers.

Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Hakbal of the Surging Soul

Merfolk with explore are mostly commons and uncommons, and the counters come from the commander.

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Giada, Font of Hope

Giada, Font of Hope

Mono-white, two mana, and plenty of affordable Angels.

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Tidus, Yuna's Guardian

Tidus, Yuna's Guardian

Three mana, and card draw plus proliferate come from the commander, not from expensive support.

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Prices change daily, so this page names none. Commandarium shows today’s price for every card in a deck, and counts what you already own.

Questions about +1/+1 Counters commanders

What is the best +1/+1 counter commander?

Atraxa, Praetors’ Voice for the strongest and most flexible deck, because she proliferates every turn in four colors. Shalai and Hallar are the most direct, and Hakbal and Giada the best on a budget.

What is the difference between +1/+1 counters and proliferate?

+1/+1 counters are placed by cards; proliferate adds one more of each kind of counter that is already on a permanent or player. Proliferate needs counters to exist first, then makes them grow.

Do +1/+1 counters stay when a creature dies?

No. Counters disappear when a permanent leaves the battlefield. The Ozolith and Marchesa are two ways to keep their value anyway, and Skullbriar keeps its own.

How many counter cards does a deck need?

Around 15 to 20 cards that place counters, plus a handful of doublers and proliferate effects. Commandarium reads your commander’s themes and builds toward them.

Can you build a budget counters deck?

Yes. Hardened Scales, Cathars’ Crusade and most counter makers are inexpensive, and commanders like Hakbal and Giada need nothing pricey. Commandarium shows what you already own and what the rest costs.

Related commander themes

Poison & Infect

Ten poison counters win, whatever the life total: infect, toxic and proliferate.

Art: Victor Adame Minguez · Atraxa, Praetors' Voice10 commanders compared →

Voltron

Suit up one creature with Equipment, Auras or counters and win with commander damage.

Art: Jason Rainville · Ardenn, Intrepid Archaeologist10 commanders compared →

Elves

Cheap mana creatures, a wide board and one big turn — the classic typal deck.

Art: Caroline Gariba · Lathril, Blade of the Elves10 commanders compared →

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