Protean Hydra

Creature — Hydra    (CMC:1)

Protean Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it. Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step.

200 M10 • ENJim Murray

™ & © 1993—2009 Wizards of the Coast

Legal in: Modern,Legacy,Vintage,Freeform,Prismatic,Tribal Wars Legacy,Classic,Singleton 100,Commander

Oracle Text (click to copy):

Protean Hydra {X}{G} Creature — Hydra Protean Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. If damage would be dealt to Protean Hydra, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it. Whenever a +1/+1 counter is removed from Protean Hydra, put two +1/+1 counters on it at the beginning of the next end step. 0/0

---

View this MTG card on Gatherer

10/1/2009
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.
10/1/2009
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.
10/1/2009
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.
10/1/2009
If multiple +1/+1 counters are removed from Protean Hydra at once, its last ability will trigger that many times.
10/1/2009
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.
10/1/2009
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).

---

Card Protean Hydra is not on TCGPlayer.