+1/+1 counter
| +1/+1 counter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Counter | |
| Use | Power and toughness alteration |
| Placed on | Creatures |
| Introduced | Alpha |
| Last used | Evergreen |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
|
2964 cards  5.9%  16%  7.2%  13.1%  8.6%  26.9%  22.3% | |
+1/+1 counters are the most common type of counter in Magic, with 2,964 cards that use them. +1/+1 counters were introduced in Alpha.
Description
A +1/+1 counter on a creature adds one to its power and toughness. Creatures using +1/+1 counters were among the most popular in the early history of the game.[1]
Charge counters serve as the equivalent default counter for noncreature permanents.[2]
Any color can put +1/+1 counters on themselves, but white and green are best overall at doing it including putting them on other creatures. The creations of, and caring about, +1/+1 counters are secondary in black, and tertiary in blue and red.[3]
History
For ease of comprehension, blocks tended to focus on only a single type of counter on creatures, and +1/+1 counters are the default choice.[2] When +1/+1 counters are absent from a block, they are most commonly replaced by their inverse, −1/−1 counters. Occasionally, thematic counters are used instead, such as the ki and divinity counters of Kamigawa block.
As a further concession to mitigate complexity, +1/+1 counters and −1/−1 counters are the only power and toughness altering counters used in new products.[1] Additionally, they are never used in the same block, to minimize confusion in limited play.[4][5] A small handful of cards from the earliest sets still use other, obsolete counters.
Cancellation with −1/−1 counters
When both +1/+1 and −1/−1 counters are present on the same creature, they are immediately removed in matched pairs until only one or the other remains.
From the Comprehensive Rules (November 14, 2025—Avatar: The Last Airbender)
- 122.3. If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it as a state-based action, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it. See rule 704.
Rulings
From the Release Notes for Lorwyn Eclipsed (January 9, 2026)[6]
- If a creature has +1/+1 counters and −1/−1 counters on it, state-based actions remove the same number of each so that it has only one kind of those counters on it. For example, if a creature has three +1/+1 counters on it and two −1/−1 counters are put on it, state-based actions will remove two of each of those kinds of counters, leaving the creature with just one +1/+1 counter.
- If a creature that has +1/+1 counters on it receives enough −1/−1 counters to cause it to be destroyed by lethal damage or put into its owner's graveyard for having 0 or less toughness, effects that refer to the counters on that creature when it died will see all of those +1/+1 and −1/−1 counters.
Mechanics
+1/+1 counters are a component of many ability words, keyword abilities, and keyword actions. Their ubiquity is largely due to their lack of flavor, and enables a high level of compatibility between thematically unrelated mechanics.[7]
They are used by the following mechanics:
Keyword abilities
Keyword actions
Ability words
Other mechanics
- Khabál ability
- Young Hero Role (Predefined token)
Trivia
- The +1/+1 counters on Rock Hydra (Alpha) were labeled in parenthesis as heads.
References
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (February 11, 2008). "+1/+1 Size Fits All". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ a b Mark Rosewater (September 26, 2005). "+1/+1 For the Road". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (October 18, 2021). "Mechanical Color Pie 2021 Changes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2021-10-18.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (November 15, 2014). "Wither and undying in the same set?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (June 9, 2015). "Wouldn't the rule...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Eric Levine (January 9, 2026). "Lorwyn Eclipsed Release Notes". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Chris Millar (February 14, 2008). "The Making of a +1/+1 Counter Culture". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21.
