-1/-1 counter
| -1/-1 counter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Counter | |
| Use | Power and toughness alteration |
| Placed on | Creatures |
| Introduced | Arabian Nights |
| Last used | Lorwyn Eclipsed |
| Scryfall Statistics | |
-1/-1 counters are the second most common counter type in Magic, following +1/+1 counters. They were introduced on the Arabian Nights card Unstable Mutation,[1] and were used as major set themes in Shadowmoor, Eventide, Scars of Mirrodin block, and Amonkhet block.
Description
-1/-1 counters appear in all five colors but are primarily in black. Flavorwise, putting -1/-1 counters on a creature usually indicates a character being scarred or infected. Shadowmoor's design used replacement effects to signify "damaged" creatures, with a few ways to remove counters flavored as "healing" effects. Scars of Mirrodin used them aggressively on opponent's creatures as "infection", which grew worse with the effect of proliferate.
For ease of comprehension, blocks tend to focus on only a single type of counter on creatures. -1/-1 counters are used less often than +1/+1 counters because they have less available design space, due to their similarity to +1/+1 counters and their capacity to kill creatures and hence a finite number of counters can be present on any given board state.[1][2] R&D considers them not conducive to making dynamic play environments.[3] -1/-1 counters are currently ranked at a 5 on the Storm Scale for individual cards, and a 7 for use as one of the main mechanics of a set.[4]
As a further concession to mitigate complexity, +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters are the only power/toughness altering counters used in new products.[1] Additionally, they are never used in the same block, to minimize confusion in limited play[5][6], unless the product is for more experienced players, such as for the Modern Horizons series. This was relaxed by proxy for Massacre Girl, Known Killer in Murders at Karlov Manor, which uses wither, and more directly for Duskmourn: House of Horror. A small handful of cards from the earliest sets still use other, obsolete counters, which may have partial negative numbers.
Amonkhet was the last block to use -1/-1 counters, hinted at a year before its release.[7] As the theme of the set was hostility and cruelty, the major usage of it was using large creatures above rate with a targeted ability that puts -1/-1 counters, which could be for itself or other expendable creatures.[8] Black and red had -1/-1 counter distribution as removal.
After Hour of Devastation, new cards with -1/-1 counters were limited to the representatives in the supplemental set Commander 2019, all three Modern Horizons products, and the digital Alchemy Horizons Baldur's Gate. Seven years later, premier sets Murders at Karlov Manor and Duskmourn: House of Horror[9] would also add one each.
Returning to Lorwyn–Shadowmoor in 2026's Lorwyn Eclipsed, it brought back Persist alongside independent use of -1/-1 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 (September 19, 2025—Marvel's Spider-Man)
- 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.
Mechanics
Because +1/+1 counters are the default creature counter,[10] -1/-1 counters have been used by far fewer mechanics. There are currently three keyworded mechanics using -1/-1 counters, all of them from Lorwyn–Shadowmoor block or Scars of Mirrodin block:
Ruthless
Ruthless is R&D slang term used for “When ~ enters the battlefield, put ... -1/-1 counters on target creature you control.” This black and green mechanic was featured in Amonkhet. In design it was actually an ability worded as Ruthless but R&D ultimately didn't feel they had enough cards to give it an ability word.[11] It was referenced in the name of Ruthless Sniper.
There is often a second ability on the cards with Ruthless, most of the time interacting with -1/-1 counters.
Cards with Ruthless
- Baleful Ammit
- Crocodile of the Crossing
- Channeler Initiate
- Decimator Beetle
- Defiant Greatmaw
- Exemplar of Strength
- Lethal Sting
- Manticore of the Gauntlet
- Ornery Kudu
- Plague Belcher
- Soulstinger
References
- ↑ a b c Mark Rosewater (February 11, 2008). "+1/+1 Size Fits All". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 14, 2014). "Why are -1/-1 counters so infrequent?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (August 8, 2024). "you answered a question about wither coming back by saying that R&D is "a bit sour on -1/-1 counters"?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2023-01-16). "Where would you say -1,-1 counters are on the storm scale?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (April 11, 2015). "When are -1/-1 counters coming back?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Dave Humpherys (April 4, 2017). "Developing Amonkhet". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2020-11-11.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (2024-09-02). "I was surprised to see Patched Playthings, an uncommon that uses -1/-1 counters...". Blogatog. Tumblr.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (September 26, 2005). "+1/+1 For the Road". magicthegathering.com. Wizards of the Coast.
- ↑ Mark Rosewater (May 06, 2017). "Why wasn't the "when ~ ETB put X -1/-1 counters on a creature you control" keyworded?". Blogatog. Tumblr.
