Additive Evolution
Enchantment
When this enchantment enters, create a 0/0 green and blue Fractal creature token. Put three +1/+1 counters on it.
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control. It gains vigilance until end of turn.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Secrets of Strixhaven
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #19063
Additive Evolution doubles the number of counters placed on a permanent, turning every +1/+1 counter trigger into two — the effect is immediate and cumulative the turn it resolves. The cost is real: five mana for an enchantment that does nothing on its own means it lives or dies by how many counter-placing effects you have in play.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Primo, the Unbounded
Primo, the Unbounded spreads counters across multiple permanents on every trigger, so Additive Evolution doesn't just buff one creature — it doubles the output of every Primo activation, compounding across your entire board faster than most answers can keep up.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Additive Evolution is a Commander card through and through — it needs a high density of counter-placing effects to justify five mana, and only in Commander do you find commanders like Primo, the Unbounded that generate enough triggers to make that cost irrelevant. In 60-card formats like Modern and Pioneer, the effect is too slow and too conditional: dedicated counter decks already have more efficient payoffs, and a five-mana enchantment that doesn't affect the board immediately doesn't compete. Legacy and Vintage aren't realistic homes either — the power level ceiling there is just too high for a symmetry-dependent enchantment. Standard is legal but unexciting; whether it sees play there depends entirely on what counter synergies the format supports at any given time.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Additive Evolution is deep bulk — easy to pick up as a playset without thinking about it. Bulk rares with niche synergy profiles tend to stay flat unless a breakout commander or combo pushes demand, so don't expect movement.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.