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Animation Module

Artifact

Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on a permanent you control, you may pay {1}. If you do, create a 1/1 colorless Servo artifact creature token.
{3}, {T}: Choose a counter on target permanent or player. Give that permanent or player another counter of that kind.

CMC
1
Mana cost
{1}
Color identity
C
Rarity
rare
Set
Kaladesh Remastered
Price
—
EDHREC rank
#4220
Buy on TCGplayer
Animation Module card art
Animation Module turns every +1/+1 counter placement into a Servo token for one mana, then lets you spend three to proliferate — two independent engines on a one-drop artifact. It earns its slot in counter-heavy builds headlined by commanders like Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender and synergizes with artifact-matters payoffs like Tarrian's Soulcleaver, but outside dedicated counter shells it's too low-impact to run.

Best Commanders

Commanders with the highest synergy

01
Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender

Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender

58.2% of decks · synergy 0.52

Syr Ginger, the Meal Ender is a colorless commander who grows on every noncreature artifact entering the battlefield, and Animation Module delivers both a stream of Servo tokens and a cheap proliferate outlet to keep stacking those +1/+1 counters — it appears in over half of all Syr Ginger lists for exactly that reason.

02
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate

Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate

52.4% of decks · synergy 0.47

Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate cares deeply about accumulating and proliferating +1/+1 counters, and Animation Module provides both a trigger-based token engine and the three-mana proliferate ability on demand. The combination means every counter placed on Omarthis can snowball into board presence and even more counters.

03
Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder

Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder

39.5% of decks · synergy 0.38

Evereth, Viceroy of Plunder rewards treasure and artifact production, and Animation Module slots in as a reliable Servo factory that generates fodder for sacrifice and combat. The proliferate mode also keeps counters ticking upward on whatever pieces Evereth needs to scale.

04
Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp

Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp

30.0% of decks · synergy 0.30

Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp modular synergies hinge on moving +1/+1 counters between artifacts, and Animation Module fires on every such transfer, producing a Servo each time. That token becomes yet another modular artifact body to feed the engine.

05
Juri, Master of the Revue

Juri, Master of the Revue

30.7% of decks · synergy 0.29

Juri, Master of the Revue grows from sacrificing permanents, and Animation Module provides a steady supply of Servo tokens to feed that sacrifice loop while also accruing +1/+1 counters to trigger the Module again. The one-drop cost means it rarely disrupts the curve in a deck that wants to be doing a lot with every mana.

Format Analysis

Where it lives, where it can’t

FormatVerdict
commander legal
legacy legal
modern legal
pioneer legal
standard not legal
vintage legal
pauper not legal
oathbreaker legal

Animation Module is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but its real home is Commander. In 60-card formats it's too slow and conditional — one mana to create a 1/1 only when a counter is placed elsewhere is not competitive action in Modern or Pioneer, where dedicated counter synergies usually want more explosive payoffs. Legacy and Vintage have access to far more powerful one-drops and aren't interested. In Commander, the calculus flips: the format's slower pace lets the Module generate value over many turns, and the density of +1/+1 counter commanders in the format gives it a reliable trigger base.

Key Combos

Combo lines featuring this card

Price Context

Current price

unknown tier

Pricing data for Animation Module isn't available in the current feed, so check Scryfall or your preferred retailer for a live number. Historically it's been an inexpensive pickup given its niche application, and unless it lands in a high-profile reprint product it tends to stay affordable.

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Sources

Mentioned

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Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.