Clockwork Hydra
Artifact Creature — Hydra
This creature enters with four +1/+1 counters on it.
Whenever this creature attacks or blocks, remove a +1/+1 counter from it. If you do, it deals 1 damage to any target.
: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 5
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- C
- Rarity
- uncommon
- Set
- Time Spiral Remastered
- Price
- $0.20
- EDHREC rank
- #16830
Clockwork Hydra enters with four +1/+1 counters, swings to remove one and deal a damage, and synergizes hard with any deck that wants counters moving on and off creatures. The five-mana cost is steep for what amounts to a 4/4 that shrinks every attack, but Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate turns each counter removal into colorless mana fuel — suddenly that drawback is the whole point.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate
Omarthis, Ghostfire Initiate cares about moving +1/+1 counters onto colorless permanents, and Clockwork Hydra's built-in counter removal triggers that engine every combat step — you're not losing counters, you're generating Omarthis triggers on a clock.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Clockwork Hydra is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Vintage, and Oathbreaker, but it sees essentially zero competitive play outside Commander. In Legacy and Vintage the five-mana cost is prohibitive and the payoff doesn't approach format staple territory. In Modern the same problem applies — the card is legal but outclassed by nearly everything at that slot. Commander is the one format where Clockwork Hydra earns its place, specifically in dedicated counter-synergy builds where the self-stripping mechanic becomes a repeatable source of triggers rather than a liability.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Price Context
Current price
$0.20 bulk tier
At $0.20, Clockwork Hydra is deep bulk — easy to acquire and easy to cut without regret. Bulk artifacts at this price point rarely spike unless a new commander breaks the mechanic wide open, so pick it up for pennies if the synergy fits and don't overthink the investment.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.