Generous Patron
Creature — Elf Advisor
When this creature enters, support 2. (Put a +1/+1 counter on each of up to two other target creatures.)
Whenever you put one or more counters on a creature you don't control, draw a card.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- rare
- Set
- Secret Lair Drop
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #3521
Generous Patron enters, puts a +1/+1 counter on each other creature you don't control, and draws you a card for each one — in a multiplayer game that's easily four or five cards stapled to a two-mana body. Kros, Defense Contractor turns that mass counter distribution into a threat-conversion engine, and Lyla, Holographic Assistant makes every one of those drawn cards generate further value, so the floor of this card is high and the ceiling is absurd.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Kros, Defense Contractor
Kros, Defense Contractor makes any creature with a +1/+1 counter on it unable to attack its owner, so Generous Patron's enter-the-battlefield trigger effectively locks down every opponent's board while drawing you a card for each creature it touches.
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons
Hapatra, Vizier of Poisons cares about putting counters on creatures, and while she typically deals in -1/-1 counters, Generous Patron slots into the broader counter-synergy shell and generates the card draw that keeps the snake engine from running dry.
Volrath, the Shapestealer
Volrath, the Shapestealer needs counters on opposing creatures to copy them, and Generous Patron seeds the battlefield with +1/+1 counters across all opponents simultaneously, giving Volrath targets from the moment it hits play.
The Reaper, King No More
The Reaper, King No More rewards spreading counters across the table with its own triggers, and Generous Patron does exactly that on a two-mana body while refilling your hand in the same motion.
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch
Auntie Ool, Cursewretch builds around loading counters onto opposing permanents to extract value, so Generous Patron functions as both a setup piece and a draw engine in a single cast.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | not legal |
| pioneer | not legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Generous Patron is built for Commander — the card draw scales directly with the number of creatures opponents control, and in a four-player game that routinely means three to six cards off a single trigger. Legacy and Vintage legality is technically real, but a symmetrical effect that requires opponents to have creatures in play has no competitive home in those formats. Oathbreaker shares enough of Commander's multiplayer texture that Generous Patron can perform similarly there, especially in counter-based strategies. Everywhere else — Modern, Pioneer, Standard, Pauper — the card simply isn't legal, and even if it were, the design is tuned for a wide table, not one opponent.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Generous PatronLyla, Holographic Assistant
Near-infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature an opponent controls; Infinite card draw; Infinite draw triggers
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Current pricing data for Generous Patron isn't available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or your preferred vendor for the live number. Given its narrow but enthusiastic home in counter-synergy Commander builds, it tends to hold modest value — not a staple spike target, but not bulk either.
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Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.