Overzealous Muscle

In Commander, Overzealous Muscle earns a spot in go-wide or counters-based green decks that want cheap tricks to push through blockers while accruing incremental value. The permanent counter matters more than the flash timing in most multiplayer games, where boards stall and every point of power counts. In competitive 1v1 formats like Modern or Pioneer, it's too low-impact — a one-mana trick that nets one counter is below the bar when opponents are interacting at instant speed with far more powerful effects. Pauper is the format where Overzealous Muscle has the most legitimate claim, slotting into aggressive green stompy lists that want trample enablers at common. Standard legality means it's available in Limited, where combat tricks with lasting upside are always worth evaluating.