Primordial Hydra
Creature — Hydra
This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
At the beginning of your upkeep, double the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature.
This creature has trample as long as it has ten or more +1/+1 counters on it.
- CMC
- 2
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Secret Lair Drop
- Price
- —
- EDHREC rank
- #2618
Primordial Hydra doubles its counters every upkeep and gains trample once it's large enough — the clock it puts on the table is real, and it gets there faster than opponents expect. The cost is vulnerability: it enters small and dies to any removal before it doubles even once, which is why shells like Zimone, Infinite Analyst that can protect or reload it extract far more value than decks that just cast it naked, and why Yedora, Grave Gardener recursion backups matter more than they look.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Zimone, Infinite Analyst
Zimone, Infinite Analyst's ability to generate and spend mana repeatedly means Primordial Hydra can enter with a massive X and immediately threaten to snowball past anything the table can block.
Gargos, Vicious Watcher
Gargos, Vicious Watcher cuts the cost of targeting Hydra spells, so Primordial Hydra becomes cheap to protect and pump with targeting effects while Gargos trades with anything foolish enough to block.
Polukranos Reborn
Polukranos Reborn's Hydra tribal synergies make Primordial Hydra a natural inclusion, and the doubling-counter mechanic threatens to outpace even the board states Polukranos generates.
Zaxara, the Exemplary
Zaxara, the Exemplary generates a free Hydra token whenever you cast an X spell, so Primordial Hydra's X cost produces two threats for one card — a straightforward two-for-one with no extra setup.
Primo, the Unbounded
Primo, the Unbounded rewards running high-power creatures that grow over time, and Primordial Hydra's doubling mechanic scales precisely with the late-game mana Primo decks develop.
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 |
Commander is where Primordial Hydra lives — the format's slower pace gives it time to survive an upkeep or two, and the singleton rule means opponents can't flood the board with cheap blockers to wall it off before trample kicks in. In Legacy and Vintage it's a novelty at best: the formats are too fast and interaction too efficient for a creature that enters as a 1/1 and needs a full turn cycle to matter. Modern is theoretically legal but the same problem applies — four mana for a 1/1 with no immediate impact doesn't compete with what the format's threats do on turn four. Primordial Hydra's power ceiling is real, but it only gets to demonstrate that ceiling in formats slow enough to let it untap.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Yedora, Grave GardenerPrimordial MistPitiless PlundererPrimordial Hydra
Infinite death triggers; Infinite ETB; Infinite landfall triggers; Infinite LTB; Infinite storm count
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
unknown tier
Pricing data for Primordial Hydra isn't available in this snapshot, so check Scryfall or TCGPlayer for current market rates before buying. It has seen multiple reprints, which historically keeps copies accessible — it's rarely a budget obstacle for Commander players.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
- Yedora, Grave Gardener
- Zimone, Infinite Analyst
- Gargos, Vicious Watcher
- Polukranos Reborn
- Zaxara, the Exemplary
- Primo, the Unbounded
- Primordial Mist
- Pitiless Plunderer
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.