Undergrowth Champion
Creature — Elemental
If damage would be dealt to this creature while it has a +1/+1 counter on it, prevent that damage and remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature.
Landfall — Whenever a land you control enters, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
- CMC
- 3
- Mana cost
- Color identity
- G
- Rarity
- mythic
- Set
- Battle for Zendikar
- Price
- $0.50
- EDHREC rank
- #7842
Undergrowth Champion converts every landfall trigger into a permanent +1/+1 counter — and then shrugs off damage that would kill most creatures by shedding one of those counters instead. Omnath, Locus of the Roil decks run it because the counter accumulation is automatic and the resilience is real; Xavier Sal, Infested Captain shells that care about counters find it equally at home.
Best Commanders
Commanders with the highest synergy
Omnath, Locus of the Roil
Omnath, Locus of the Roil already demands you play land after land, so Undergrowth Champion grows without any extra investment — it just keeps getting larger while Omnath pings and draws.
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild
Ashaya, Soul of the Wild turns creatures into lands, which means every creature entering the battlefield feeds another counter onto Undergrowth Champion — the two cards form a quietly self-sustaining growth loop.
Format Analysis
Where it lives, where it can’t
| Format | Verdict |
|---|---|
| commander | legal |
| legacy | legal |
| modern | legal |
| pioneer | legal |
| standard | not legal |
| vintage | legal |
| pauper | not legal |
| oathbreaker | legal |
Undergrowth Champion is legal in Commander, Legacy, Modern, Pioneer, Vintage, and Oathbreaker. Commander is where it actually sees play: landfall decks generate enough triggers to make the Champion a genuine threat, and the damage-prevention clause means removal needs to be exile or repeated hits rather than a single burn spell. In Modern and Pioneer it competes against creatures that close games faster, and the three-mana investment for a 0/0 that has to earn its stats is a tough sell in those formats. Legacy and Vintage have enough raw power that a slow-growing beater rarely makes the cut. Treat it as a Commander card with format flexibility on paper, not a cross-format staple.
Key Combos
Combo lines featuring this card
Xavier Sal, Infested CaptainIntruder AlarmStaff of TitaniaUndergrowth Champion
Infinite untap of creatures; Infinite ETB; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite Forest tokens; Infinite landfall triggers; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Xavier Sal, Infested CaptainIntruder AlarmJyoti, Moag AncientUndergrowth Champion
Infinite ETB; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite untap of creatures; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite Forest tokens; Infinite landfall triggers; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗
Xavier Sal, Infested CaptainIntruder AlarmAwaken the WoodsUndergrowth Champion
Infinite ETB; Infinite creature tokens; Infinite untap of creatures; Infinite mana creatures you control can produce; Infinite Forest tokens; Infinite landfall triggers; Infinite untap of creatures you control
View on Commander Spellbook ↗Price Context
Current price
$0.50 bulk tier
At $0.50, Undergrowth Champion sits firmly in bulk territory — easy to acquire and cheap enough to slot into any landfall build without a second thought. Bulk rares with narrow homes tend to stay flat, so don't expect movement unless a new landfall commander pushes demand.
Explore
Sources
Mentioned
Updated . Data from Scryfall, EDHREC, and Commander Spellbook.