Summary
A relatively new mechanic to join the ranks ofMagic: The Gathering’smany mechanics and finality counters put a bit of a hamper on your reanimation goals. The way finality counters work is if there is one on a permanent and it would go to the graveyard, it will be exiled instead, never hitting the graveyard during this process.
These counters are a bit of a balancing act for some reanimation effects, as well as an easier remembrance tool for cards that have these effects. But that’s not as fun so there are a few ways to get around worrying about these counters.
10Power Conduit
Get A Buff
Getting a finality counter is easy, but removing them can be tricky. Thankfully, there’s a relatively easy way to get around them that can slot into practically every deck. Power Conduit is a two-mana artifact that you can tap to remove a counter from anything you control to either:
Charge counters probably won’t be too relevant but a +1/+1 counter in exchange for never permanently losing your creature is a solid swap. You can do it at instant speed too, so if an opponent moves to destroy your creature, you can remove the counter in response.
9Hexavus
Too Many Counters To Count
There are quite a few ways to get those pesky finality counters out of the way, and with Hexavus, you may spread the love a bit with two different abilities. The main one we’re looking at with Hexavus is the final ability, to remove one counter from another creature you control to give Hexavus a +1/+1 counter all for just one generic mana.
You can dish out flying counters to your other creatures by then removing a +1/+1 counter from Hexavus, but really, we just want to keep our finality counters off your stuff. The main thing to keep in mind is that you can’t remove finality counters from Hexavus itself, so its a bit vulnerable to the same counter you’re using it to remove. But thanks to Nesting Grounds, a card we’ll see later, you can move those counters around a bit to fit your needs.
8Hex Parasite
Easy Removal
Playing a similar role to Power Conduit, Hex Parasite lets you pay mana to remove X counters from a single permanent. The nice thing about Hex Parasite though, is that you’re able to keep doing it so long as you always have mana open to pay the cost, especially if you pay thephyrexian mana with life instead of mana.
In exchange for removing that finality counter, you get to give Hex Parasite +1/+0 for each counter removed. While you might not be swinging in with Hex Parasite in formats like Commander, it still can help seal the deal in niche scenarios or even just sneak a few points of damage through into an open board.
7Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
Blink In Blue
One of the better Theros gods to come from Theroes Beyond Death, Thassa Deep-Dwelling comes with a consistent ability that might not be catered to removing finality counters but does a fantastic job at doing so.
Thassa’s ability triggers on your end step, letting you exile another creature you control and then immediately bringing it back to play. Since your creature with the finality counter changes zones, the finality counter falls off and comes back into play without any stipulations.
Thassa also works great withcards that have enter the battlefield triggersor might have other effects on them that might be preventing you from attacking or activating abilities.
6Fain, The Broker
Trade You For A Treasure
There’s a lot going on with Fain, the Broker, given its four abilities and toolbox-like uses. The main one that works with your finality counters is Fain’s second ability, letting you remove a counter from one of your creatures to make a Treasure token.
You do have to tap Fain to be able to use it, but you can always pay four mana to untap Fain and do it again. Combined with the other two abilities that fain has means you won’t have some useless card lying around once you run out of finality counters to remove.
5Soul Diviner
Turn Them Into Cards
A bit harder to slot into decks given its blue and black mana commitment, Soul Diviner gives you a much more solid trade off for those finality counters. All you have to do is tap Soul Diviner and remove your pesky finality counter to have the Zombie Wizard draw you a card.
you may also remove counters from artists, lands, and planeswalkers you control, so it isn’t exclusively a creature-based effect. Keeping a creature around and getting a little bit of card advantage is a huge benefit in the long term and since it can be done at instant speed, you can use it anytime you want (so long as Soul Diviner doesn’t have summoning sickness).
4Glissa Sunslayer
A Fallen Hero
There’s a lot going on with Glissa Sunslayer, with two incredible keywords and a modular ability that gives you tons of versatility. With first strike and deathtouch, you can put a stop to practically any attacker coming your way. But that’s not why we’re here, its for that modular ability.
When Glissa deals combat damage to a player you can choose to either:
While there may be better targets to remove counters from something, like a planeswalker, you’re able to keep your creatures safe from their untimely final demise by getting some cheap shots in on your opponents.
3Nesting Grounds
Hard To Stop
Lands are notoriously difficult to deal with in any formatand Nesting Grounds provides not only a reliable way to deal with fatality counters but a way to potentially ruin your opponent’s plans too. Nesting Grounds lets you pay one mana and tap it to move a counter of any kind from one of your permanents to another permanent of your choice.
This means you can take a finality counter from your creatures and add them to your opponent’s. While this ability can only be done at sorcery speed, you do get to mess with your opponents a bit.
Since its an ability attached to a land, there are fewer ways for your opponents to interact with it, making it a safe inclusion to your deck.
2Conjurer’s Closet
Fits Any Deck
Much like Thassa, Deep-Dwelling, Conjurer’s Closet helps you reset your creatures so you don’t have to have them hanging around waiting to get exiled.
This five-mana artifact lets you exile a creature you control at the start of your end step, returning that creature to the battlefield immediately afterwards.
Since there’s no color restriction you can slot Conjurer’s Closet into practically any deck, though a little bit of ramp is nice since five-mana is a bit of an awkward amount when you normally will want a higher impact card going into the mid-game.
1Solemnity
The Perfect Stopper
The source of all sorts of combos and synergies, Solemnity is a very strong enchantment that is one of the few sure fire ways to prevent those finality counters from ever touching your cards.
Solemnity prevents counters of any kind from being out on your creatures, as well as artifacts, enchantments, and lands. On top of that, the enchantment prevents you and any other player from getting counters as well. While there are times when it could be a double-edged sword, Solemnity also stops things like poison counters from adding up, keeping you alive in other ways as well.
