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Polukranos, Unchained
USD $2.96
USD foil $3.95
EUR €1.67

Polukranos, Unchained

{2}{B}{G}

Legendary Creature — Zombie Hydra

Polukranos enters with six +1/+1 counters on it. It escapes with twelve +1/+1 counters on it instead.

If damage would be dealt to Polukranos while it has a +1/+1 counter on it, prevent that damage and remove that many +1/+1 counters from it.

{1}{B}{G}: Polukranos fights another target creature.

Escape—{4}{B}{G}, Exile six other cards from your graveyard.

0 / 0

FightEscape
Set
Theros Beyond Death Promos (PTHB #224p)
Rarity
Mythic
Mana value
4
Released
2020-01-24
Artist
Chris Rahn
EDHREC rank
#11,853
Colour identity
{B}{G}
Finishes
Nonfoil, Foil
Served from
Local database

Commander bracket

1 +
Fits any bracket
No Game Changer, land denial, extra turns or two-card combos.

Derived from card traits, not a ruling — bracket rules turn on how a deck intends to use a card. Bracket rules

EDHREC

Salt Score 0.29
How much players resent seeing this card. The scale tops out around 3.1.
Can be your commander

Combos 7

Polukranos, Unchained+Vigor+Crystalline Crawler
{B}{G}
Infinite colored manaInfinitely large creatures
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+Yuna, Grand Summoner
{G}{W}{U}{B}
LockNear-infinite turns
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+Reluctant Role Model
{G}{W}{U}{B}
LockNear-infinite turns
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+Resourceful Defense
{G}{W}{U}{B}
LockNear-infinite turns
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+Reyhan, Last of the Abzan
{B}{G}{U}
LockNear-infinite turns
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+Host of the Hereafter
{B}{G}{U}
LockNear-infinite turns
Polukranos, Unchained+Sage of Hours+Altar of Dementia+The Ozolith
{B}{G}{U}
LockNear-infinite turns

All 7 combos.

Commander recommendations

Top synergy 50

Played far more in this commander's decks than elsewhere.

  1. Corpsejack Menace 69 %+61.7 %
  2. Branching Evolution 59 %+52.6 %
  3. Hydra's Growth 52 %+49.2 %
  4. Invigorating Surge 50 %+47.7 %
  5. Forgotten Ancient 52 %+47.6 %
  6. Vigor 45 %+43.5 %
  7. Skull Prophet 49 %+41.0 %
  8. Managorger Hydra 40 %+38.6 %
  9. Kalonian Hydra 40 %+38.4 %
  10. Gargos, Vicious Watcher 36 %+36.1 %
  11. Hardened Scales 46 %+36.1 %
  12. Garruk's Uprising 43 %+35.9 %
  13. Brawn 39 %+35.6 %
  14. Visions of Dominance 35 %+33.7 %
  15. Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord 41 %+31.9 %
  16. Terrasymbiosis 37 %+31.6 %
  17. Kami of Whispered Hopes 35 %+30.3 %
  18. Rishkar's Expertise 37 %+30.1 %
  19. Belt of Giant Strength 30 %+29.9 %
  20. Return of the Wildspeaker 41 %+29.2 %
  21. The Ozolith 34 %+28.8 %
  22. Greater Good 34 %+28.8 %
  23. Kurbis, Harvest Celebrant 29 %+28.6 %
  24. Grisly Salvage 38 %+28.3 %
  25. Nyx Weaver 37 %+28.2 %
  26. Rogue's Passage 50 %+28.0 %
  27. Grakmaw, Skyclave Ravager 29 %+27.8 %
  28. Snakeskin Veil 36 %+27.3 %
  29. Solidarity of Heroes 29 %+27.1 %
  30. Winding Constrictor 33 %+25.8 %
  31. Fangs of Kalonia 28 %+25.7 %
  32. Inspiring Call 30 %+24.0 %
  33. Reyhan, Last of the Abzan 25 %+23.1 %
  34. Duskshell Crawler 28 %+22.6 %
  35. The Earth Crystal 27 %+22.3 %
  36. Satyr Wayfinder 27 %+21.9 %
  37. Momentous Fall 23 %+21.3 %
  38. Stinkweed Imp 25 %+21.1 %
  39. Loading Zone 22 %+20.4 %
  40. Fight Rigging 21 %+19.9 %
  41. Golgari Grave-Troll 25 %+19.7 %
  42. Fanatic of Rhonas 25 %+19.7 %
  43. Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider 22 %+19.5 %
  44. Mosswort Bridge 24 %+19.1 %
  45. Swiftfoot Boots 42 %+18.4 %
  46. Ozolith, the Shattered Spire 22 %+18.4 %
  47. Traverse the Outlands 20 %+17.7 %
  48. Farseek 36 %+17.2 %
  49. The Great Henge 23 %+17.0 %
  50. Fractal Harness 17 %+17.0 %

Most included 50

Highest share of decks running them, distinctive or not.

  1. Forest 96 %-1.9 %
  2. Swamp 96 %-1.9 %
  3. Command Tower 81 %-4.5 %
  4. Sol Ring 72 %-7.6 %
  5. Corpsejack Menace 69 %+61.7 %
  6. Branching Evolution 59 %+52.6 %
  7. Woodland Cemetery 56 %-9.3 %
  8. Arcane Signet 53 %-8.4 %
  9. Forgotten Ancient 52 %+47.6 %
  10. Hydra's Growth 52 %+49.2 %
  11. Rogue's Passage 50 %+28.0 %
  12. Invigorating Surge 50 %+47.7 %
  13. Overgrown Tomb 49 %+1.0 %
  14. Skull Prophet 49 %+41.0 %
  15. Cultivate 48 %+8.9 %
  16. Rampant Growth 48 %+16.3 %
  17. Llanowar Wastes 47 %-6.6 %
  18. Hardened Scales 46 %+36.1 %
  19. Vigor 45 %+43.5 %
  20. Assassin's Trophy 45 %-2.9 %
  21. Sakura-Tribe Elder 43 %+15.1 %
  22. Garruk's Uprising 43 %+35.9 %
  23. Swiftfoot Boots 42 %+18.4 %
  24. Return of the Wildspeaker 41 %+29.2 %
  25. Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord 41 %+31.9 %
  26. Kalonian Hydra 40 %+38.4 %
  27. Managorger Hydra 40 %+38.6 %
  28. Brawn 39 %+35.6 %
  29. Nature's Lore 39 %+13.9 %
  30. Tainted Wood 39 %-5.1 %
  31. Beast Within 38 %+4.4 %
  32. Grisly Salvage 38 %+28.3 %
  33. Undergrowth Stadium 37 %-1.9 %
  34. Evolving Wilds 37 %+12.0 %
  35. Rishkar's Expertise 37 %+30.1 %
  36. Terrasymbiosis 37 %+31.6 %
  37. Nyx Weaver 37 %+28.2 %
  38. Gargos, Vicious Watcher 36 %+36.1 %
  39. Snakeskin Veil 36 %+27.3 %
  40. Farseek 36 %+17.2 %
  41. Kami of Whispered Hopes 35 %+30.3 %
  42. Bojuka Bog 35 %-7.2 %
  43. Deathcap Glade 35 %+0.5 %
  44. Visions of Dominance 35 %+33.7 %
  45. Greater Good 34 %+28.8 %
  46. The Ozolith 34 %+28.8 %
  47. Golgari Rot Farm 34 %-3.9 %
  48. Temple of Malady 33 %+0.3 %
  49. Kodama's Reach 33 %+12.3 %
  50. Putrefy 33 %+0.8 %

Format legality

Rulings

  • 2020-01-24

    After an escaped spell resolves, it returns to its owner's graveyard if it's not a permanent spell. If it is a permanent spell, it enters the battlefield and will return to its owner's graveyard if it dies later. Perhaps it will escape again—good underworld security is so hard to come by these days.

  • 2020-01-24

    Escape's permission doesn't change when you may cast the spell from your graveyard.

  • 2020-01-24

    If a card has multiple abilities giving you permission to cast it, such as two escape abilities or an escape ability and a flashback ability, you choose which one to apply. The others have no effect.

  • 2020-01-24

    If a card with escape is put into your graveyard during your turn, you'll be able to cast it right away if it's legal to do so, before an opponent can take any actions.

  • 2020-01-24

    If an amount of damage would be dealt to Polukranos greater than the number of +1/+1 counters on it, all of that damage is prevented, and all of those counters are removed. In most cases, this will result in Polukranos having 0 toughness, so it will be put into its owner's graveyard.

  • 2020-01-24

    If damage that can't be prevented is dealt to Polukranos, the damage is dealt and you'll simultaneously remove that many +1/+1 counters from it, all before the game checks for lethal damage.

  • 2020-01-24

    If the target creature is an illegal target when Polukranos's activated ability tries to resolve, the ability doesn't resolve. If Polukranos is no longer on the battlefield, the target creature won't deal or be dealt damage.

  • 2020-01-24

    If you cast a spell with its escape permission, you can't choose to apply any other alternative costs or to cast it without paying its mana cost. If it has any additional costs, you must pay those.

  • 2020-01-24

    Once you begin casting a spell with escape, it immediately moves to the stack. Players can't take any other actions until you're done casting the spell.

  • 2020-01-24

    To determine the total cost of a spell, start with the mana cost or alternative cost you're paying (such as an escape cost), add any cost increases, then apply any cost reductions. The mana value of the spell remains unchanged, no matter what the total cost to cast it was and no matter whether an alternative cost was paid.

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