This week, we’re digging up a mechanic from Magic‘s past that will help you power up your creature-based decks.
What is Amplify?
Amplify is a mechanic from Legions, a set that only contained creature cards. The set demanded mechanics that rewarded players for filling their decks with creatures of a single type, and amplify certainly fit the bill.
Amplify is templated as “Amplify N.” When a creature with amplify enters the battlefield, you may reveal any number of creature cards from your hand that share a creature type with it. The creature enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters for each creature revealed this way.
This mechanic hasn’t appeared on a lot of creature cards, but some creatures with amplify belong to popular creature tribes, like Dragons, Humans, and Zombies.
A few notes on amplify:
- Some cards can change the creature types of cards, even when they aren’t on the battlefield. Amplify still works, but you would need to reveal creature cards that share the new type instead of the old one.
- Amplify works for creatures like Clone, which can enter the battlefield as a copy of a creature. If a creature would turn into a creature with amplify — using something like Mirrorweave, for example — amplify won’t trigger, as the creature is already on the battlefield.
Amplify can make your creatures huge, and used somewhat deceptively, can let you catch your opponent very off guard. Check out all the creatures with amplify here!