Does +1 count as a counter MTG?

+1/+1 counters are a specific type of counter in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) that adds one to a creature’s power and toughness, but a static +1/+1 bonus from a card like Spear of Heliod or Ajani’s Presence does not count as a counter. In MTG, a counter is a marker placed on an object or player that modifies its characteristics and/or interacts with a rule, ability, or effect, and +1/+1 counters are distinct from effects that give +1/+1, as they are physical markers that can be added, removed, or moved around.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

1. What counts as counters in MTG? Counters are markers placed on an object or player that modify its characteristics and/or interact with a rule, ability, or effect, and are not objects with characteristics.
2. Is +1/+1 the same as counters? No, +1/+1 counters are different from effects that give +1/+1, as counters are physical markers, while effects are separate from the creature and go away when the effect runs out or the permanent causing the effect leaves the battlefield.
3. Does a +1/+1 counter remove a counter? If a permanent has both a +1/+1 counter and a -1/-1 counter on it, N +1/+1 and N -1/-1 counters are removed from it as a state-based action, where N is the smaller of the number of +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters on it.

Counter Interactions

4. Do +1 counters counteract counters? Yes, +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters cancel each other out as a state-based action.
5. Can a land have +1/+1 counters? Yes, a land can have +1/+1 counters on it, but it won’t have any effect unless it becomes a creature.
6. Is +1/+1 a counter MTG? Yes, +1/+1 counters are the most common counter type in Magic.

Counters and Effects

7. What do counters count? Counters are devices that count up or down and have various applications, including counting numbers, operations, quantities, or periods of time.
8. Do +1 counters and counters cancel out MTG? Yes, +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters cancel each other out as a state-based effect.
9. What is the difference between counters and +1? +1/+1 counters are physical markers that can be added, removed, or moved around, while effects that give +1/+1 are separate from the creature and go away when the effect runs out or the permanent causing the effect leaves the battlefield.

Specific Scenarios

10. Does Deathtouch give poison counters? Yes, when a creature with Deathtouch deals combat damage to a player, that player gets two poison counters.
11. Do counters get copied in MTG? No, counters on the object being copied and objects attached to it are not copied.
12. What does -1/-1 mean in MTG? -1/-1 counters are the second most common counter type in Magic, introduced on the Arabian Nights card Unstable Mutation.

Counter Placement and Removal

13. Can you put a +1/+1 counter on an enchantment MTG? Yes, there is nothing in the rules that disallows counters from being on particular permanents, including enchantments.
14. Can /-1 counters destroy indestructible creatures? Yes, -1/-1 counters can kill indestructible creatures by reducing their toughness to zero.
15. Do +1/+1 counters stay on the transformers when they convert MTG? Yes, +1/+1 counters stay on the creature when it transforms, as a flipped card is still the same permanent and hasn’t left the battlefield.