For effects that check which player put counters on the entering creature, the player chosen to pay tribute puts those counters on it, not the creature’s controller.
Thunder Brute
If the opponent pays tribute, the creature will enter the battlefield with the specified number of +1/+1 counters on it. It won’t enter the battlefield and then have the +1/+1 counters placed on it.
Players can’t respond to the tribute decision before the creature enters the battlefield. That is, if the opponent doesn’t pay tribute, the triggered ability will trigger before any player has a chance to remove the creature.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Phill Simmer
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
