Whenever you cast a spell, check the amount of mana you spent to cast it against the power and toughness of the creature with increment. If the amount of mana you spent isn't greater than either of that creature's stats, increment won't trigger at all.
An increment ability will only trigger if the permanent it's on is a creature. Similarly, if the permanent is no longer a creature when its increment ability resolves, the ability won't do anything.
The increment ability resolves before the spell that caused it to trigger. It resolves even if that spell is countered or otherwise leaves the stack.
Last observed on Scryfall 6 days ago at $1.37, holding the same level over the trailing thirty days. Over the trailing 90 days the price moved between $0.05 and $2.50 across 79 observations — a volatile band. Cross-checked across TCGplayer, eBay sold, Cardmarket EU, and Star City.
This printing is one of 2 catalogued treatments from SOS — the lineup includes Extended Art alongside the standard finish. Across our catalog the Rarix library tracks every variant in the same family so collectors can compare price, scarcity and demand inside a single lineage.
Card #321 of *Secrets of Strixhaven*, the set that shipped alongside the April 2026 Secrets of Strixhaven release.
Card type: Creature — Human Wizard, color identity blue, printed at rare. Rares occupy the bottom-of-pack rare slot in standard boosters. Mana cost: {1}{U}{U} (3 converted). Keyword abilities: Increment.
Legal across the major constructed formats — Modern, Legacy, Vintage, and Commander — plus Standard rotation play.
EDHrec ranks this card #9,500 in Commander, putting it in the niche-pick tier of the format's playable pool.
Illustrated by Billy Christian. Rarix catalogs 255 other cards credited to this artist.
Magic: The Gathering · ™ & © Wizards of the Coast · Illus. Billy Christian
Card data via Scryfall. Rarix is fan-made; not endorsed by the rights holders.
If increment triggers, the comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If the amount of mana spent to cast that spell isn't greater than either of that creature's stats anymore, the ability will do nothing.
When comparing the mana spent to the creature's stats as the increment ability resolves, it's possible that the stat that is less than the mana spent changes from power to toughness or vice versa. For example, say you control a 1/3 creature with increment and you pay two mana to cast a spell. Since the amount of mana you spent is greater than the creature's power, increment will trigger. While the increment ability is on the stack, an effect gives the creature with increment +2/-2, making it a 3/1. When the increment ability resolves, the creature will still get a +1/+1 counter since the amount of mana you spent is greater than that creature's toughness.
