Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 1

Ambitious Augmenter's last ability puts all counters that were on it onto the Fractal token, not just its +1/+1 counters.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 2

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.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 3

If Ambitious Augmenter has -1/-1 counters on it when it dies, that ability will include those as well. This may result in the Fractal token dying.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 4

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.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 5

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.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 6

Ambitious Augmenter's last ability doesn't cause you to move counters from Ambitious Augmenter onto the Fractal token. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter Ambitious Augmenter had when it died onto the Fractal token.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 7

If more than one token is created by Ambitious Augmenter’s last ability (because of the effect of a card like Anointed Procession, for example), put Ambitious Augmenter’s counters on each of those tokens.

Ambitious Augmenter — ruling 8

In some unusual cases, you may end up putting the appropriate counters on more than one permanent. For example, if you control The Ozolith (a card from the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set) when Ambitious Augmenter dies, you'll put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the Fractal token.

Ambitious Augmenter : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Ambitious Augmenter is one of those cards players keep asking about. Here is, in plain words, what its official text says, the rulings published by Wizards of the Coast, and the combos players actually run.

Official card text

Increment (Whenever you cast a spell, if the amount of mana you spent is greater than this creature's power or toughness, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.) When this creature dies, if it had one or more counters on it, create a 0/0 green and blue Fractal creature token, then put this creature's counters on that token.

How it works : Ambitious Augmenter

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
Ambitious Augmenter's last ability puts all counters that were on it onto the Fractal token, not just its +1/+1 counters.
Card named in this ruling
Fractal
#2March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If Ambitious Augmenter has -1/-1 counters on it when it dies, that ability will include those as well. This may result in the Fractal token dying.
Card named in this ruling
Fractal
#4March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#6March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
Ambitious Augmenter's last ability doesn't cause you to move counters from Ambitious Augmenter onto the Fractal token. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter Ambitious Augmenter had when it died onto the Fractal token.
Card named in this ruling
Fractal
#7March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If more than one token is created by Ambitious Augmenter’s last ability (because of the effect of a card like Anointed Procession, for example), put Ambitious Augmenter’s counters on each of those tokens.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#8March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
In some unusual cases, you may end up putting the appropriate counters on more than one permanent. For example, if you control The Ozolith (a card from the Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set) when Ambitious Augmenter dies, you'll put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the Fractal token.
Card named in this ruling
Fractal
#9March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If enough -1/-1 counters are put on Ambitious Augmenter at the same time to make its toughness 0 or less, its second ability will see all of the +1/+1 counters it had when it died as well as the -1/-1 counters it had, and an equal number of each of those types of counters (plus any other applicable counters) will be put onto the Fractal token.
Card named in this ruling
Fractal
#10March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#11March 20, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
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.
No other card is named in this ruling.