Arcbound Stinger — ruling 1

If this creature gets enough -1/-1 counters put on it to cause its toughness to be 0 or less (or the damage marked on it to be lethal), modular will put a number of +1/+1 counters on the target artifact creature equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature before it left the battlefield.

Arcbound Stinger : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Arcbound Stinger 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

Flying Modular 1 (This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)

Complete guide

Arcbound Stinger is a classic piece of artifact synergy that brings efficient evasion and resilience to your board. As part of the iconic modular family, it ensures that even after it falls in battle, its strength is never truly lost. This small Insect is a building block for aggressive artifact decks looking to maintain momentum.

Understanding Modular 1

Arcbound Stinger features two distinct abilities. First, it has Flying, making it an excellent early-game attacker. Second, it has Modular 1, which functions as both a static ability and a triggered ability. It enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter already on it, and when it dies, you can transfer its power to another metallic ally.

Transferring Counters Step-by-Step

When Arcbound Stinger leaves the battlefield and is put into your graveyard, its modular ability triggers. First, you choose a legal target for the ability, which must be an 'artifact creature'. If the ability resolves, you check how many +1/+1 counters were on the Stinger the last moment it was on the battlefield. You then place that exact number of +1/+1 counters onto the target creature.

Common Pitfalls

A common mistake is forgetting that the target must be an artifact creature; you cannot move these counters to a non-artifact creature or a non-creature artifact. Additionally, if the Stinger is exiled instead of being put into the graveyard, the modular trigger will not fire. However, if the Stinger dies due to having 0 toughness from -1/-1 counters, the ability still works and counts the +1/+1 counters it had before it was removed.

Strategic Deployment

Use Arcbound Stinger to apply early pressure or as a cheap blocker that preserves its value. It is best played when you have other artifact creatures on board to receive its counters, ensuring that your opponent's removal spells result in a bigger threat elsewhere rather than a total loss of tempo.

Interaction examples

Building a Mana Dork

Ornithopter of Paradise

If your Arcbound Stinger is blocked and destroyed while you control Ornithopter of Paradise, you can target the Ornithopter with the modular trigger. The +1/+1 counter moves to the Ornithopter, turning your mana source into a 1/3 flyer that is much harder for your opponent to remove with small attackers.

Discounted Reinforcements

Foundry Inspector

With Foundry Inspector on the battlefield, Arcbound Stinger costs only {1} to cast. If the Inspector is later targeted by a destruction spell, you can block with the Stinger first. When the Stinger dies, you can move its counter to the Foundry Inspector, potentially saving it from a 'deal 2 damage' effect or making it a more formidable 4/3 attacker.

Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.

How it works : Arcbound Stinger

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1September 25, 2006· Wizards of the Coast
If this creature gets enough -1/-1 counters put on it to cause its toughness to be 0 or less (or the damage marked on it to be lethal), modular will put a number of +1/+1 counters on the target artifact creature equal to the number of +1/+1 counters on this creature before it left the battlefield.
No other card is named in this ruling.