Cankerbloom 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
, Sacrifice this creature: Choose one — • Destroy target artifact. • Destroy target enchantment. • Proliferate. (Choose any number of permanents and/or players, then give each another counter of each kind already there.)
Complete guide
Cankerbloom is a versatile Phyrexian Fungus that serves as a multi-tool for green mages. Whether you need to handle problematic permanents or boost your own resources, this creature offers a solution for just two mana.
What It Does
Cankerbloom is a 3/2 creature with a modal activated ability. By paying one mana and sacrificing it, you can choose to destroy an artifact, destroy an enchantment, or Proliferate. This flexibility makes it a valuable utility piece that is never a dead card in your hand.
How It Resolves Step by Step
First, you activate the ability by paying {1} and sacrificing Cankerbloom as a cost; it goes to the graveyard immediately. You must choose one of the three modes as you activate it. If you chose to destroy a target, you must pick that target now. If you choose Proliferate, you do not choose the players or permanents until the ability actually resolves. Once it resolves, if you Proliferate, you choose any number of players and permanents that already have counters and add one more of each kind already there.
Common Mistakes
A common error is trying to respond to the choice of permanents during Proliferation. Once the ability starts resolving and the controller picks which permanents get counters, it is too late for opponents to act. Additionally, remember that if a permanent has multiple types of counters (like a +1/+1 and a Shield counter), Proliferating adds one of each; you cannot choose to add only one type.
When to Play It
Play Cankerbloom early to apply pressure with its 3 power. Hold onto its activation to respond to high-threat artifacts or enchantments. If your board is safe, use the Proliferate mode to accelerate your win condition by increasing counters on your other permanents.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesYou cast Llanowar Elves on turn one. On turn two, you tap Llanowar Elves for {G} and play a Forest to cast Cankerbloom. You now have an aggressive 3/2 body on the board while Llanowar Elves continues to provide mana for Cankerbloom's activation cost later.
Birds of ParadiseWith Cankerbloom and Birds of Paradise on the battlefield, your opponent plays a powerful artifact. You tap Birds of Paradise for {G} and pay {1} from another source to activate Cankerbloom. You sacrifice Cankerbloom, choosing the first mode to destroy the artifact. The artifact is destroyed as the ability resolves.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Cankerbloom
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To proliferate, you can choose any permanent that has a counter, including ones controlled by opponents. You can choose any player who has a counter, including opponents. You can't choose cards in any zone other than the battlefield, even if they have counters on them.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
You don't have to choose every permanent or player that has a counter, only the ones you want to add another counter to. Since "any number" includes zero, you don't have to choose any permanents at all, and you don't have to choose any players at all.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a player or permanent has more than one kind of counter on it, and you choose for it to get additional counters, it must get one of each kind of counter it already has. You can't have it get just one kind of counter it already has and not the others.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
An ability that triggers "Whenever you proliferate" triggers even if you chose no permanents or players while doing so.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Players can respond to a spell or ability whose effect includes proliferating. Once that spell or ability starts to resolve, however, and its controller chooses which permanents and players will get new counters, it's too late for anyone to respond.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If a permanent ever has both +1/+1 counters and -1/-1 counters on it at the same time, they're removed in pairs as a state-based action so that the permanent has only one of those kinds of counters on it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Cankerbloom
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.