Canopy GargantuanHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Massive Growth Engine

Canopy Gargantuan features a triggered ability that occurs at the start of your upkeep. This ability checks the current toughness of each other creature you control and places that many +1/+1 counters on them. Because it checks toughness as the ability resolves, any temporary buffs or existing counters will contribute to an even larger number of new counters being added.

Step-by-Step Resolution

First, the ability triggers at the beginning of your upkeep and is put onto the stack. When the ability resolves, the game checks the toughness of every other creature you control individually. For each creature, you place a number of +1/+1 counters on it equal to the value found during that check. Note that Canopy Gargantuan does not put counters on itself, though its Ward 2 ability helps ensure it stays on the battlefield to trigger again next turn.

Common Pitfalls

It is important to remember that this ability only affects other creatures you control; Canopy Gargantuan remains a 7/7 unless other effects modify it. Additionally, if a creature's toughness is zero or less when the ability resolves (though rare for a surviving creature), no counters are placed on it. Because the ability triggers during the upkeep, you cannot use creatures you cast during the current turn's main phase to gain counters immediately.

Timing Your Tactics

To maximize Canopy Gargantuan, you should aim to have creatures with high toughness or temporary toughness boosts already on the board before your upkeep begins. Effects that increase toughness 'until end of turn' usually wear off during the cleanup step of the previous turn, so focus on static buffs or enters-the-battlefield effects that linger.

Interaction examples

Exponential Plant Growth

Avenger of Zendikar

If you have Avenger of Zendikar and its 0/1 Plant tokens on the battlefield when Canopy Gargantuan's upkeep trigger resolves, the 5/5 Avenger receives five +1/+1 counters (becoming a 10/10). Each 0/1 Plant receives one +1/+1 counter (becoming 1/2s). On the following turn's upkeep, those now 1/2 Plants will receive two additional counters each, quickly turning a small garden into a lethal forest.

The Ultimate Alpha Strike

Craterhoof Behemoth

If you cast Craterhoof Behemoth during your main phase, its 'enters' trigger gives your team a massive toughness boost. While that boost will end before your next upkeep, if you have a way to trigger Canopy Gargantuan's ability immediately or keep the buff active, the counters added would be based on that inflated toughness. Usually, you use the massive creatures Canopy Gargantuan created on previous turns to make the Craterhoof Behemoth's bonus even more devastating for a final attack.