Genesis Hydra 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
When you cast this spell, reveal the top X cards of your library. You may put a nonland permanent card with mana value X or less from among them onto the battlefield. Then shuffle the rest into your library. This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
Complete guide
Genesis Hydra is a powerful Plant Hydra that offers incredible value by potentially bringing a second threat to the table for free. As a scalable creature, it allows you to dig through your library and cheat high-impact permanents directly into play. Understanding its unique cast trigger is the key to mastering this green behemoth.
A Scalable Threat
Genesis Hydra features a mana cost of {X}{G}{G}. This 'X' serves two purposes: it determines how many cards you reveal from the top of your library and how many +1/+1 counters the Hydra receives as it enters the battlefield. Because the reveal effect is a 'when you cast' trigger, it happens immediately after you pay the mana, even if the Hydra spell itself is eventually countered by an opponent.
Resolving the Trigger Step-by-Step
First, you cast Genesis Hydra by choosing a value for X and paying the mana. The triggered ability goes on the stack on top of the creature spell. You then reveal the top X cards of your library. From those cards, you may choose one nonland permanent card (an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker) with a mana value of X or less and put it onto the battlefield. Finally, all other revealed cards are shuffled back into your library. This entire process finishes before Genesis Hydra actually enters the battlefield.
Strategic Considerations and Common Mistakes
A common mistake involves timing. Since the permanent you find enters the battlefield before Genesis Hydra does, you cannot use an Aura found this way to enchant the Hydra itself. Additionally, if you find a card with {X} in its mana cost, that {X} is always treated as 0 while in the library. Remember that even if you reveal zero cards or choose not to put a card onto the battlefield, you must still shuffle your library.
When to Play Genesis Hydra
Genesis Hydra is best played in the mid-to-late game when you have accumulated enough mana to set X to 4 or higher. This increases your chances of hitting a game-winning permanent while simultaneously creating a large body that demands an answer from your opponent. It is particularly effective against control decks, as you get the 'reveal' value even if the Hydra is countered.
Interaction examples
Llanowar ElvesIf you have Llanowar Elves on the battlefield and tap it along with three lands to cast Genesis Hydra where X=2, the trigger lets you look at the top two cards of your library. If one of those cards is another Llanowar Elves, you can put it onto the battlefield because its mana value (1) is less than or equal to X (2). The Hydra will then enter as a 2/2.
Birds of ParadiseSuppose you cast Genesis Hydra with X=5. You reveal five cards and see a Birds of Paradise. Since the mana value of the Bird is 0 or 1 (which is less than 5), you can put it onto the battlefield. This provides you with an immediate flying blocker or mana source for your next turn, followed by a 5/5 Hydra resolving afterward.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Genesis Hydra
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
Genesis Hydra's first ability will resolve before Genesis Hydra does. Notably, if you put an Aura card onto the battlefield this way, it can't enchant Genesis Hydra.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
If you have fewer than X cards in your library, you reveal all of them.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast
If a card in a player's library has
in its mana cost, X is considered to be 0.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
A nonland permanent card is an artifact, creature, enchantment, or planeswalker card.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If you put an Aura onto the battlefield this way, you choose what it enchants as it enters the battlefield. This doesn't target any permanent or player, but it must be able to enchant that permanent or player. For example, you could put a green Aura onto the battlefield enchanting a creature with hexproof controlled by an opponent, but not one with protection from green.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If "the rest" is zero cards, either because X was 0 or because X was 1 and that card was put onto the battlefield, the library is still shuffled.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Yedora, Grave Gardener + Primordial Mist + Pitiless Plunderer + Genesis Hydra
- 1Cast Genesis Hydra for = 0.
- 2Genesis Hydra dies due to having zero toughness.
- 3Yedora triggers, returning it to the battlefield face-down as a Forest land.
- 4Pitiless Plunderer triggers, creating a Treasure token.
- 5Activate that Forest adding
. - 6Sacrifice the Treasure token for .
- 7Activate Primordial Mist by exiling the face-down Genesis Hydra, and allowing you to cast it this turn.
- 8Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Genesis Hydra
No archived Top 8 deck with this card yet.