Graft Surgeon — ruling 1

Graft Surgeon's second ability puts all counters that were on Graft Surgeon onto the target creature, not just its +1/+1 counters.

Graft Surgeon — ruling 2

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 Graft Surgeon dies, you'll put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the target creature.

Graft Surgeon — ruling 3

Graft Surgeon's second ability doesn't cause you to move counters from Graft Surgeon onto the target creature. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter Graft Surgeon had when it died onto the target creature.

Graft Surgeon — ruling 4

If Graft Surgeon has -1/-1 counters on it when it dies, that ability will include those as well. This may result in the recipient of the counters dying.

Graft Surgeon — ruling 5

If enough -1/-1 counters are put on Graft Surgeon 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 target creature.

Graft Surgeon : règles, fonctionnement et interactions (MTG)

Graft Surgeon 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

This creature enters with a +1/+1 counter on it. When this creature dies, put its counters on up to one target creature you control.

How it works : Graft Surgeon

Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall

#1August 21, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
Graft Surgeon's second ability puts all counters that were on Graft Surgeon onto the target creature, not just its +1/+1 counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#2August 21, 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 Graft Surgeon dies, you'll put the appropriate number of each kind of counter onto both The Ozolith and the target creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#3August 21, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
Graft Surgeon's second ability doesn't cause you to move counters from Graft Surgeon onto the target creature. Rather, you put the same number of each kind of counter Graft Surgeon had when it died onto the target creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#4August 21, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If Graft Surgeon has -1/-1 counters on it when it dies, that ability will include those as well. This may result in the recipient of the counters dying.
No other card is named in this ruling.
#5August 21, 2026· Wizards of the Coast
If enough -1/-1 counters are put on Graft Surgeon 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 target creature.
No other card is named in this ruling.

Legal formats

standardfuturehistorictimelessgladiatorpioneermodernlegacypaupervintagepennycommanderoathbreakerstandardbrawlbrawlcompetitivebrawlalchemypaupercommanderdueltlr

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