Overclocked Electromancer 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
At the beginning of combat on your turn, you may pay. If you do, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature. Whenever this creature attacks, double its power until end of turn. Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a creature, if that creature was dealt excess damage this turn, you get X
Complete guide
Overclocked Electromancer is a high-voltage threat that turns your energy reserves into permanent growth and explosive combat phases. By leveraging the excess damage mechanic, this Lizard Wizard rewards aggressive play with a self-sustaining cycle of energy production.
Harnessing the Overclock
The Electromancer features three distinct abilities that trigger throughout combat. First, at the beginning of your combat phase, you may spend three energy counters ({E}{E}{E}) to give it a permanent +1/+1 counter. Second, when it attacks, it receives a temporary power boost equal to its current power. Finally, if it deals combat damage to a creature beyond what is required to destroy it, you regain energy equal to that excess amount.
The Math of Doubling and Excess
When the attack trigger resolves, the creature gets +X/+0, where X is its power at that exact moment. If it started as a 3/3 and gained a +1/+1 counter, it becomes a 4/4 and then triggers to get +4/+0, totaling 8 power. Excess damage is calculated based on the creature's current toughness minus any damage already marked on it. If you deal 8 damage to a 2/2 creature, you have dealt 6 excess damage and will receive 6 energy counters.
Timing and Strategy
Because the energy payment happens at the beginning of combat, you must have the {E}{E}{E} ready before attackers are declared. You cannot use energy generated from the damage trigger of the same combat to pay for the +1/+1 counter trigger. Energy counters do not expire at the end of turns or phases, allowing you to bank energy from successful attacks to fuel future 'overclocking' sessions.
Interaction examples
Overclocked Electromancer
Solemn SimulacrumIf Overclocked Electromancer attacks and its power is doubled to 6, and it is blocked by Solemn Simulacrum (a 2/2), it deals 6 damage to the Golem. Since 2 damage is lethal, 4 damage is considered excess. You immediately gain 4 energy counters.
Roaming ThroneWith Roaming Throne on the battlefield naming 'Wizard', both the +1/+1 counter ability and the power-doubling ability trigger twice. If you have enough energy, you can put two +1/+1 counters on the Electromancer. When it attacks, the first trigger doubles its power, and the second trigger doubles that new total, potentially resulting in a massive creature.
Energy ReserveUsing an Energy Reserve card helps you track your counters clearly. If you start combat with 3 energy, you pay them to the reserve to put a counter on the Electromancer. If it later deals 5 excess damage to a blocker, you add 5 new energy counters to your reserve, ready for the next turn's combat.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Overclocked Electromancer
Original English text — Wizards of the Coast / Scryfall
- #1· Wizards of the Coast
To double Overclocked Electromancer's power, it gets +X/+0, where X is its power when its second ability resolves.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #2· Wizards of the Coast
Excess damage has been dealt to a creature if the damage dealt to it is greater than lethal damage. Usually, this means damage greater than its toughness, although damage already marked on the creature is taken into account.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #3· Wizards of the Coast is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with any specific permanents.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
Keep track of how many energy counters each player has. Potential ways to track this include writing theme down on paper or using dice, but any method that is clear and mutually agreeable is fine. (At higher levels of tournament play, dice may not be allowed for tracking counters that players have.)
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #6· Wizards of the Coast
If an effect says you get one or more
, you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. You can't pay more energy counters than you have. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #7· Wizards of the Coast
Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana "of any type" can't give you energy counters.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #8· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
. You can't pay that amount multiple times to multiply the effect. You simply choose whether or not to pay that amount of as the ability resolves.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #9· Wizards of the Coast
Some triggered abilities that state that you "may pay" a certain amount of
describe an effect that happens "If you do." In that case, no player may take actions to try to stop the ability's effect after you make your choice. If the payment is followed by the phrase "When you do," then you'll choose any targets for that reflexive triggered ability and put it on the stack before players can take actions.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #10· Wizards of the Coast
If a spell or ability with one or more targets states that you "may pay" some amount of
, and each permanent that it targets has become an illegal target, the spell or ability won't resolve. You can't pay any even if you want to.No other card is named in this ruling.
- #11· Wizards of the Coast
Some spells and abilities that give you
may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't get any .No other card is named in this ruling.
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