Park Heights Maverick 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
Dethrone (Whenever this creature attacks the player with the most life or tied for most life, put a +1/+1 counter on it.) This creature can't be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less. Whenever this creature deals combat damage to a player or dies, proliferate.
Complete guide
Park Heights Maverick is a versatile Human Soldier that rewards aggressive play with growth and board-wide utility. It combines the Dethrone mechanic with evasion and the powerful Proliferate keyword, making it a constant threat that scales with every attack.
Scaling Through Combat
Park Heights Maverick features three distinct abilities. First, Dethrone grants a +1/+1 counter whenever it attacks the player with the most life. Second, it has a built-in evasion clause preventing it from being blocked by creatures with power 2 or less. Finally, it triggers Proliferate both when it deals combat damage to a player and when it dies, allowing you to increase counters on any permanent or player.
The Proliferation Process
When the Proliferate ability resolves, you choose any number of players and/or permanents that already have at least one counter. For each one chosen, you add another counter of each kind already there. Note that you cannot add counters to cards in other zones, such as the graveyard or library. Once the ability begins resolving, no player can respond to your choice of which targets receive counters.
Common Timing Errors
A common mistake involves the 'dies' trigger. If Park Heights Maverick receives lethal damage, it is moved to the graveyard before its Proliferate ability even goes on the stack. This means you cannot use that specific Proliferate trigger to add a +1/+1 counter to the Maverick itself to save it from death. Additionally, Dethrone checks life totals at the moment the creature is declared as an attacker; if life totals change later, the counter remains.
When to Deploy
This card is most effective when you are behind or tied in life, as Dethrone ensures it becomes a larger threat. Because it proliferates on death, it acts as a form of insurance against board wipes, ensuring your other permanents with counters—such as planeswalkers or other creatures—still benefit even if the Maverick is removed.
Interaction examples
Sakura-Tribe ElderIf your opponent controls a Sakura-Tribe Elder, they cannot use it to block Park Heights Maverick because the Elder has a power of 1. The Maverick's evasion ability specifically states it cannot be blocked by creatures with power 2 or less, allowing it to strike the player directly and trigger Proliferate.
Solemn SimulacrumIf your opponent uses a removal spell on Park Heights Maverick while you also control a Solemn Simulacrum that has a +1/+1 counter on it, the Maverick's 'dies' ability triggers. You can choose to Proliferate, adding another +1/+1 counter to Solemn Simulacrum. This happens independently of the Simulacrum's own death trigger, providing value even as your Maverick leaves the battlefield.
Guide written with AI from the official text and rulings. Official English text prevails.
How it works : Park Heights Maverick
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, and 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
While proliferating, if you choose a permanent or player with multiple kinds of counters, the permanent or player gets another counter of each kind, not just one kind. This change from the original proliferate rules was introduced in a previous set.
No other card is named in this ruling.
- #4· 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.
- #5· Wizards of the Coast
If Park Heights Maverick has a +1/+1 counter on it and is dealt lethal damage, it will die before its triggered ability resolves and you proliferate. You won't be able to add a +1/+1 counter to it in time to save it.
No other card is named in this ruling.
Popular combos
Real combos played by the community, sorted by popularity.
Myojin of Cleansing Fire + Myojin of Grim Betrayal + Park Heights Maverick
- 1Activate Myojin of Cleansing Fire by removing an indestructible counter from it, destroying each other creature.
- 2When Park Heights Maverick dies, it triggers, putting an indestructible counter on Myojin of Cleansing Fire and Myojin of Grim Betrayal.
- 3Activate Myojin of Grim Betrayal by removing an indestructible counter from it, putting Park Heights Maverick and any other creature that died this turn from each player's graveyard onto the battlefield.
- 4Repeat.
Myojin of Roaring Blades + Myojin of Grim Betrayal + Park Heights Maverick
- 1Activate Myojin of Roaring Blades by removing an indestructible counter from it, dealing 7 damage to Park Heights Maverick and any two other targets.
- 2Park Heights Maverick dies as a state-based action due to having less than 0 toughness, triggering its ability, putting an indestructible counter on Myojin of Roaring Blades and Myojin of Grim Betrayal.
- 3Activate Myojin of Grim Betrayal by removing an indestructible counter from it, putting Park Heights Maverick from your graveyard onto the battlefield.
- 4Repeat.
Legal formats
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Meta decks with Park Heights Maverick
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