PentavusHow it works & interactions with other cards

A Self-Sustaining Swarm

Pentavus enters the battlefield with five +1/+1 counters, making it a 5/5 creature by default. Its true power lies in its two activated abilities: for one mana and the removal of a counter, you create a 1/1 Pentavite token with flying; conversely, for one mana and the sacrifice of a Pentavite, you put a +1/+1 counter back onto Pentavus. These abilities can be activated at instant speed, allowing you to react to your opponent's spells or combat maneuvers.

Step-by-Step Resolution

When you activate the first ability, you pay one mana and remove a +1/+1 counter as a cost. The ability goes on the stack, and when it resolves, you create a 1/1 colorless Pentavite artifact creature token. To reverse the process, you pay one mana and sacrifice a Pentavite creature as a cost. Once that ability resolves, Pentavus receives a new +1/+1 counter. You can repeat these processes as long as you have the mana and the necessary components (counters or Pentavites).

Strategic Considerations

A common mistake is forgetting that Pentavus can use any +1/+1 counters, not just the ones it entered with. If you have other ways to put counters on Pentavus, you can generate more Pentavite tokens than its initial five. Additionally, while the tokens created are Pentavites, the sacrifice ability can target any creature with the Pentavite subtype, even if that creature was not created by Pentavus itself.

When to Activate

Pentavus is excellent for blocking. You can block an incoming non-trampling creature with Pentavus, then before damage is dealt, pay mana to remove counters and create Pentavite tokens to block other creatures or simply to preserve your resources. If an opponent tries to destroy Pentavus with a spell, you can respond by turning all its counters into tokens, ensuring you don't lose all your board presence at once.

Interaction examples

Dodging Targeted Destruction

Meteor Golem

If your opponent plays Meteor Golem and targets Pentavus with its enters-the-battlefield ability, you can respond by activating Pentavus's ability five times. By spending five mana and removing all five counters, you create five 1/1 Pentavite tokens. The Meteor Golem's ability will still destroy the now 0/0 Pentavus, but you have successfully 'saved' its power by converting it into a fleet of small flyers.

Managing the Artifact Swarm

Myr Battlesphere

While Pentavus and Myr Battlesphere both create tokens, they operate differently. Pentavus allows you to convert its own body into Pentavite tokens and back again for mana. If you have both on the field, you can use Pentavus to create tokens that provide additional targets for artifact-based effects, though keep in mind that Myr Battlesphere specifically requires Myr tokens for its attack trigger, and Pentavites do not share that subtype.

Token Transformation

Pentavite

With Pentavus on the battlefield, each Pentavite token represents a flexible resource. If you have three Pentavite tokens and plenty of mana, you can pay three mana and sacrifice all three tokens to put three +1/+1 counters on Pentavus. This transforms your wide board of 1/1 flyers into a single, much larger threat, which can be useful if your opponent has a way to deal 1 damage to all creatures.