Springing TigerHow it works & interactions with other cards

What it Does

Springing Tiger is a creature that features a static ability called Threshold. This ability checks the number of cards currently in your graveyard; if that number is seven or more, Springing Tiger receives a +2/+2 bonus. This is not a triggered ability that uses the stack, but rather a continuous effect that applies as long as the condition is met.

How it Resolves Step by Step

First, the game constantly checks the state of your graveyard. Second, the moment the seventh card enters your graveyard, the Threshold condition becomes true, and Springing Tiger immediately gains +2/+2. Conversely, if your graveyard count drops below seven while Springing Tiger is on the battlefield, the bonus is lost instantly.

Common Mistakes

One common mistake is treating the Threshold bonus like a permanent counter. It is a state-based bonus, meaning it can flicker on and off. Another error is miscalculating the timing: if a spell is cast that would be the seventh card, the Tiger doesn't get the bonus until that spell has finished resolving and is placed in the graveyard.

When to Play it

Springing Tiger is best utilized in decks that focus on self-mill or aggressive trading. Since it relies on the graveyard, it pairs well with cards that put themselves or others into the graveyard to ensure the Threshold condition is met by the mid-game, turning this Cat into a 5/5 powerhouse.

Interaction examples

Trading to Reach Threshold

Solemn Simulacrum

If you have six cards in your graveyard and Solemn Simulacrum dies in combat, its death puts a seventh card into your graveyard. The moment Solemn Simulacrum hits the graveyard, Springing Tiger immediately grows to a 5/5, potentially surviving its own combat encounter or becoming a larger blocker for the rest of the turn.

The Danger of Regrowth

Eternal Witness

Suppose you have exactly seven cards in your graveyard and Springing Tiger is currently a 5/5. If you play Eternal Witness and use its ability to return a card from your graveyard to your hand, your graveyard count drops to six. Springing Tiger immediately loses the bonus and shrinks back to a 3/3.