Aggressive green decks and ramp strategies benefit enormously from a hasty threat that scales with available mana while providing long-term value. The combination of vigilance and trample makes it an excellent both offensively and defensively, pressuring planeswalkers while still protecting you on the crackback. Even when opponents remove it, the Treasure tokens equal to its power provide significant mana acceleration for future plays, making this a threat that generates value regardless of how the game develops.
Format Notes
Commander represents the strongest home for this card, where higher life totals and multiplayer dynamics reward both the explosive early potential and the treasure generation upon death. In sixty-card formats like Standard and Pioneer, it competes with other efficient threats but shines in metas where treasure synergies are prevalent. The mythic rarity and current price point reflect its power level, though it hasn't warped any formats enough to attract ban consideration.
Combos & Synergies
Nyxbloom Ancient creates explosive turns where even moderate X values generate enormous hydras that produce incredible treasure yields when they die. Parallel Lives and similar token doublers turn the death trigger into a massive mana injection that can immediately fuel game-ending plays. Sacrifice outlets like Phyrexian Altar allow you to convert the hydra into treasures at instant speed, effectively turning it into a ritual effect that can enable powerful combo turns.
