Significant (En)Counters


+1/+1 counters were a significant part of Ravnica block. Two of the ten guilds keywords revolved around them, and today we take a look at them: the Gruul Clans and the Simic Combine.






The Gruul Clans

Dispossessed, alienated, and disenfranchised. Whatever function the Gruul Clans once had in the Guildpact is long since disappeared, leaving behind a violent, savage, and unruly collection of street gangs. The guild's Bloodthirst keyword recently made a return to M12, and it's certainly in the Cube. (Bloodthirst N: If an opponent was dealt damage this turn, this creature enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters on it.)
However, it's not the only focus. About a third of all cards with Bloodthirst share a creature type, so there's a bit of tribal action going on with Gruul. Let me show you my favorite two-card combo with the guild:

Warriors from across the multiverse will be bigger and trample-ier - then even bigger and more trample-ier. Hulk smash! Hulk smash more!
The Simic Combine

A group of biological engineers that just can't leave nature well enough alone (even their own nature), the Simic Combine is known for their keyword Graft. (Graft N: This creature enters the battlefield with N +1/+1 counters on it. Whenever another creature enters the battlefield, you may move a +1/+1 counter from this creature onto it.) 
When you switch from red to blue in a +1/+1 counter centered guild, you get a little less smashy and a little more tricksy, with a range of activated abilities that care about +1/+1 counters, from granting keywords to using them as resources:

Wizards aren't quite the theme to Simic that Warriors are to Gruul, but they are around:

And a Glimpse at Blue

And finally, continuing my theme of choosing my semi-arbitrarily-chosen additional monocolored spoilers from utility cards, I'm curious to see whether this "do nothing" card will actually, well, do something: