Hardened Academic
Creature — Bird Cleric2/1$0.41
Flying, haste Discard a card: This creature gains lifelink until end of turn. Whenever one or more cards leave your graveyard, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Legal in Commander
Is
Does
Combos 12
Hardened Academic + Evolution Witness
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have a permanent card in your graveyard. You have a way to put a +1/+1 counter on Evolution Witness.
Steps
Put a +1/+1 counter on Evolution Witness. Evolution Witness triggers, returning a permanent card from your graveyard to your hand. Hardened Academic triggers. Holding priority, activate Hardened Academic by discarding the permanent card. Resolve the Hardened Academic trigger, putting a +1/+1 counter on Evolution Witness. Repeat from step 2.
Hardened Academic + Ovalchase Daredevil + Chalk Outline
- Infinite artifact tokens
- Infinite creature tokens
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have a way to cause an artifact to enter the battlefield under your control.
Steps
Cause an artifact to enter the battlefield under your control. Ovalchase Daredevil triggers, returning itself from your graveyard to your hand. Chalk Outline triggers. Holding priority, activate Hardened Academic by discarding Ovalchase Daredevil. Resolve the Chalk Outline trigger, creating a 2/2 Detective creature token and a Clue token. Repeat from step 2.
Hardened Academic + Ovalchase Daredevil + Kheru Goldkeeper
- Infinite artifact tokens
- Infinite Treasure tokens
- Infinite colored mana
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have a way to cause an artifact to enter the battlefield under your control.
Steps
Cause an artifact to enter the battlefield under your control. Ovalchase Daredevil triggers, returning it from your graveyard to your hand. Kheru Goldkeeper triggers. Holding priority, activate Hardened Academic by discarding Ovalchase Daredevil. Resolve the Kheru Goldkeeper trigger, creating a Treasure token. Repeat from step 2.
Hardened Academic + Niv-Mizzet, Visionary + Glint-Horn Buccaneer
- Near-infinite card draw
- Near-infinite damage
- Near-infinite looting
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have at least one card in hand.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding a card. Glint-Horn Buccaneer triggers, dealing 1 damage to each opponent. Niv-Mizzet triggers, causing you to draw that many cards. Resolve the Hardened Academic ability. Repeat.
Hardened Academic + Eligeth, Crossroads Augur + Curator of Mysteries
- Infinite rummaging
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have at least one card in hand.
Steps
Activate Mind Over Matter by discarding a card. Curator of Mysteries triggers, causing you to draw a card due to Eligeth. Resolve the Mind Over Matter ability, untapping target permanent you control. Repeat.
Hardened Academic + Matoya, Archon Elder + Curator of Mysteries
- Infinite rummaging
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You have a card in hand.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding a card. Curator of Mysteries triggers, causing you to scry 1. Matoya triggers, causing you to draw a card. Resolve the Hardened Academic ability. Repeat.
Hardened Academic + Gollum, Patient Plotter + Kheru Goldkeeper
- Infinite creature ETB
- Infinite creature LTB
- Infinite death triggers
- Infinite creature sacrifice triggers
- Infinite self-discard triggers
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You control an additional creature.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding Gollum. Activate Gollum by paying {B} and sacrificing a creature, returning Gollum from your graveyard to your hand. Kheru Goldkeeper and Kheru Goldkeeper trigger, creating a creature token and a Treasure token. Activate the Treasure by tapping and sacrificing it, adding {B}. Repeat.
Hardened Academic + Disa the Restless + Cloudstone Curio
- Infinite creature ETB
- Infinite creature LTB
- Infinite self-discard triggers
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
You control at least one nontoken nonartifact Lhurgoyf. You have at least one nonartifact Lhurgoyf creature card in hand.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding a nonartifact Lhurgoyf card. Disa the Restless' first ability triggers, putting the discarded Lhurgoyf from your graveyard onto the battlefield. When the Lhurgoyf enters the battlefield, Cloudstone Curio triggers, returning another nontoken nonartifact Lhurgoyf from the battlefield to your hand. Resolve the Hardened Academic ability from step 1. Repeat.
Hardened Academic + Magar of the Magic Strings + Rise of the Eldrazi
- Infinite turns
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
An opponent cannot block creatures you control. An opponent is unable to block and kill creatures you control.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding Rise of the Eldrazi. Activate Magar by paying {1}{R}{B}, noting Rise of the Eldrazi and putting it face down on the battlefield as a 3/3 creature. During your next turn, deal combat damage to an opponent using the 3/3 creature that has Rise of the Eldrazi noted. The creature triggers, casting a copy of Rise of the Eldrazi without paying its mana cost. Resolve the Rise of the Eldrazi copy, causing you to take an extra turn after this one. Repeat from step 3 during each turn. Cast Rise of the Eldrazi by paying its mana cost, causing you to take an extra turn after this one. Activate Magar by paying {1}{B}{R}, noting Rise of the Eldrazi and putting it face down as a 3/3 creature. Move to your next turn. Deal combat damage to an opponent with the face down creature. The face down creature triggers, causing you to cast a copy of Rise of the Eldrazi without paying its mana cost. Resolve the copy of Rise of the Eldrazi, causing you to take an extra turn after this one. Repeat from step 3.
Hardened Academic + Cryptcaller Chariot + Kindred Discovery
- Infinite rummaging
- Near-infinite tapped creature tokens
Commander Spellbook ↗How it works
Before you start
"Zombie" chosen with Kindred Discovery. You have a card in hand. You have at least one more card in hand than your maximum hand size.
Steps
Activate Hardened Academic by discarding a card. Cryptcaller Chariot triggers, causing you to create a tapped 2/2 Zombie creature token. When the Zombie enters the battlefield, Kindred Discovery triggers, causing you to draw a card. Resolve the Hardened Academic ability. Repeat. During your cleanup step, discard down to your maximum hand size. Cryptcaller Chariot triggers, causing you to create a tapped 2/2 Zombie creature token for each card discarded this way. When the Zombie(s) enter the battlefield, Kindred Discovery triggers that many times, causing you to draw that many cards. Discard down to your maximum hand size, as you are still in your cleanup step. Repeat from step 2.
Combo data from Commander Spellbook. Only combos of 2 or 3 named cards are listed.
Best commanders
Commanders whose abilities work with this card and share its colors, from what the cards do.
- Aragorn, Hornburg HeroHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures and Aragorn, Hornburg Hero doubles counters.
- Miles Morales // Ultimate Spider-ManHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures and Miles Morales // Ultimate Spider-Man doubles counters.
- Bright-Palm, Soul AwakenerHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures and Bright-Palm, Soul Awakener doubles counters.
- Zabaz, the GlimmerwaspHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures and Zabaz, the Glimmerwasp doubles counters.
- The ThingHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures and The Thing doubles counters.
- Kilo, Apogee MindKilo, Apogee Mind proliferates and Hardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures.
- Cayth, Famed MechanistCayth, Famed Mechanist proliferates and Hardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures.
- Tam, the PossibilityTam, the Possibility proliferates and Hardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures.
- Shalai and HallarHardened Academic puts +1/+1 counters on your creatures, which Shalai and Hallar can use.
- Ragost, Deft GastronautHardened Academic gains you life, which Ragost, Deft Gastronaut can use.