Altered Ego: Mastering Creative Clone Combos

Altered Ego card art from Innistrad Remastered

Image courtesy of Scryfall.com

Mastering Creative Clone Combos with Altered Ego

Shapeshifters have always captured the playful side of MTG’s battlefields, and Altered Ego is one of the most mischievous enablers you can splash into a G/U shell. Its bargain-priced temptation—{X}{2}{G}{U} to mimic any creature on the board—paired with a substantial hitch: the copy enters with X additional +1/+1 counters and the spell itself can’t be countered. That’s a recipe for late-game menace, surprise tempo, and some gloriously loud board states 🧙‍♂️🔥. The card hails from Innistrad Remastered, a set that loves reintroducing of-the-era shufflers into modern staples, and Altered Ego fits right alongside the set’s blue-green glimmer and wildClone energy. It’s the kind of card that makes you grin when your opponent realizes you’ve just copied their own boss and pumped it beyond recognition ⚔️.

Core mechanics that make it sing

Copy power, pump with purpose. Altered Ego enters the battlefield as a copy of any creature you choose that’s already on the battlefield. It’s like borrowing someone else’s sword and then frosting it with your own +1/+1 magic, all while you’re telling your opponent, “Surprise—this weapon just grew again.”
Uncounterable entry. This spell can’t be countered. That guarantees you’ll land your clone plan even in tense lategame stacks wars—great for forcing through a decisive line when the board stalls. 🧙‍♂️
Enter with X +1/+1 counters. The twist is the stacking: the more you pay in X, the more counters you pour on Altered Ego as it enters. That means you can flex from a modest 4-mana play to a towering threat in a single moment—especially with support that care about counters.
Color identity and synergies. Its G/U identity makes it fertile ground for blue-green combos that care about ramp, card draw, and resilience. You’re not locked into a single role; you can lean into troves of go-wide or go-tall strategies depending on the board.
Legend rules and messaging. Copying a legendary creature will trigger the ever-present legend rule if you end up with two of the same named legendary on the battlefield. That’s a twist to manage, but it also opens opportunities for clever, tempo-heavy plays when you outmaneuver your opponent’s board.

Creative line #1: The Power Pump Plan

One of the purest, visual lines is to pay X large enough to turn a single big threat into a behemoth with a sky-high power and toughness. Imagine you’ve got a potent creature on the battlefield—let’s call it a sturdy 6/6 on the field. Cast Altered Ego with X = 5 (total cost {5}{2}{G}{U}). Altered Ego enters as a copy of that 6/6 creature, then it enters with 5 additional +1/+1 counters, becoming a 11/11 on arrival. If you’ve got other effects that care about counters (think Hardened Scales or other counter-doubling enablers), those counters become even more impactful. The result is a one-shot, heavy-hitting beater that can swing for lethal in short order 🧙‍♂️🎯.

To push this further, slot in Doubling Season or similar effects that double counters or token creation. While Doubling Season primarily doubles tokens and counter-placement events, it interacts beautifully with Altered Ego’s ETB counter placement: you’ll effectively place twice as many +1/+1 counters, creating an enormous body that can threaten out of nowhere. If you add Hardened Scales, every instance of counters placed becomes even bigger—the result is a dramatic, meme-worthy board state that rewards thoughtful sequencing and calm, almost sneaky, smiling faces 😂🔥.

Creative line #2: The Uncounterable Finale

The spell’s uncounterable clause isn’t just a safety net; it’s a tactical fuse. In a crowded control-heavy game, you can deploy Altered Ego to copy a midgame threat and weather the to-and-fro of spells. You don’t need to worry about a mass counterspell pile pausing your plans; you simply land the clone, push your counters, and watch the threat escalate. It’s a cinematic moment: you announce the copy, your board grows heavier, and your opponent realizes the clone isn’t just mirroring a threat—it’s amplifying it with every counters-push 🧨💎.

Pair this with threats that scale well with counters or with creatures that benefit from a big body once they’re on board, and you’ve got a late-game lock. It’s not just about raw power; it’s about the inevitability of presenting a board state your foe cannot outpace, especially when the copied creature has a relevant static ability or a strong ETB that you’m deploying with care.

Creative line #3: The Safety Net for Blue-Green Malarkey

As a blue-green card, Altered Ego invites a symphony of tempo and value. You’re not limited to brute-force combos; you can weave through the game’s early turns with ramp and card advantage to ensure X is comfortable for you. Then, you drop Altered Ego to copy a favorable midrange threat, and the counters you’ve stacked compound the risk for your opponent. It’s a dance on the edge of the board—calm, precise, and a little bit cheeky. And if you’re playing with a deck that loves playing 1-for-1s into 2-for-1s, Altered Ego is the perfect capstone to finish the day with a grin 😄🎲.

Deck-building notes and practical tips

Include counter-doublers and counter augmenters (e.g., Doubling Season, Hardened Scales) to maximize the impact of the X-pumped entry.
Carefully weigh the decision to copy legendary creatures; you’ll want to avoid triggering the legend rule in ways that undermine your plan, unless you’re purposely orchestrating a strategic sacrifice for advantage.
Maintain a mix of defensive and offensive targets for Altered Ego to copy. A flexible eye on the board keeps you from telegraphing your win line too early.
Consider including ways to tutor or ramp into Altered Ego’s best X value. The blue-green combination shines when you can accelerate into the bigger spells you’ll be casting later in the game.
Ethics of play are part of the game’s charm—use Altered Ego to showcase creative combat lines, flashy board states, and the joy of out-thinking your opponent without ever breaking the spirit of the game 🧠🎨.

Want to weave these ideas into a cohesive, modern-leaning deck with a glossy flair? The Neon Tough Phone Case product—Neon-tinted protection for your real-world play and collection adventures—serves as a cheeky reminder that MTG’s color splash is equally about style and substance. If you’re hunting for a tactile nod to the hobby you love while building your strategy around Altered Ego, that product link is worth a click: Neon Tough Phone Case — an eye-catching, sturdy shell that keeps your device safe as you plot the next big clone line.

As with any clone-based strategy, experimentation is your best ally. Try different targets, different X values, and different auras or equipment that alter power—then share the results with your circle. The joy of Altered Ego isn’t just in the copy; it’s in the way you craft lines that surprise, delight, and sometimes terrify your opponents. Here’s to more inventive clones, more dramatic counter-moments, and more stories told across the battlefield 🧙‍♂️⚔️🎨.

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