What if I told you there's a mechanic out there so hilariously brazen and so shockingly forthright about how big it wants your creatures to get, you might question everything you thought you knew about subtlety in deck-building?

Friends, in today's Mechanics Overview Segment, allow me to introduce to you the (in)famous and entirely underloved mechanic from the depths of the Legions (2003) expansion: Amplify. Yes, the very same one that wants you to fling open your hand and show everyone what lurks in your hand in exchange for a monstrous amount of +1/+1 counters. Is the mechanic subtle? Absolutely not. Effective? Well...

What Is Amplify?

Amplify N (As this creature enters the battlefield, put N +1/+1 counters on it for each [creature type] card you reveal in your hand.)

Imagine you're about to drop your creature onto the battlefield, and you think to yourself, "Gee golly wiz, I wish there was just some way I could show off all my sick tribal synergy cards from my hand to make this creature bigger." Amplify is essentially the static ability that makes that wish come true.

So, for example:

• If you have "Amplify 3" on a Dragon (the one and only Kilnmouth Dragon) and you reveal two Dragons from your hand, that's 2 (cards) x 3 (amplify value) = 6 counters on your new scaly friend.
• Similarly, if "Amplify 1" is more your speed (like on Ghastly Remains), and you reveal 4 Zombies from your hand, that's 4 (cards) x 1 (amplify value) = 3 counters. And just like that, you've got yourself an effortless 3 mana 4/4, ladies and gentlemen.

The History of Amplify

The Onslaught block was hailed as the "creature block," focusing heavily on tribal synergies. Legions, in particular, was the set that threw caution to the wind and said, "Forget spells! Let's do an all-creatures expansion." And Amplify was one of the standout mechanical experiments here.

But guess what? All the Amplify creatures in existence were only printed in Legions. That's right; it's an exclusive club consisting of only nine creatures:

1. Aven Warhawk: I've played my fair share of 5 mana 2/2 fliers in Limited. And since this Bird can potentially grow, certified bomb in my book.
2. Canopy Crawler: Can pump creatures based on how many +1/+1 counters it has. It's certainly nothing to write home about, but at least it's a Beast, so there might be some synergy here in a big Beast tribal deck.
3. Daru Stinger: Ping an attacking or defending creature based on how many counters it has. A bit slow, but hey, if you want your Amplify creature to double as removal, go for it.
4. Embalmed Brawler: This is certainly one of the weirder Amplify creatures, as it punishes you if you make it too big. I think the only rate at which I feel this would be okay is if you get to have it come down as at least a 3 mana 5/5 (revealing 3 Zombies) that deals 3 damage to you whenever you attack or block. And even then, it's a steep price, for sure.
5. Feral Throwback: Amplify 2 and Provoke (in case you didn't get the chance to read up on Matthew Lotti's in-depth article on the ability, Provoke can force a defending player's creature to untap and block).
6. Ghastly Remains: A recurrable Zombie beatstick. If your Zombie deck has consistent card draw, it could certainly be worth taking a look at.
7. Glowering Rogon: BIG. MAN. GLOWERING ROGON.
8. Kilnmouth Dragon: The undisputed reigning champion of Amplify. Big dragon, big counters, plus a repeatable damage ability that scales with however many counters it has. It's important to note that, unlike Daru Stinger, Kilnmouth Dragon's damage can go face.
9. Zombie Brute: Oh boy, it has Trample!

With the exception of the occasional cameo (like Kilnmouth Dragon popping up in Duel Decks: Knights vs. Dragons (2011)), these cards never really showed their faces again. It's kind of like that band you saw at a local bar once; sure, they had a lot of heart, but they never quite broke into the mainstream.

Revealing Cards With Amplify

One of the most simultaneously entertaining and frustrating aspects of Amplify is the required card reveal. Because, let's be honest: showing your opponents that you've got an entire handful of Dragons or Beasts or Zombies can be a major strategic leak, almost as if you're screaming, "HEY EVERYONE, LOOK AT WHAT'S COMING IF YOU DON'T KILL ME SOON!"

But admittedly, this aspect of Amplify is also rather enjoyable, especially if you want to bluff. Because the rules specifically say that you may reveal "any number of cards from your hand that share a creature type with it." That "any" naturally includes zero cards as well as just some cards. This way, you can always keep your opponents guessing about what could or couldn't be in your hand (e.g., sometimes, it's better to forgo revealing the Furnace Dragon in your hand when you just know your opponent's about to vomit all the artifacts in their hand. Just sayin').

To Reveal Or Not To Reveal With Amplify

Like many niche mechanics from Magic's past, Amplify sits in that weird limbo of "technically workable" but "not exactly format-defining." On the plus side, it's super straightforward for tribal synergy: big counters, big tribal synergy, and big silly creatures. On the downside, however, it's, more often than not, simply overshadowed by modern design that's more streamlined, more powerful, or simply more widely supported.

But that's precisely what makes Amplify such a hidden gem for the spice connoisseurs among us. It's jank with a capital "J," sure, but the right deck can give you a fun, casual experience that your table won't soon forget. Can you just imagine the look on your opponents' faces when you're playing one of the new Tarkir Dragonstorm: Commander Decks and proceed to drop a random Kilnmouth Dragon, reveal three or four big Dragons from your hand, and create a threat that outscales half the board? I sure can! (I had one in my bulk, and I just couldn't resist.)

And that wraps up our quick look at Amplify. As always, happy brewing, and may your tribal creature army grow as large as the number of cards you're willing to flash in your hand. Until next time!