First printed in Ravnica: Clue Edition (2024)
Legendary Creature — Snake Elf Detective
Evolve (Whenever a creature you control enters, if that creature has greater power or toughness than this creature, put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.)
Whenever one or more +1/+1 counters are put on Lonis, investigate that many times.
Whenever you sacrifice a Clue, put a +1/+1 counter on another target creature you control.
1/2
- Illustrated by
- Kai Carpenter
- Watermark
- Simic
Legality
- Legal in
- Legacy, Vintage, Commander, Duel Commander, Tiny Leaders, Oathbreaker
- Not legal in
- Standard, Pioneer, Modern, Pauper, Future Standard, Historic, Timeless, Alchemy, Penny Dreadful, Premodern, Old School 93/94, Gladiator, Pauper Commander, PreDH, Brawl, Standard Brawl, Competitive Brawl
Rulings (11)
- If a creature enters the battlefield with +1/+1 counters on it, consider those counters when determining if evolve will trigger. For example, a 1/1 creature that enters the battlefield with two +1/+1 counters on it will cause the evolve ability of a 2/2 creature to trigger.
- When comparing the stats of the two creatures for evolve, you always compare power to power and toughness to toughness.
- Some spells and abilities that investigate may require targets. If each target chosen is an illegal target as that spell or ability tries to resolve, it won't resolve. You won't create any Clue tokens.
- You can't sacrifice a Clue to pay multiple costs. For example, you can't sacrifice a Clue token to activate its own ability and also to activate Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's ability.
- Clue is an artifact type. Even though it appears on some cards with other permanent types, it's never a creature type, a land type, or anything but an artifact type.
- If evolve triggers, the stat comparison will happen again when the ability tries to resolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, the ability will do nothing. If the creature that entered the battlefield leaves the battlefield before evolve tries to resolve, use its last known power and toughness to compare the stats.
- Some abilities trigger "whenever you sacrifice a Clue". Those abilities trigger whenever you sacrifice a Clue for any reason, not just to activate a Clue's activated ability.
- If multiple creatures enter the battlefield at the same time, evolve may trigger multiple times, although the stat comparison will take place each time one of those abilities tries to resolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and two 3/3 creatures enter the battlefield, evolve will trigger twice. The first ability will resolve and put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. When the second ability tries to resolve, neither the power nor the toughness of the new creature is greater than that of the creature with evolve, so that ability does nothing.
- If an effect refers to a Clue, it means any Clue artifact, not just a Clue artifact token. For example, you can sacrifice Wrench to pay for Alquist Proft, Master Sleuth's activated ability.
- Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control, check its power and toughness against the power and toughness of the creature with evolve. If neither stat of the new creature is greater, evolve won't trigger at all.
- When comparing the stats as the evolve ability resolves, it's possible that the stat that's greater changes from power to toughness or vice versa. If this happens, the ability will still resolve and you'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve. For example, if you control a 2/2 creature with evolve and a 1/3 creature enters the battlefield under your control, it toughness is greater so evolve will trigger. In response, the 1/3 creature gets +2/-2. When the evolve trigger tries to resolve, its power is greater. You'll put a +1/+1 counter on the creature with evolve.
Prices
MTGO price: 1.99 TIX, the cheapest non-foil print (average sell price on GoatBots, 30 Oct 2026).
Combos
243 combos, the most popular first:
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature: Krark-Clan Ironworks + Lonis, Genetics Expert (+ 1 other requirement)
- Infinite colorless mana, Infinite card draw…: Krark-Clan Ironworks + Lonis, Genetics Expert + Piper Wright, Publick Reporter
- Near-infinite artifact ETB, Near-infinite artifact LTB…: Jenny Flint + Lonis, Genetics Expert + Peregrin Took
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures you control: Extruder + Lonis, Genetics Expert
- Infinite artifact tokens, Infinite Clue tokens…: Lonis, Genetics Expert + Yotian Dissident
- Infinite artifact tokens, Draw the game…: Lonis, Genetics Expert + Rosie Cotton of South Lane
- Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact LTB…: Krark-Clan Ironworks + Lonis, Genetics Expert + Tarrian's Soulcleaver
- Infinite card draw, Infinite draw triggers…: Cryptic Trilobite + Lonis, Genetics Expert + Tarrian's Soulcleaver
- Infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures you control: Arcbound Ravager + Lonis, Genetics Expert + Piper Wright, Publick Reporter
- Infinite artifact ETB, Infinite artifact tokens…: Lonis, Genetics Expert + Mm'menon, Uthros Exile
