Michelangelo, Improviser

Michelangelo is a 4/4 for {3}{G} with Sneak (alt cost {2}{G}{G} with an unblocked attacker returned to hand, enters tapped and attacking), and deals combat damage triggers to cheat a creature and/or land directly onto the battlefield from hand — a powerful "Sneak Attack"-style effect stapled to a body. Signature in midrange and ramp-big-mana shells that can put expensive creatures or extra lands into play without paying mana; his Sneak mode rewards a go-wide or evasive board. Control and combo have little use for a combat-dependent value engine.

• The combat-damage trigger puts the card(s) onto the battlefield permanently — unlike Sneak Attack, there is no sacrifice rider, making it much more powerful for cheating in expensive permanents.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• The Sneak alternative cost requires returning an unblocked attacker to hand during declare blockers, so you need at least one creature already attacking and unblocked before Michelangelo can enter; he is dead in hand if you have no attackers.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• In Commander, putting both a land AND a creature onto the battlefield in one trigger effectively generates a 2-for-1 acceleration effect, making him especially potent in ramp-big-mana shells that hold expensive creatures and extra lands in hand.

  tagging · claude-sonnet-4-6

• EDHREC rank: #11,767