Savanti Romero, Time's Exile

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Savanti Romero is a 5cmc 4/4 trample Demon Wizard that grows itself with a +1/+1 counter each combat, then draws cards equal to its total counters while draining life at the same rate — a self-scaling card-advantage engine that becomes increasingly punishing. It's signature in counters-voltron shells that can offset life loss (lifegain synergies), and is solid as a standalone commander-threat in black midrange. The mounting life-loss is a genuine risk at large X values, and it demands removal answers immediately or it spirals out of control.

• Savanti Romero's life loss scales quadratically over time: on the third combat it draws and drains 3, on the fourth it draws and drains 4, etc. — a deck without life gain will often die to its own commander around turn 8-10 even without opponent interaction.

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• Because the +1/+1 counter is added before X is calculated, the draw-and-drain on the first trigger is X=1 (not 0), making it immediately impactful on the turn it attacks.

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• In counters-voltron shells with proliferate effects (Grateful Apparition, Karn's Bastion), Savanti Romero's counter count can spike well beyond combat increments, turning it into a massive Necropotence-style draw engine on a stick.

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• EDHREC rank: #15,274