Black Widow, Super Spy

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2cmc 2/1 menace legendary — on combat damage, the hit player mills until a nonland card is exiled; you then choose between a +1/+1 counter on Black Widow or casting that card for free (any mana type). The modal combat-damage trigger provides strong aggro pressure: the menace evasion enables consistent hits, and the free-cast mode is card advantage at its best. Signature in voltron/counters-voltron shells (grow big fast) and aggro/midrange shells (free spells off opponents' libraries). In Brawl's 1v1 at 25 life, the combination of evasion and free spells off hits is especially punishing.

• The free-cast mode of Black Widow's trigger lets you cast the opponent's own card using any mana type, including colorless — this can steal expensive off-color spells you could not normally cast.

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• The modal choice (counter vs. free cast) must be made each trigger; in a voltron build you may prefer counters early but switch to free casts once Black Widow is large enough to threaten one-shots.

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• Because the trigger requires combat damage to a player, it is fully shut down by fog effects, chump blockers, or giving Black Widow -X/-0 before damage — plan evasion protection (Lightning Greaves, etc.) accordingly.

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• EDHREC rank: #27,198