Nine-Lives Familiar — Grimcat with Staying Power
Nine-Lives Familiar is a compact engine for attrition decks that rewards repetition over immediacy. Cast for {1}{B}{B}, this 1 1 Creature Cat enters the battlefield with eight revival counters when cast, so it does not ask for early protection. Each time it dies with a revival counter it returns at the beginning of the next end step with one fewer revival counter, letting you grind through blockers and removal while advancing board presence.
Play patterns that value incremental advantage like sacrifice loops, ping effects, or chump blocking make familiar a reliable long game tool. The wording on the card resolves cleanly in rules interactions and pairs well with effects that move counters or care about creatures entering and leaving the battlefield. If you want a compact, repeatable threat to anchor a black shell, this Near Mint Foundations printing fits that role and plays predictably in competitive lists.
Card Details:
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Mana Cost – {1}{B}{B}
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Card Type – Creature
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Subtypes – Cat
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Card Text / Rules Text (Printed) – This creature enters with eight revival counters on it if you cast it. When this creature dies, if it had a revival counter on it, return it to the battlefield with one fewer revival counter on it at the beginning of the next end step.
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Power / Toughness – 1/1
