Unstable Experiment

one generic mana one blue mana Instant

Target player draws a card, then up to one target creature you control connives. (Draw a card, then discard a card. If you discarded a nonland card, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.)

"The solution is turning green! But . . . why? What does it mean?" —Norman Osborn

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Unstable Experiment rulings

2025-09-19
Once an ability that causes a creature to connive begins to resolve, no player may take any other actions until it's done. Notably, opponents can't try to remove the conniving creature after you discard a nonland card but before it receives a counter.
2025-09-19
If no card is discarded, most likely because that player's hand is empty and an effect says they can't draw cards, the conniving creature does not receive a +1/+1 counter.
2025-09-19
If a resolving spell or ability instructs a specific creature to connive but that creature has left the battlefield, the creature still connives. If you discard a nonland card this way, you won't put a +1/+1 counter on anything. Abilities that trigger "when [that creature] connives" will trigger.

Unstable Experiment keyword rules

Connive Rule 701.47

Certain abilities instruct a permanent to connive. To do so, that permanent’s controller draws a card, then discards a card. If a nonland card is discarded this way, that player puts a +1/+1 counter on the conniving permanent.

A permanent “connives” after the process described in rule is complete, even if some or all of those actions were impossible.

If a permanent changes zones before an effect causes it to connive, its last known information is used to determine which object connived and who controlled it.

If multiple permanents are instructed to connive at the same time, the first player in APNAP order who controls one or more of those permanents chooses one of them and it connives. Then if any permanents remain on the battlefield which have been instructed to connive and have not done so, this process is repeated.

Connive N is a variant of connive. The permanent’s controller draws N cards, discards N cards, then puts a number of +1/+1 counters on the permanent equal to the number of nonland cards discarded this way.