Price$7.51 – $20.17
Buy on TCGplayerWalking Ballista
Artifact Creature — Construct
Legal Salt 1.25RemovalRank #455
This creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target.
0/0
Why is this card good?
Walking Ballista is one of the best colorless removal/combo pieces in the format because it's flexible, fits any deck, and pings without needing combat or evasion. Even raw, it's a mana sink that can snipe utility creatures, planeswalkers, or chip away at an opponent.
Where it shines is combo. With persist/undying enablers like Mikaeus, the Unhallowed (plus a sac outlet) or +1/+1 counter doublers, it generates infinite damage. It also pairs with Heliod, Sun-Crowned (lifelink + counter loop) for a clean two-card kill, and with proliferate or counter synergies it scales fast.
Wants it: counters decks, +1/+1 synergy commanders, any deck needing colorless interaction, and combo shells running Mikaeus/Heliod/Triskelion-style lines.
Skip it in decks with no way to grow it or recur it — without ramp or combo support, an X=2 Ballista is just two pings for four mana, which is unimpressive. It's also a non-bo with sweepers and rewards graveyard/reanimation packages most.
Related cards
Triskelion
Similar counter-removal pinger combo piece for direct damage.
Hangarback Walker
Colorless X-cost artifact creature with +1/+1 counters.
Heliod, Sun-Crowned
Classic infinite combo partner with Ballista for unlimited damage.
Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
Combos with Ballista for infinite damage via undying.
Endbringer
Colorless creature that pings any target each turn.
Cathars' Crusade
Pumps Ballista's counters for more removable ammo.
Spike Weaver
Counter-based creature that can move counters for utility.
Printings (10)
Played by these commanders
Tidus, Yuna's Guardian100% of 2
Combos (8)
- Walking Ballista + Heliod, Sun-Crowned
→ Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Gatta and Luzzu + Hardened Scales + Walking Ballista
→ Infinite damage, Infinite +1/+1 counters on a creature
- Walking Ballista + Mikaeus, the Unhallowed
→ Infinite death triggers, Infinite ETB, Infinite LTB
- Archangel of Thune + Walking Ballista
→ Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Walking Ballista + Cleric Class
→ Infinite damage, Infinite lifegain, Infinite lifegain triggers
- Vigor + Hardened Scales + Walking Ballista
→ Infinite damage, Infinite +1/+1 counters on creatures you control
Rulings (2)
- 2020-08-07
If Walking Ballista has been dealt damage or had its toughness reduced by an effect, this limits how many times you'll be able to remove +1/+1 counters from it in a single turn. For example, if it has three +1/+1 counters on it and has been dealt 1 damage this turn, it will be destroyed immediately after you activate the ability a second time and you won't be able to activate it a third time.
- 2020-08-07
A casting cost of
means that you pay twice X. If you want X to be 3, you pay 
to cast Walking Ballista.