Mask of the Schemer
Whenever equipped creature deals combat damage to a player, it connives X, where X is the amount of damage it dealt to that player. (Draw X cards, then discard X cards. Put a +1/+1 counter on that creature for each nonland card discarded this way.)
Equip
Illustrated by James Paick
This printing
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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.
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.
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.
Connive X is a variant of connive. If a creature connives X, its controller will draw X cards, discard X cards, then then put a number of +1/+1 counters on the conniving permanent equal to the number of nonland cards discarded this way.
