I have a deck with 4X Vampire Bats and I am not sure how the +1 +0 counters is to be handled. It basically says:
"1 Swamp: Vampire Bats gets +1/0 until end of turn. Play this ability no more than twice each turn."
I was always under the assumption that anytime a card had a "Do (whatever) gain +1 +0 counters" you only could do it once per card unless it otherwise said so? So if I have 4 vampire bats in play does this mean I can only add the +1 counter on two of the four cards, or does it mean you can add +1 counters twice to each card?
I have a feeling I am overthinking this one. My guess is you can only put it once on two of your cards is the correct answer?
1. Vampire Bats gets +1/+0 (a continuous effect); you don't use +1/+0 counters. (For it to work as you suggest, it would have said something like this instead: "Put a +1/+0 counter on Vampire Bats.")
2. In general, you can activate an activated ability as many times as you can pay its cost. But Vampire Bats's ability restricts how many times you can activate it each turn (C.R. 602.1b). Note that most other activated abilities won't have such a restriction (for examples, see Arcbound Ravager and Looming Shade.)
3. The restriction in Vampire Bats's ability applies to each activated ability separately. It doesn't restrict different instances of the same ability (for example, if you control multiple permanents named Vampire Bats). So if you control more than one Vampire Bats, this means you can activate each ability no more than twice each turn.
4. Finally, you pay one black mana (not: 1 Swamp) to activate Vampire Bats's ability.
1. Vampire Bats gets +1/+0 (a continuous effect), you don't use +1/+0 counters. (It would have said something like this instead: "Put a +1/+0 counter on Vampire Bats.")
2. The restriction applies to each activated ability separately. It doesn't add up if you have more permanents with that ability (such as multiple permanents named Vampire Bats). This means you can activate each ability no more than twice each turn.
I was always under the assumption that anytime a card had a "Do (whatever) gain +1 +0 counters" you only could do it once per card unless it otherwise said so?
Unless an activated ability explicitly says otherwise, or you cannot pay its cost more than once per turn, you can activate it any number of times.
"1 Swamp: Vampire Bats gets +1/0 until end of turn. Play this ability no more than twice each turn."
I was always under the assumption that anytime a card had a "Do (whatever) gain +1 +0 counters" you only could do it once per card unless it otherwise said so? So if I have 4 vampire bats in play does this mean I can only add the +1 counter on two of the four cards, or does it mean you can add +1 counters twice to each card?
I have a feeling I am overthinking this one. My guess is you can only put it once on two of your cards is the correct answer?
1. Vampire Bats gets +1/+0 (a continuous effect); you don't use +1/+0 counters. (For it to work as you suggest, it would have said something like this instead: "Put a +1/+0 counter on Vampire Bats.")
2. In general, you can activate an activated ability as many times as you can pay its cost. But Vampire Bats's ability restricts how many times you can activate it each turn (C.R. 602.1b). Note that most other activated abilities won't have such a restriction (for examples, see Arcbound Ravager and Looming Shade.)
3. The restriction in Vampire Bats's ability applies to each activated ability separately. It doesn't restrict different instances of the same ability (for example, if you control multiple permanents named Vampire Bats). So if you control more than one Vampire Bats, this means you can activate each ability no more than twice each turn.
4. Finally, you pay one black mana (not: 1 Swamp) to activate Vampire Bats's ability.
One other thing:
Unless an activated ability explicitly says otherwise, or you cannot pay its cost more than once per turn, you can activate it any number of times.