Persist reads: When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield with a -1/-1 counter. Because +1/+1 and -1/-1 counters cancel out, you can create a loop with: Any free sacrifice outlet Two Persist creatures You need two because Long Fengs trigger requires a target as it goes on the stack before the Persist creature returns
Its playability in Modern is highly questionable and its more likely to be a fun inclusion in EDH
It can be cut off at the knees with early Commander removal, but if you can get into a position where youve got some colossal hydras bearing down on an opponent or two, youll be glad you did your math homework
The copy is created on the stack, so it's not "activated." Creating the copy won't cause abilities that trigger when a player activates an ability to trigger
If you dont feel like sacrificing a creature, though, the spell is almost identical to Cultivate anyway
Certainly keeping Spined Thopter well out of the running