Strangleroot Geist Question

[Jdogtoocool]

So it turns out that if I theres a {strangleroot Geist} out I target it with a {skinrender} it doesnt come back into play because it has too many -1-1 counters on it. I thought that once a creature hit the graveyard the undying would trigger and come back as a brand new creature with a +1+1 counter

[Greg54js]

It should come back if it hasn't died yet in the game. After it dies once and then skinrender targets it it dies for good

[Jdogtoocool]

Well the strangleroot Geist has no +1+1 counters on it and the person said it dies if it has too many -1-1 counters on it enough to be lethal once it comes back.

Strangleroot Geist 2/1 gets hit -1-1 counter dies

Undying triggers comes back as a 3/2 gets hit with the remaining 2 -1-1 counters from skinrender and dies for good.

I'm not sure at all this is accurate but maybe I'm wrong and been playing the undying ability wrong

[Coffee Vampire]

Haha no.

You can't save skinrender's counters for later! they are all assigned at the same time and then when the strangleroot comes back it is a 3/2 with no -1/-1 counters on it!

1) skinrender resolves; you assign the counters to geist.
2) the geist has less than zero toughness and is sent to the graveyard as a state based action.
3) undying triggers. It comes back a 3/2.

The reason it has no -1/-1 counters is that when it changed zones (died), it is treated as a new object and loses its counters.

[Jdogtoocool]

That's what I thought thanks.

[Greg54js]

^same. I just watched two idiots play today and couldn't stand it. I explained the rulings to them on the cards they were using