What it does
Renown is a triggered ability found on certain creatures. When a creature with renown deals combat damage to a player, if it isn't already renowned, you put that many +1/+1 counters on it and it becomes renowned. So "renown 2" means the first time it connects with a player, it gets two +1/+1 counters permanently and is now a renowned creature.
The key nuance: renown only triggers from damage dealt to a player, not to planeswalkers, creatures, or battles. It also triggers only once—once a creature is renowned, it stays renowned for the rest of the game and won't gain more counters from renown, even if it leaves and returns (though returning as a new object resets it).
In Commander, renown rewards aggression but is slow in a multiplayer format full of blockers. It's mostly relevant on small creatures you want to grow, and synergizes with "becomes renowned" payoffs or +1/+1 counter themes.
Iconic cards with Renown
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