Dire Fleet Ravager MTG Card


Dire Fleet Ravager offers card advantage by potentially diminishing opponents’ life totals at entry. Accelerating the match towards its end, this card shortens the resource battle significantly. Its instant-like effect upon entry makes it a repeatable threat in Commander format.
Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Orc Pirate Wizard
Abilities Deathtouch,Menace
Power 4
Toughness 4

Text of card

Menace, deathtouch When Dire Fleet Ravager enters the battlefield, each player loses a third of their life, rounded up.

His fists fume with the decay of death, each strike a plague on the hearts of his enemies.


Cards like Dire Fleet Ravager

Dire Fleet Ravager steps into the battlefield of MTG with an impact not unlike other powerful creatures. Its close relative, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, is known for its ability to drain life from opponents, a feature that the Ravager shares. Yet, Dire Fleet Ravager prides itself on the immediate and calculable damage dealt by its unique “Menace” feature and life-gaining potential, setting a different tone in your strategy.

Despite these similarities, the Dire Fleet Ravager carves out its niche with the ‘Oracle of Bones’. Much like the Ravager, this card can provide a substantial swing in the game but asks for an alternative playstyle focused on tribute and leveraging an opponent’s choices. While both creatures have the potential to pivot the game’s direction, Dire Fleet Ravager’s combination of pirate synergy and life total manipulation offers a distinct route for players who appreciate immediate board influence.

Ultimately, Dire Fleet Ravager presents itself as an intriguing option for those looking to tip the scales in their favor swiftly. Its ability to integrate with pirate-themed decks and produce significant shifts in life totals makes it a candidate worth considering when examining creatures that fill a similar role in the MTG realm.

Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Oracle of Bones - MTG Card versions
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - MTG Card versions
Oracle of Bones - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Dire Fleet Ravager by color, type and mana cost

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Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions
Skyshroud Vampire - MTG Card versions
Entropic Specter - MTG Card versions
Predatory Nightstalker - MTG Card versions
Fallen Angel - MTG Card versions
Stone Catapult - MTG Card versions
Sengir Vampire - MTG Card versions
Hollow Dogs - MTG Card versions
Grotesque Hybrid - MTG Card versions
Earwig Squad - MTG Card versions
Indulgent Tormentor - MTG Card versions
Sootfeather Flock - MTG Card versions
Zombie Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Gluttonous Zombie - MTG Card versions
Vermiculos - MTG Card versions
Woebearer - MTG Card versions
Wei Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Halo Hunter - MTG Card versions
Malakir Bloodwitch - MTG Card versions
Caustic Crawler - MTG Card versions
Shriekmaw - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Dire Fleet Ravager triggers a powerful ‘Orchish Vandal’ effect when it enters the battlefield, forcing each player to lose a third of their life, rounded up. This can quickly diminish an opponent’s life total, particularly in multiplayer formats, giving you a significant advantage. The card itself provides a formidable presence on the battlefield which often forces the opponent to deal with it, potentially diverting resources from other threats you control.

Resource Acceleration: While Dire Fleet Ravager itself does not directly provide typical resource acceleration like mana, it accelerates the game’s pace toward its end state. By significantly reducing life totals, it can hasten the conclusion of a match, effectively shortening the resource battle between players. Also, it serves as a five-mana 4/4 creature with menace, ensuring that opponents need multiple resources to block it effectively.

Instant Speed: Although Dire Fleet Ravager is not an instant, it has a pseudo ‘instant speed’ effect in the sense that it can create a sudden and impactful shift in life totals as soon as it hits the field. Additionally, in formats like Commander where it can be consistently accessed via the command zone, Dire Fleet Ravager can function as a repeatable life total threat that opponents must always consider, even when it’s not on the field.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Dire Fleet Ravager inflicts a definite hit to all players’ life totals, which can backfire if you’re not the one in control of the board. It requires a strategic setup to ensure the effect benefits you more than your opponents.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands a specific combination of black and colorless mana, which can be restrictive and necessitates a dedicated deck build, potentially limiting its flexibility in multicolor decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of three black and two colorless mana, Dire Fleet Ravager comes with a steep price. There are cheaper creatures that can impact the board without such a significant mana investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Dire Fleet Ravager slots into numerous deck archetypes with ease. Commander players particularly appreciate its flexible use as a potent board presence that can act as both a formidable attacker and a game-changing life total disruptor.

Combo Potential: As a card that can inflict significant damage to all players’ life totals based on the number of cards in hand or creatures in play, Dire Fleet Ravager offers intriguing combo possibilities. It synergizes with strategies that look to exploit life totals for greater leverage or potential instant-win scenarios.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where games can often stretch out, allowing players to stabilize and build resources, introducing a Dire Fleet Ravager can shift the tides dramatically. Its ability to disrupt well-calculated strategies makes it a valuable asset when dealing with decks that focus on gaining incremental advantages.


How to Beat Dire Fleet Ravager

Dire Fleet Ravager is a formidable force in your opponent’s arsenal, belonging to the pirate tribe and notable for its impactful entry onto the battlefield. Its ability to reduce each player’s life total by a third can serve as a double-edged sword, potentially putting both players within striking distance of defeat. The key, therefore, lies in mitigating its effects on your game plan while exploiting its consequences to your advantage.

Counterplay measures include using cards that negate, bounce, or remove creatures from the battlefield pre-emptively. Effects that grant you hexproof, such as Shalai, Voice of Plenty, ensure Dire Fleet Ravager lands without harming your life total. Alternatively, creature counters like Essence Scatter can prevent it from entering the battlefield altogether. In addition, life-gain strategies can offset the life lost upon its arrival, enabling you to weather the hit and maintain a stable board presence.

Ultimately, overcoming the challenge of Dire Fleet Ravager requires a combination of timing and precise card choice. A well-prepared defense or a strategic life buffer allows you to turn the tide, potentially leveraging the ravager’s entrance to pressure your opponent, paving the way for your victory in the match.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the synergies and nuances of Dire Fleet Ravager in your MTG collections can define the outcome of many battles. Its ‘Orchish Vandal’ effect paves the path for high-risk, high-reward strategies, especially in multiplayer engagements. As we’ve dissected, the ravager’s presence on the field is a strategic pivot—prompting crucial decisions and reshaping games with its revelation. For those who thrive on tactics that jolt opponents and expedite victories, Dire Fleet Ravager is a thrilling addition. Through resourcefulness and meta awareness, wield this formidable pirate to its full potential. Keen to delve deeper and optimize your deck mastery? Follow our journey for advanced insights into MTG strategies and card utilization.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Dire Fleet Ravager MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and Ixalan, there are several reliable options to consider. One of the primary sources is your local game store, where you can often find booster packs, individual cards, and preconstructed decks from current and some past sets. They often offer the added benefit of a community where you can trade with other players.

For a broader inventory, particularly of older sets, online marketplaces like TCGPlayer, Card Kingdom and Card Market offer extensive selections and allow you to search for cards from specific sets. Larger e-commerce platforms like eBay and Amazon also have listings from various sellers, which can be a good place to look for sealed product and rare finds.

Additionally, Magic’s official site often has a store locator and retailer lists for finding Wizards of the Coast licensed products. Remember to check for authenticity and the condition of the cards when purchasing, especially from individual sellers on larger marketplaces.

Below is a list of some store websites where you can buy the Dire Fleet Ravager and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Dire Fleet Ravager Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2024-04-19. Illustrated by Bram Sels.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 104s2015NormalBlackBram Sels
22017-09-29IxalanXLN 1042015NormalBlackBram Sels
32022-06-10Commander Legends: Battle for Baldur's GateCLB 7492015NormalBlackBram Sels
42023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 1922015NormalBlackBram Sels
52024-04-19Outlaws of Thunder Junction CommanderOTC 1322015NormalBlackBram Sels

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Dire Fleet Ravager has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dire Fleet Ravager card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2017-09-29 For example, if you have 13 life, you'll lose 5 life.
2017-09-29 If a player has 1 life, that player loses 1 life. If each player has 0 life after that, the game's a draw.
2017-09-29 In a Two-Headed Giant game, each player loses a third of the team's life total rounded up. For example, if a team has 13 life, each player on that team loses 5 life and the team loses 10 life total.