Ahn-Crop Crasher MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 117
2019-11-07 - Number 833
2020-08-13 - Number 137
2020-09-26 - Number AKH-117
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Minotaur Warrior |
| Abilities | Exert,Haste |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Haste You may exert Ahn-Crop Crasher as it attacks. When you do, target creature can't block this turn. (An exerted creature won't untap during your next untap step.)
"Hesitation breeds dissension. To be worthy of the next life, you must never look back." —Anep, vizier of Hazoret
Cards like Ahn-Crop Crasher
Ahn-Crop Crasher carves its niche in the aggressive red creature space of Magic: The Gathering. It sits along the likes of cards such as Goblin Heelcutter. Both have the capability to impede blockers, with Ahn-Crop Crasher emphasizing haste and exert to shut down potential blockers for a turn. Goblin Heelcutter, while sharing a similar denial effect, requires being dashed onto the battlefield to be effective.
Earthshaker Khenra is another creature that parallels the playstyle of Ahn-Crop Crasher. It shares the exert mechanics, but instead of affecting all potential blockers, it targets a single creature. Unlike Ahn-Crop Crasher, Earthshaker Khenra has a built-in recursion ability, providing prolonged value, especially in the late game. Ahn-Crop Crasher instead offers consistent pressure each turn it attacks.
Evaluating each option showcases Ahn-Crop Crasher’s role as a mainstay in aggressive red decks. Its balance of immediate impact and the exert utility gives it an edge in strategies focused on fast-paced, combat-oriented gameplay. When comparing similar cards, Ahn-Crop Crasher’s ability to consistently disrupt opponent’s defensive plans makes it a powerful selection in the realm of red creatures.
Cards similar to Ahn-Crop Crasher by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Ahn-Crop Crasher. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Rakdos Midrange | Modern | Rakdos Midrange | Modern Challenge 64 2024-05-05 |
| BR | Modern | Modern Challenge 64 2024-04-29 | |
 | Mono-Red Aggro | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024 | |
| Gruul Aggro | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 08 2024 | |
 | Rakdos Aggro | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024 | |
| Mono-Red Some Brand of Cereal | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 12 2024 | |
| UBRG | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
 | Decklist | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
| Grixis | Free form | Canadian Highlander for Duals - Underground Sea Guaranteed - Proxies Allowed | |
| Gruul Stompy | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 10 2024 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Ahn-Crop Crasher may not directly influence hand size, but its exert mechanic forces opponents to deploy resources inefficiently, indirectly contributing to card advantage on the battlefield. By disabling a blocker each attack, the Crasher can ensure your other creatures connect more reliably, effectively trimming your opponent’s defenses without the need to invest additional cards.
Resource Acceleration: While Ahn-Crop Crasher itself doesn’t accelerate mana, its aggressive cost-to-impact ratio enables quick starts, applying pressure and forcing the opponent to react. This can disrupt their resource planning and result in a tempo gain for you. Moreover, games won quickly with such aggressive creatures can be seen as a form of ‘time’ resource acceleration.
Instant Speed: Although Ahn-Crop Crasher is a creature spell and does not operate at instant speed, its exert ability is triggered upon declaration of attack, which can be strategically pivotal. This surprise element can turn the tides during combat on your turn, acting as a form of control when timing your attacks.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While Ahn-Crop Crasher doesn’t require discarding as a cost, players must be mindful of ensuring they have appropriate spells to maintain momentous pressure on their opponent. Running out of cards can negate the advantages of this aggressive creature.
Specific Mana Cost: Ahn-Crop Crasher needs one red plus two other mana to cast, necessitating a solid mana base within aggressive decks that prefer casting multiple spells swiftly. This could be a hindrance in multicolored decks that require mana flexibility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When comparing Ahn-Crop Crasher’s impact to other three-mana creatures in MTG, it may fall slightly behind due to its lack of inherent resilience against removal or the inability to generate value beyond battlefield presence.
Reasons to Include Ahn-Crop Crasher in Your Collection
Versatility: Ahn-Crop Crasher is a flexible card that can be readily incorporated into a variety of red aggressive decks. It’s particularly effective at applying pressure in matches due to its haste, letting you attack without giving your opponent time to prepare.
Combo Potential: With its exert ability to prevent a target creature from blocking, this card can combine well with strategies focused on evasion or removing blockers to ensure your other creatures hit the opponent unimpeded.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state dominated by creature-focused decks, Ahn-Crop Crasher shines by disrupting your opponent’s defensive line, making it a relevant choice for players looking to gain an advantage in creature-heavy matchups.
How to beat Ahn-Crop Crasher
Ahn-Crop Crasher shines in the fast-paced aggro decks of Magic: The Gathering, bringing both speed and disruption to the battlefield. As a three-mana creature with the ability to hamper blockers, it can turn the tides by pressing an aggressive advantage. To counter this, efficient removal is key. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can take it out before it declares an attack, circumventing its exert ability completely.
Board control spells also work wonders against Ahn-Crop Crasher. A well-timed Sweltering Suns can clear the path, as it purges the board of creatures with toughness equal to Ahn-Crop Crasher or lower. Ensnaring creatures in a Pacifism-style effect or bouncing them back to the hand with a spell like Unsummon can also nullify the imminent threat. Moreover, including creatures with reach or those that can flash in to block can successfully stonewall Ahn-Crop Crasher’s assaults.
Ultimately, adept play and strategic card choice against Ahn-Crop Crasher can mitigate the pressure it brings to the red zone. The key is to disrupt its momentum, negating the aggressive edge it bestows upon the battlefield, and keeping its exert feature in check to maintain control of the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Ahn-Crop Crasher MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Mystery Booster, 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 Ahn-Crop Crasher and other MTG cards:
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Printings
The Ahn-Crop Crasher Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2020-08-13. Illustrated by Seb McKinnon.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 117 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 833 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 3 | 2020-08-13 | Amonkhet Remastered | AKR | 137 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon | |
| 4 | The List | PLST | AKH-117 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Seb McKinnon |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Ahn-Crop Crasher has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Restricted |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Ahn-Crop Crasher card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-04-18 | All cards in the Amonkhet set that let you exert a creature let you do so as you declare it as an attacking creature, as do some of the cards in the Hour of Devastation set. You can’t do so later in combat, and creatures put onto the battlefield attacking can’t be exerted. Any abilities that trigger on exerting an attacking creature will resolve before blockers are declared. |
| 2017-04-18 | If a creature has a targeted triggered ability that triggers when you exert it, you can exert it even if there isn’t a legal target for that triggered ability. |
| 2017-04-18 | If an exerted creature is already untapped during your next untap step (most likely because it had vigilance or an effect untapped it), exert’s effect preventing it from untapping expires without having done anything. |
| 2017-04-18 | If you gain control of another player’s creature until end of turn and exert it, it will untap during that player’s untap step. |
| 2017-04-18 | You can’t exert a creature unless an effect allows you to do so. Similar effects that “tap and freeze” a creature (such as that of Decision Paralysis) don’t exert that creature. |