Gathan Raiders MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Abilities Hellbent,Morph
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Gathan Raiders transforms hand scarcity into strength, becoming more powerful as your hand empties.
  2. Instant-speed discard brings unexpected surprises, potentially morphing the Raiders during your opponent’s turn.
  3. Despite some drawbacks, the Raiders’ adaptability makes them a formidable force in the late game.

Text of card

Hellbent Gathan Raiders gets +2/+2 if you have no cards in hand. Morph— Discard a card. (You may play this face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Gathan Raiders excel in situations where cards in hand are scarce, transforming their downside into an upside. With an empty hand, the Raiders automatically morph into a 3/3 creature, offering an efficient way to capitalize on a board state with fewer cards in hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although the Gathan Raiders don’t directly provide mana or treasure tokens, their Hellbent ability enhances your board presence without further investment once you’re out of cards. This can be seen as an indirect form of resource acceleration, maintaining pressure without additional cost.

Instant Speed: While Gathan Raiders operate at sorcery speed, their discard ability can be activated at instant speed. This allows for strategic plays, such as discarding a card in response to an opponent’s action for a surprise upgrade to a 3/3 creature during their turn or right before yours begins.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Gathan Raiders comes with a particular constraint where discarding a card is essential to unleash its potential. This condition can backfire in gameplay situations where maintaining your hand’s resources is critical. It forces players into a troubling decision, especially when running low on cards, potentially jeopardizing strategic advantage for the power boost.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card’s mana demand is exclusively red, pegging it at three red mana. The singular color requirement restricts its integration, predominantly being viable in mono-red or heavily red-influenced decks. This can narrow deck-building options and diminish its versatility across various MTG strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Casting Gathan Raiders requires a significant mana investment, considering its base function as a creature. While it holds a potential as a 3/3 beater, which can be morphed into a 5/5, its casting cost may be less appealing compared to other cards within the same mana range, that offer immediate impact on the board or bring additional value-driven effects to the match. Its cost-effectiveness is an aspect that MTG players analyze meticulously while crafting their decks.


Reasons to Include Gathan Raiders in Your Collection

Versatility: Gathan Raiders stand out with their Hellbent ability, allowing them to become a substantial 3/3 creature on the battlefield. This means they adapt well to different game phases, whether you’re pressuring an opponent early on or need a sizeable creature later when your hand is empty.

Combo Potential: With the discard ability to morph into its Hellbent state, Gathan Raiders synergizes with strategies revolving around graveyard play or madness. They open doors to a variety of combo plays that can leverage discarded cards to your advantage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where games tend to drag out, Gathan Raiders can assert dominance as players deplete their hands, making them a persistent threat. Their resilience against control tactics ensures they remain relevant and can swing games in your favor.


How to beat Gathan Raiders

Gathan Raiders presents itself as a formidable adversary in the world of Magic: The Gathering with its morphing ability and Hellbent feature, which grants it a power boost if you have no cards in hand. However, every card has its Achilles’ heel. One effective strategy to overpower Gathan Raiders is by maintaining card advantage. Refrain from emptying your hand prematurely, as Gathan Raiders benefits from players having no cards, gaining a considerable power increase. Instead, stockpile your resources and leverage instant-speed removal or bounce spells to disrupt your opponent’s Hellbent condition before they can capitalize on it.

Control decks excel against this sort of threat, using counterspells and spot removal to keep the battlefield in check. Board wipes are also a sound strategy, as they can clear Gathan Raiders irrespective of its size. Decks with an abundance of creature interactions can sometimes outpace it by establishing a wide board presence, diluting the impact of a single pumped creature. With proper planning and reactive playstyles, you can navigate around the raw strength of Gathan Raiders, turning it from a perilous foe into a manageable challenge on your path to victory.


Cards like Gathan Raiders

Gathan Raiders emerges as an interesting option for fans of creature cards in MTG. This card bears resemblance to creatures like Flowstone Sculpture in its ability to morph based on conditions met during the game. However, Gathan Raiders claims its uniqueness with its Hellbent capability, empowering the creature further when a player has no cards in hand, something the Sculpture doesn’t offer.

Alongside, we encounter the likes of Ogre Menial. This red creature card carries the same mana cost but offers infect instead of Hellbent. While mana cost and power might be factors in comparing, the explosive potential of Hellbent gives Gathan Raiders an edge in the late game where hand size is often reduced. Conversely, Ogre Menial’s infect ability represents a consistent threat, potentially closing games with fewer swings.

In evaluating the competitive space of creature cards in MTG, Gathan Raiders stands out due to its potential for power increase and strategy around an empty hand. It’s a card that finds its moment in the spotlight particularly when players are looking for that late-game surge to overcome their opponents and tip the scales in their favor.

Flowstone Sculpture - MTG Card versions
Ogre Menial - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Sculpture - Tempest (TMP)
Ogre Menial - New Phyrexia (NPH)

Cards similar to Gathan Raiders by color, type and mana cost

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Avarax - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
Bonethorn Valesk - Scourge (SCG)
Frost Ogre - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Heartless Hidetsugu - Betrayers of Kamigawa (BOK)
Shard Phoenix - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Soul of Magma - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Hunted Dragon - The List (PLST)
Torchling - Planar Chaos (PLC)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Gathan Raiders MTG card by a specific set like Future Sight and Archenemy, 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 Gathan Raiders and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Gathan Raiders Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2007-05-04 and 2021-03-19. Illustrated by Paolo Parente.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12007-05-04Future SightFUT 992003normalblackPaolo Parente
22010-06-18ArchenemyARC 402003normalblackPaolo Parente
32021-03-19Time Spiral RemasteredTSR 1652015normalblackPaolo Parente

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Gathan Raiders has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2021-03-19 Because damage remains marked on a creature until the damage is removed as the turn ends, nonlethal damage dealt to Gathan Raiders while your hand is empty may become lethal if a card is put into your hand during that turn.

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