Atarka Beastbreaker MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Warrior |
| Abilities | Formidable |
| Released | 2015-03-27 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Dragons of Tarkir |
| Set code | DTK |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 174 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Johannes Voss |
Text of card
Formidable — : Atarka Beastbreaker gets +4/+4 until end of turn. Activate this ability only if creatures you control have total power 8 or greater.
He scorns the heavy winter garb of lesser warriors, trusting his anger to keep him warm.
Cards like Atarka Beastbreaker
Atarka Beastbreaker finds its niche within the repertoire of creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It stands alongside fellow creatures like Ainok Survivalist for its ability to have a significant impact on the battlefield. Where Atarka Beastbreaker shines is through its formidable Formidable ability, it can become a force to be reckoned with once you control creatures with total power 8 or greater.
Comparatively, Krosan Drover is another card that, like Atarka Beastbreaker, assists in deploying large creatures by reducing their casting cost. Although it doesn’t provide the same power-boosting effect, it facilitates a different kind of advantage by helping to play high-cost creatures earlier in the game. Savage Punch is a spell that echoes the theme of creature strength enhancement. It not only increases a creature’s power but also enables it to fight another creature, an essential removal tool which Atarka Beastbreaker lacks, yet potentially compensates for with its raw power increase.
Assessing these allies and tools, Atarka Beastbreaker competes admirably within its category through its potential for exponential power growth, making it a card that resonates well with strategies centered on beefing up creature strength in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Atarka Beastbreaker by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Atarka Beastbreaker provides significant value as it can become an overwhelming threat if left unchecked. Though it doesn’t draw cards directly, it effectively forces your opponent to deal with it, often at a two-for-one rate, as they may need to combine resources to handle this formidable creature once its formidable ability has been activated.
Resource Acceleration: While the Atarka Beastbreaker itself doesn’t accelerate resources, its presence can impact the board state by requiring fewer resources to pose a considerable threat. Its formidable cost is mana efficient for the power it can achieve, often allowing you to utilize mana for other spells while still developing your board presence significantly.
Instant Speed: The Atarka Beastbreaker’s ability operates at instant speed, presenting the tactical advantage of adapting to the state of the game dynamically. This allows for unpredictable combat phases, forcing opponents to consider potential instant-speed buffs when deciding to block or attack, which can lead to a psychological edge and potential misplays from the opposing side.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Atarka Beastbreaker does not intrinsically demand you to discard cards, building a formidable strategy around it can often lead to discarding other valuable cards to make space for necessary ramping and buffing effects.
Specific Mana Cost: Atarka Beastbreaker’s reliance on a precise blend of mana—specifically red and green—could constrict your deck building. These mana requirements may stifle its integration within a multicolored or colorless strategy, thereby narrowing its versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Requiring two mana to cast and additional investment to activate its formidable ability, Atarka Beastbreaker’s mana consumption may compete with other significant plays at crucial stages of the game. Within the same mana range, you could potentially deploy threats with immediate board impact or cards that offer greater value without further expenditure.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Atarka Beastbreaker provides both early-game presence and scalable late-game power, allowing it to adapt to evolving board states. Its ability to become a considerable threat with the formidable mechanic makes it a flexible pick for various deck archetypes within the Green color.
Combo Potential: The card’s formidable ability can be used in tandem with effects that boost counters and power to quickly create a dominant creature. Pairing Atarka Beastbreaker with cards that untap creatures can also lead to repeated power boosts in a single turn, opening the door for multiple strategies.
Meta-Relevance: In a game that values powerful creatures, Atarka Beastbreaker can be a game-changer. Its relevance in the meta can be attributed to its cost-efficiency and the ease with which it can become a threat, especially in Green-focused decks that accelerate mana and exploit +1/+1 counters.
How to beat
The Atarka Beastbreaker stands as a formidable creature in the world of MTG, presenting a challenge to players across the battlefield. Boasting a transformative ability, it can quickly escalate from a modest foot soldier to a colossal threat. However, it’s far from insurmountable. Preventative strategies such as efficient removal spells or counters can shut down this Beastbreaker before it gains traction. Instant-speed removal like Path to Exile or Fatal Push prove effective in mitigating the threat early on.
Similarly, controlling the timing is crucial. Since the Atarka Beastbreaker’s formidable capacity is activated only at sorcery speed, players can navigate around it by dealing with the creature on their turn or by setting up during the opponent’s end step. Enchantment based removal, like Pacifism or Journey to Nowhere, can also neutralize the beast without triggering any conditions that it may benefit from upon death.
Ultimately, overcoming the Atarka Beastbreaker entails preemptive measures and strategic maneuvering. Whether it’s dispatching it swiftly or disabling its abilities, keeping this creature in check is key to maintaining dominance on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Atarka Beastbreaker MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Atarka Beastbreaker and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Atarka Beastbreaker has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Atarka Beastbreaker card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2015-02-25 | If you control a creature with power less than 0, use its actual power when calculating the total power of creatures you control. For example, if you control three creatures with powers 4, 5, and -2, the total power of creatures you control is 7. |
| 2015-02-25 | Other formidable abilities are triggered abilities with an “intervening ‘if’” clause. Such abilities check the total power of creatures you control twice: once at the appropriate time to see if the ability will trigger, and again as the ability tries to resolve. If, at that time, the total power of creatures you control is no longer 8 or greater, the ability will have no effect. |
| 2015-02-25 | Some formidable abilities are activated abilities that require creatures you control to have total power 8 or greater. Once you activate these abilities, it doesn’t matter what happens to the total power of creatures you control. |