Battlewise Hoplite MTG Card

Scrying ability enhances draw quality, indirectly creating long-term card advantage. Instant speed synergy with Battlewise Hoplite can sway the game flow. Despite costing two mana, the versatility it offers makes it a worthy inclusion.
Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Soldier
Abilities Heroic,Scry
Power 2
Toughness 2

Text of card

Heroic — Whenever you cast a spell that targets Battlewise Hoplite, put a +1/+1 counter on Battlewise Hoplite, then scry 1. (To scry 1, look at the top card of your library, then you may put that card on the bottom of your library.)

Cards like Battlewise Hoplite

The Battlewise Hoplite is a standout contender within the heroic archetype in Magic: The Gathering. This card is often contrasted with Favored Hoplite, another creature that benefits from being targeted by spells or abilities, bolstering its strength. Battlewise Hoplite, however, enhances gameplay by allowing for deck manipulation with its scry feature after a heroic trigger – something Favored Hoplite overlooks.

Moreover, Phalanx Leader shares the heroic trait, but it differs in that it fortifies all your creatures instead of just itself. Despite this broad impact, the Battlewise Hoplite’s scry ability gives a more refined control over upcoming plays, a tactical advantage that Phalanx Leader doesn’t provide.

While considering the role of such creatures in an MTG deck, Battlewise Hoplite’s dual prowess in individual enhancement and strategic foresight makes it a powerful card among its heroic peers. Its ability to fine-tune the order of your upcoming cards, in addition to gathering strength, offers a unique element to game dynamics compared to its counterparts.

Favored Hoplite - MTG Card versions
Phalanx Leader - MTG Card versions
Favored Hoplite - MTG Card versions
Phalanx Leader - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Battlewise Hoplite doesn’t directly allow you to draw cards, but its ability to scry with each +1/+1 counter ensures you filter through your deck, improving card quality and indirectly leading to card advantage over time. Each combat trick or spell that targets it not only boosts its power but also refines your upcoming draws.

Resource Acceleration: While not a direct source of resource acceleration, the investment made into Battlewise Hoplite in the form of spells and abilities can pay off by creating a formidable threat. This efficient use of resources can advance your board state, putting pressure on your opponent and accelerating your path to victory.

Instant Speed: This card synergizes well with instant speed spells. Casting buffs on the Battlewise Hoplite during the combat phase can be a game-changer, not only making it stronger but also allowing a scry before drawing for the turn. This can turn the tides by giving you the right resources when you need them and catching opponents off guard.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Battlewise Hoplite can bolster a creature’s strength, it demands a card to be discarded to trigger its heroic ability. Such a requirement can deplete your hand quickly, especially in a game where maintaining a healthy card advantage can dictate the outcome.

Specific Mana Cost: Battlewise Hoplite’s casting cost requires both white and blue mana which makes it less flexible and can be a stumbling block in multicolored decks that may not always have the right mana at the right time.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Playing Battlewise Hoplite demands a two-mana investment. In competitive play, other creatures or spells at the same cost threshold might offer immediate value or a more potent board presence, potentially relegating the Hoplite to a lesser role in aggressive or efficiency-focused deck builds.

Reasons to Include Battlewise Hoplite in Your Collection

Versatility: Battlewise Hoplite serves as a valuable asset in decks designed around +1/+1 counters and heroics. It lets players manipulate their draws while building a more formidable creature on the battlefield, adapting to both aggressive and tactical playstyles.

Combo Potential: This creature pairs exceptionally well with spells that target, allowing you to stack abilities and counters, thus enabling powerful synergies within decks focused on these mechanics. It excels in triggering and benefiting from numerous spell casts in a single turn.

Meta-Relevance: With a constantly evolving meta, cards that allow for deck adaptability are key. Battlewise Hoplite can hold its own by capitalizing on its ability to grow and fend off popular threats in various competitive and casual formats.

How to beat

The Battlewise Hoplite is an intriguing creature in Magic: The Gathering, admired for its synergy with spells that target it, allowing you to bolster its strength and dig through your deck. To overcome this valiant warrior, consider removing it before your opponent can leverage its abilities. Direct damage spells or removals that don’t target, such as Supreme Verdict, can bypass its strengths, removing it without triggering its beneficial effects.

Another strategy is utilizing cards that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures, like Crackling Doom, sidestepping the Hoplite’s heroic trigger altogether. Alternatively, employing blockers with high toughness can repeatedly foil the Hoplite’s advances, deterring your opponent from attacking. Lastly, enchantment removal can strip away any enhancements on the Battlewise Hoplite, reducing it back to its base state and making it a more manageable threat for your deck to handle.

Adapting these tactics ensures that the Battlewise Hoplite, a seemingly formidable adversary, becomes a surmountable challenge on your path to victory. By thoughtfully playing around its heroic capability, you can nullify its impact and maintain dominance on the battlefield.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Battlewise Hoplite MTG card by a specific set like Theros and Explorer Anthology 1, 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 Battlewise Hoplite and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Battlewise Hoplite Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2013-09-27 and 2022-07-28. Illustrated by Willian Murai.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12013-09-27TherosTHS 1892003NormalBlackWillian Murai
22022-07-28Explorer Anthology 1EA1 152015NormalBlackWillian Murai

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Battlewise Hoplite has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities will resolve before the spell that caused them to trigger.
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities will trigger only once per spell, even if that spell targets the creature with the heroic ability multiple times.
2013-09-15 Heroic abilities won't trigger when a copy of a spell is created on the stack or when a spell's targets are changed to include a creature with a heroic ability.
2013-09-15 Scry appears on some spells and abilities with one or more targets. If all of the spell or ability's targets are illegal when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. You won't scry.
2013-09-15 When you scry, you may put all the cards you look at back on top of your library, you may put all of those cards on the bottom of your library, or you may put some of those cards on top and the rest of them on the bottom.
2013-09-15 You choose how to order cards returned to your library after scrying no matter where you put them.
2013-09-15 You perform the actions stated on a card in sequence. For some spells and abilities, that means you'll scry last. For others, that means you'll scry and then perform other actions.