Berg Strider MTG Card

Berg Strider lends a tactical edge in gameplay by tapping opposing creatures upon entry. It synergizes well with snow lands, enhancing its battlefield presence without extra mana. While potent, it requires thoughtful mana base planning due to its blue mana cost.

Kaldheim (KHM)
2021-02-05 - Number 47

Jumpstart 2022 (J22)
2022-12-02 - Number 277

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Snow Creature — Giant Wizard
Power	4
Toughness	4

Text of card

When Berg Strider enters the battlefield, tap target artifact or creature an opponent controls. If {S} was spent to cast this spell, that permanent doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step. ({S} is mana from a snow source.)

Cards like Berg Strider

Berg Strider is a versatile addition to the suite of blue creatures in Magic: The Gathering. As a creature characterized by its freezing effect upon entering the battlefield, it is often measured against other “tappers” within the game. For instance, Frost Lynx shares a similar ability to lock down opposing creatures, however, Berg Strider’s synergy with snow lands gives it a potentially longer-lasting impact by not unfreezing the creature during the next untap step if a snow land was used to cast it.

Within this same realm, we find Icefall Regent, another creature that stands out due to its ability to make spells targeting it cost more. While Icefall Regent has a more substantial freezing influence on the field and can be more of a control tool, it also comes with a higher mana cost. Conversely, Berg Strider’s moderate casting cost and compatibility with snow mana mechanics can integrate smoothly into a deck built around snow synergies, offering utility without heavily straining resources.

Comparing these options, Berg Strider offers a balance between cost and control, making it an efficient choice for tempo decks looking to maintain board advantage while deploying threats. Its unique relationship with snow lands grants it adaptability and potentially longer-lasting board control, validating its place among Magic: The Gathering’s creature-based control cards.

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Card Pros

Card Advantage: Berg Strider, when playing in a blue deck focused on manipulating gameplay, provides a subtle edge in card utility. Its primary strength lies in the battlefield impact it presents upon casting. By tapping a target creature an opponent controls, Berg Strider gives the strategic advantage of temporarily removing an adversary’s defensive or offensive piece.

Resource Acceleration: While the Berg Strider may not directly accelerate resources in terms of mana, its five-mana casting cost for a 4/4 creature is balanced within the blue mana curve. The inclusivity of its Boast ability offers a synergetic approach when combined with snow lands, effectively working as a mechanical accelerant to your board state without demanding additional mana resources.

Instant Speed: Although not castable at instant speed, the pivotal facet of Berg Strider lies in its synergy with decks that operate on instant-speed dynamics. By tactically deploying Berg Strider during your main phase, you can control the pace of the game, setting up for counter plays or end-of-turn tricks that are fundamental in instant-speed focused strategies.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Berg Strider has no discard requirement, managing card advantage is key in gameplay. Cards that force a discard can hamper your strategy, so Berg Strider is a safer, but potentially less impactful play.

Specific Mana Cost: Berg Strider requires both generic and blue mana, which means it fits best in blue-oriented or two-color decks. The specific blue mana cost can be restrictive if your mana base is not properly tuned.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: For its ability to tap a creature and only if you control another snow permanent, Berg Strider’s mana cost may be seen as high. There are alternative creatures that offer similar or better effects for the same or lower mana investment.

Reasons to Include Berg Strider in Your Collection

Versatility: Berg Strider’s ability to tap down an opposing creature upon entering the battlefield makes it a flexible addition to blue-based control or tempo decks. Its utility in stalling aggressive opponents or clearing the way for your own attacks adds value across various match-ups.

Combo Potential: When paired with cards that repeatedly bounce creatures to your hand, Berg Strider’s enter-the-battlefield effect can be used multiple times. This synergy makes it an intriguing piece in decks looking to disrupt the opponent’s board state continually.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that favors creature-based strategies or where opponents rely on key creatures for their game plan, Berg Strider shines by being a recurring obstacle they have to overcome. Ensuring a creature stays tapped for an extra turn can give you the edge needed to control the pace and flow of the game.

How to Beat Berg Strider

Berg Strider is a card that can often turn the tide of a game in Magic: The Gathering. Known for its ability to tap an opponent’s creature upon entering the battlefield, it’s a temporary but effective method of control, especially in limited formats like Draft or Sealed. To counter this icy adversary, consider using instant removal spells that can get rid of Berg Strider before it locks down a crucial creature in your strategy. Cards like Shock or Heartless Act are efficient ways to deal with it without falling behind.

Alternatively, permanents with hexproof or protection from blue can nullify Berg Strider’s ability since it cannot target them. Building a board with hard-to-target creatures can give you resilience against such control tactics. If you already have a creature tapped by Berg Strider’s ability, use untap effects or abilities that can change a creature’s state, like Kiora’s Follower, to regain control of your assets. Understanding when to hold back removal or when to play around Berg Strider’s ability is key in maintaining tempo and ultimately outmaneuvering opponents who rely on this frosty giant.

Overall, with strategic play and an awareness of your removal options, Berg Strider becomes a manageable hurdle rather than an insurmountable obstacle in your path to victory.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Berg Strider MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Berg Strider and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Berg Strider Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Filip Burburan.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2021-02-05	Kaldheim	KHM		47	2015	Normal	Black	Filip Burburan
2	2022-12-02	Jumpstart 2022	J22		277	2015	Normal	Black	Filip Burburan

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Berg Strider has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Brawl	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2021-02-05	If Berg Strider enters the battlefield without being cast, no mana was spent to cast it. The enters-the-battlefield ability may still tap the target, but that permanent won’t be stopped from untapping during its controller’s next untap step.
2021-02-05	Similarly, if an effect copies the creature spell that becomes Berg Strider, no mana was spent to cast the copy. The target won’t be stopped from untapping during its controller’s next untap step.
2021-02-05	Snow is a supertype, not a card type. It has no rules meaning or function by itself, but spells and abilities may refer to it.
2021-02-05	Snow isn’t a type of mana. If an effect says you may spend mana as though it were any type, you can’t pay for {S} using mana that wasn’t produced by a snow source.
2021-02-05	Some cards have additional effects for each {S} spent to cast them. You can cast these spells even if you don’t spend any snow mana to cast them; their additional effects simply won’t do anything.
2021-02-05	Spending more than one snow mana to cast Berg Strider won’t cause the artifact or creature to remain tapped for additional turns.
2021-02-05	The Kaldheim set doesn’t have any cards with mana costs that include {S}, but some previous sets do. If an effect says such a spell costs less to cast, that reduction doesn’t apply to any {S} costs. This is also true for activated abilities that include {S} in their activation costs and effects that reduce those costs.
2021-02-05	The enters-the-battlefield ability can target an artifact or creature an opponent controls that’s already tapped. If snow mana was spent to cast Berg Strider, the target won’t untap during its controller’s next untap step.
2021-02-05	The {S} symbol is a generic mana symbol. It represents a cost that can be paid by one mana that was produced by a snow source. That mana can be any color or colorless.