Bristling Hydra MTG Card
2007-01-01 - Number 147
2016-09-30 - Number 147s
2016-09-30 - Number 147
2020-11-12 - Number 156
| Card sets | Released in 4 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Hydra |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Text of card
When Bristling Hydra enters the battlefield, you get (three energy counters). Pay : Put a +1/+1 counter on Bristling Hydra. It gains hexproof until end of turn.
Cards like Bristling Hydra
The Bristling Hydra presents itself as a unique combatant on the fields of Magic: The Gathering. It’s reminiscent of cards like Verdurous Gearhulk, which also grants counters, boosting its strength and resilience the moment it steps onto the battlefield. Yet, the Hydra distinguishes itself with its built-in shielding mechanism, utilizing energy counters to gain hexproof, thereby becoming untargetable by spells or abilities an opponent controls.
Examining further, we encounter the likes of Managorger Hydra, another creature card that grows with each spell cast, but it lacks Bristling Hydra’s ability to control when and how it becomes elusive to removal spells. In direct contrast is the card Longtusk Cub, a smaller creature initially that also utilizes energy counters, but its growth requires combat success rather than a static pool of energy.
Tallying the strengths and adaptive features, Bristling Hydra has firmly rooted itself as a formidable choice within Magic: The Gathering. With its flexibility and defensive capabilities, it makes a strong case for inclusion in decks leveraging energy counters and looking for creatures that can persist through targeted disruption.
Cards similar to Bristling Hydra by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Bristling Hydra. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Temur Midrange | Legacy | 90 / The 90th Legacy at Home |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Bristling Hydra brings exceptional value by enabling you to enhance its resilience on the battlefield. When it enters the play, you’re granted energy counters which can fuel additional abilities or synergize with other energy-mechanic cards.
Resource Acceleration: While the Hydra itself doesn’t directly increase your mana pool, it effectively uses energy as an alternate resource. This can accelerate your board presence by giving you more flexibility to utilize energy without spending mana.
Instant Speed: The ability to add a +1/+1 counter at instant speed gives Bristling Hydra a tactical edge. This can turn the tide during combat, surprise opponents, and make it a formidable force when defending against threats or pushing for damage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Although Bristling Hydra doesn’t directly require a card discard, it can indirectly pressure players to part with valuable hand resources in building a deck with sufficient energy counters to support its abilities.
Specific Mana Cost: Bristling Hydra demands a precise combination of green mana and energy counters. This specificity makes it less flexible and potentially hinders its integration into a diverse range of deck types or multicolor strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three generic and one green mana, the Hydra comes with a higher investment upfront. Considering this, players might weigh the Hydra’s abilities against other creatures or spells that perhaps bring immediate board impact or lower cost efficiency.
Reasons to Include Bristling Hydra in Your Collection
Versatility: The Bristling Hydra offers flexibility in deck building, fitting comfortably into energy-focused strategies while proving to be a formidable creature on its own. With its ability to generate and use energy counters, it adapts to multiple game scenarios.
Combo Potential: This hydra works well with other energy mechanics, potentially creating synergies with cards that produce or exploit energy. It can grow out of control quickly, presenting a challenge for opponents to handle effectively.
Meta-Relevance: As the game environment shifts, the Bristling Hydra has shown resilience in contexts where creature-based tactics are prevalent. Its protection against removal via energy counters makes it a persistent threat in various metagame landscapes.
How to beat
Bristling Hydra is a formidable presence on the battlefield, making it a card that many players in Magic: The Gathering need strategies to overcome. Known for its ability to dodge removal thanks to its hexproof capability, which is activated by energy counters, this creature can become quite the headache. To outmaneuver this hydra, it’s essential to manage the energy reserve of your opponent or employ board wipes that don’t target, such as Wrath of God, bypassing the hexproof altogether.
Another tactic includes preemptively removing energy-generating cards from your opponent’s play, limiting their ability to fuel Bristling Hydra’s ability. For instance, utilizing counter spells like Negate or Essence Scatter on key energy cards can effectively cut off the supply. Additionally, strategies that involve sacrificing creatures as the cost, such as with Diabolic Edict, can outpace the energy accumulation, leaving the Hydra vulnerable. It’s a nuanced battle, but with precise control of the energy economy, Bristling Hydra can be contained and defeated.
In summary, while Bristling Hydra presents a complex challenge with its protective capabilities, a targeted approach that focuses on preemptive strikes and non-targeted board control can provide a clear path to victory for MTG players facing this powerful adversary.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Bristling Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Resale Promos and Kaladesh Promos, 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 Bristling Hydra and other MTG cards:
BUY NOW BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
- 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
See MTG Products
Printings
The Bristling Hydra Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2007-01-01 and 2020-11-12. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-01-01 | Resale Promos | PRES | 147 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 2 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh Promos | PKLD | 147s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 3 | 2016-09-30 | Kaladesh | KLD | 147 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 4 | 2020-11-12 | Kaladesh Remastered | KLR | 156 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Bristling Hydra has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Bristling Hydra card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters are a kind of counter that a player may have. They're not associated with specific permanents. (Other kinds of counters that players may have include poison and experience.) |
| 2017-02-09 | Energy counters aren't mana. They don't go away as steps, phases, and turns end, and effects that add mana “of any type” to your mana pool can't give you energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | If an effect says you get one or more , you get that many energy counters. To pay one or more , you lose that many energy counters. Any effects that interact with counters a player gets, has, or loses can interact with energy counters. |
| 2017-02-09 | Keep careful track of how many energy counters each player has. You may do so by keeping a running count on paper, by using a die, or by any other clear and mutually agreeable method. |
| 2017-02-09 | You can't pay more energy counters than you have. |
| 2017-02-09 | is the energy symbol. It represents one energy counter. |