Hibernation's End MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Rare
Type	Enchantment
Abilities	Cumulative upkeep
Released	2006-07-21
Set symbol
Set name	Coldsnap
Set code	CSP
Number	110
Frame	2003
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Steven Belledin

Key Takeaways

It provides a steady card advantage by tutoring creatures with precise mana costs each upkeep.
The cumulative upkeep cost ramps up your board presence with increasingly powerful creatures.
Despite a restrictive mana requirement and high initial cost, it shines in slower metagames.

Text of card

Cumulative upkeep Whenever you pay Hibernation's End's cumulative upkeep, you may search your library for a creature card with converted mana cost equal to the number of age counters on Hibernation's End and put it into play. If you do, shuffle your library.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hibernation’s End offers a recurring opportunity to search your library for creatures with precisely the right mana cost. Over the course of a few turns, this can translate into a significant card advantage by ensuring consistent creature drops every cycle.

Resource Acceleration: The cumulative upkeep cost of Hibernation’s End can actually work in your favor by acting as a resource accelerator. As turns progress, you get to tutor creatures of increasing converted mana cost, effectively ramping up your board presence with potentially game-changing creatures that align with your increasing resource pool.

Instant Speed: While Hibernation’s End itself is not played at instant speed, the creatures it allows you to put onto the battlefield bypass the normal casting time restrictions. This means that on each of your upkeeps, you can secure a creature that could be a blocker or an effect normally limited to sorcery speed, edging out your opponents on adaptability.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hibernation’s End doesn’t directly ask players to discard cards, cycling it requires a card to be discarded. This can deplete your hand, making it a risky move if you’re not well equipped with card draw mechanisms.

Specific Mana Cost: Hibernation’s End demands a precise mana alignment to cast, dealing exclusively in green mana. This can potentially restrict the card to mono-green or two-colored decks, thereby limiting its versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an initial investment of five mana and additional mana required every upkeep, Hibernation’s End can be a heavy commitment. Considering the mana investment, it may take several turns before yielding a substantial benefit, which could be a hindrance in more aggressive or fast-paced metagames.

Reasons to Include Hibernation’s End in Your Collection

Versatility: Hibernation’s End slots seamlessly into a variety of decks that focus on creature searches and incremental advantage. Its ability to fetch the right creature for the situation makes it adaptable for different phases of the game.

Combo Potential: This card has intrinsic synergy with strategies that untap lands or benefit from putting creatures onto the battlefield at unexpected times. It can be the cornerstone of a powerful search-based combo, fetching creatures turn after turn.

Meta-Relevance: In metagames where slower, more methodical play is effective, Hibernation’s End thrives. It can out-value opponents over time, making it powerful in metas where having the right creature at the right time is crucial.

How to beat

Hibernation’s End is an intriguing enchantment within the Magic: The Gathering landscape, allowing players to progressively search for creatures with the cumulative upkeep cost. Each turn offers an opportunity to fetch a creature card with a specific converted mana cost from your deck to the battlefield, presenting a growing threat to opponents as the turns pass and the mana curve increases.

To effectively counter Hibernation’s End, strategies involving enchantment removal are essential. Cards like Disenchant can straightforwardly eliminate this enchantment before its abilities spiral. With the nature of Hibernation’s End, the earlier it’s addressed, the better. It’s also notable that playing around the cumulative upkeep can be beneficial – sometimes, allowing your opponent to overcommit to the upkeep cost can strain their mana resources, making it easier to gain control of the game. Likewise, taxing effects, such as those from Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, increase the cost of spells and abilities, potentially disrupting the streamlined creature search Hibernation’s End aims to accomplish.

Understanding Hibernation’s End and preparing your deck with appropriate countermeasures is key to gaining the upper hand against this unique card, ensuring the enchantment’s end comes swiftly within your matches.

Cards like Hibernation's End

Hibernation’s End is an intriguing enchantment in the Magic: The Gathering universe, not to be overlooked by players fond of creature-based strategies. It echoes the mechanics found in cards like Birthing Pod, allowing players to search for creatures of specific converted mana costs. However, where Birthing Pod demands a creature sacrifice and pays life for its activation, Hibernation’s End provides a steadier, yet slower, sequence through its cumulative upkeep cost.

Another card that comes to mind is Wild Pair, which also revolves around creatures. While Hibernation’s End meticulously tutors creatures with increasing mana costs turn after turn, Wild Pair immediately fetches a creature to the battlefield upon a creature spell’s casting, provided they share the same total power and toughness values. Unlike the inevitable mana scaling with Hibernation’s End, Wild Pair’s effect relies on the synergy of the creatures’ stats.

Loyal players might also compare it to Fauna Shaman, a creature with a repeatable tutor effect, facilitating the search for the perfect creature card at the cost of another creature in hand. While Fauna Shaman offers greater control over the choice of creature retrieved, Hibernation’s End’s systematic approach can provide a cumulative advantage over multiple turns.

Cards similar to Hibernation's End by color, type and mana cost

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hibernation's End MTG card by a specific set like Coldsnap, 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 Hibernation's End and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hibernation's End has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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