Hooded Hydra MTG Card
2014-09-26 - Number 136
2019-08-23 - Number 172
2024-02-09 - Number 171
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 2 |
| Rarity | Mythic |
| Type | Creature — Snake Hydra |
| Abilities | Morph |
| Power | 0 |
| Toughness | 0 |
Key Takeaways
- Generates snake tokens on death or entry, creating card advantage and a stronger board presence.
- Morph ability enables strategic plays, enhancing Hooded Hydra’s flexibility and surprise factor.
- High mana cost demands careful resource management, but can result in a significant payoff.
Text of card
Hooded Hydra enters the battlefield with X +1/+1 counters on it. When Hooded Hydra dies, put a 1/1 green Snake creature token onto the battlefield for each +1/+1 counter on it. Morph As Hooded Hydra is turned face up, put five +1/+1 counters on it.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hooded Hydra is a powerhouse when it comes to card advantage. Upon entering the battlefield or dying, it creates a number of 1/1 green Snake creature tokens equal to the number of +1/+1 counters it had, potentially flooding the board with creatures and overwhelming your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: Not only does Hooded Hydra make for a formidable creature on the field, but it can also rapidly accelerate your resources. The ability to morph the card for three mana and turn it face-up later for an additional five mana means you can effectively pace your resources and still end up with a creature that’s a threat in its own right.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of morphing Hooded Hydra at instant speed gives it a significant tactical advantage. You can surprise your opponent by flipping it during their end step or after they’ve committed to an unfavorable attack or block, making it a versatile tool in any match.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hooded Hydra demands a necessary morph cost, which can lead to a less efficient use of cards in hand if the timing to flip it face-up isn’t ideal.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature requires green mana, which may not align with every deck strategy, potentially limiting its versatility in multi-colored deck formats.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The mana investment to get Hooded Hydra on the field and subsequently morph it can be steep, especially when compared to other creatures with lower costs and comparable impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Hooded Hydra can adapt to various gameplay situations. When facing removal, the death-trigger can populate your board with snakes, and when the game goes long, morphing it for a surprise effect can shift the tide in your favor.
Combo Potential: This card is a boon for decks employing +1/+1 counter synergies or strategies that capitalize on creature tokens. It interacts well with proliferate mechanics or anything that can exploit the generation of multiple creatures at once.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state filled with board wipes and control elements, Hooded Hydra provides resilience. As creature-based strategies prevail, its ability to leave behind a trail of tokens even after a sweeper makes it a strategic inclusion.
How to beat
Hooded Hydra is a formidable creature in Magic: The Gathering known for its sneaky resilience. It enters the battlefield either by paying its mana cost or as a face-down morph, growing into a threat once enough mana is invested. Moreover, upon death, it leaves behind a cluster of Snake tokens equal to its number of +1/+1 counters, making it a persistent presence on the board.
To effectively counter Hooded Hydra, consider using exile effects or cards that force a player to sacrifice a creature, as these bypass the token-generating death trigger. Spells like Path to Exile or effects from cards such as Liliana of the Veil can handle the hydra without leaving a trail of serpents. Additionally, board wipes that do not destroy, like Cyclonic Rift, can return it to the owner’s hand before it gets the chance to morph and become a bigger problem.
Playing around Hooded Hydra involves strategic planning and the right timing. Keeping instant-speed removal handy for right before your opponent invests mana to turn it face up, or after they’ve already invested resources, but before it attacks or blocks, minimizes the hydra’s impact and preserves your chances of commanding the game.
BurnMana Recommendations
Exploring Magic the Gathering’s diverse card base can be both thrilling and tactically enriching. The Hooded Hydra offers layers of complexity and board presence that can be key in clinching your victories. Whether you’re harnessing its ability to create a formidable force of tokens or leveraging its morphing trickery for a strategic ambush, there’s deep potential for those wanting to fortify their green decks. We encourage you to dig deeper into the strategies that make Hooded Hydra an asset in gameplay. Expand your deck’s capacity and refine your tactical approach with us—empower your MTG journey today.
Cards like Hooded Hydra
The allure of Hooded Hydra is evident to any player who appreciates creature dynamics and resilience in Magic: The Gathering. Hooded Hydra shares similarities with other formidable creatures that bring more than just power and toughness to the battlefield. For instance, consider the comparison to Protean Hydra, which also excels in long-term board presence with its ability to receive counters rather than damage.
Another comparable monster is Hangarback Walker – a card that, like Hooded Hydra, leaves behind a contingent of tokens when it dies. Each has the potential to shift the tide by deploying a swarm of creatures upon exiting. However, while Hangarback Walker seeds the battlefield with Thopter tokens, Hooded Hydra generates Sneak tokens, which can become formidable creatures in their own right if supported by the right deck synergies.
Despite shared themes of growth and token production, Hooded Hydra can arguably surpass its kin with its morph ability, offering a layer of strategic flexibility during play. Hooded Hydra’s duality can catch an opponent unprepared, making it a uniquely adaptable card in comparison to its creature counterparts.
Cards similar to Hooded Hydra by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hooded Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Commander 2019, 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 Hooded Hydra and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Hooded Hydra Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Chase Stone.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2014-09-26 | Khans of Tarkir | KTK | 136 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 2 | 2019-08-23 | Commander 2019 | C19 | 172 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone | |
| 3 | 2024-02-09 | Murders at Karlov Manor Commander | MKC | 171 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chase Stone |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hooded 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 Hooded Hydra card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2014-09-20 | A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected. |
| 2014-09-20 | Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot. |
| 2014-09-20 | At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so. |
| 2014-09-20 | Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger. |
| 2014-09-20 | Hooded Hydra’s last ability isn’t a triggered ability. It’s a replacement ability that modifies how Hooded Hydra is turned face up. Players can’t respond to Hooded Hydra being turned face up and having five +1/+1 counters put on it. |
| 2014-09-20 | If Hooded Hydra is face down and it’s turned face up some other way than by having its morph cost paid, the last ability will still apply. |
| 2014-09-20 | If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends. |
| 2014-09-20 | Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost. |
| 2014-09-20 | Use the number of +1/+1 counters that were on Hooded Hydra the last time it was on the battlefield to determine how many Snake tokens to create. |
| 2014-09-20 | When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics. |
| 2014-09-20 | You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield. |
