Yarok's Fenlurker MTG Card


Yarok's Fenlurker - Core Set 2020
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Horror
Released2019-07-12
Set symbol
Set nameCore Set 2020
Set codeM20
Power 1
Toughness 1
Number123
Frame2015
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byDaarken

Key Takeaways

  1. Diminishes opponent’s resources upon entry, impacting their strategy effectively.
  2. Instant speed synergies offer strategic advantages and board presence.
  3. It demands specific mana, which can limit deck-building versatility.

Text of card

When Yarok's Fenlurker enters the battlefield, each opponent exiles a card from their hand. : Yarok's Fenlurker gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

"Yarok's nightmares lurk and wait Where dark despair is near at hand." —*Lament for Bala Ged*, stanza 3


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Yarok’s Fenlurker excels in creating card advantage by compelling an opponent to exile a card from their hand. This not only diminishes your opponent’s resources but can also disrupt their game plan, giving you an upper hand.

Resource Acceleration: Entering the battlefield, Yarok’s Fenlurker immediately affects the board state. While not directly accelerating your own mana resources, it efficiently uses the mana you have available, leading to a potential increase in tempo against your adversary.

Instant Speed: While Yarok’s Fenlurker itself isn’t an instant, it has synergies with other instant speed interactions. Its ability triggers when it enters the battlefield, which can be exploited with instant speed flicker or bounce effects to further capitalize on its disruptive entrance.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Yarok’s Fenlurker forces an opponent to discard a card upon entering the battlefield, this effect is not repeatable and doesn’t scale well later in the game when opponents may have fewer cards in hand.

Specific Mana Cost: This card demands two black mana, limiting its inclusion mainly to mono-black or heavily black-centric decks, potentially restricting its versatility in multi-colored builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two black mana for a 1/1 creature, Yarok’s Fenlurker may be seen as having a high mana investment relative to the immediate impact it has on the game, especially comparing it to other two-mana creatures with more potent or flexible abilities.


Reasons to Include Yarok’s Fenlurker in Your Collection

Versatility: Yarok’s Fenlurker has an adaptable presence on the battlefield, able to function optimally in both aggressive and control strategies. Its enter-the-battlefield effect aligns well with a variety of deck themes that capitalize on opponent disruption.

Combo Potential: This creature harmonizes with strategies that amplify enter-the-battlefield triggers. When combined with cards like Yarok, the Desecrated, it doubles its impact, forcing opponents to exile more cards from their hands and paving the way for a swift victory.

Meta-Relevance: In games where hand advantage is crucial, Yarok’s Fenlurker excels by limiting your opponent’s choices. This can tilt the scales in your favor in a meta where resource denial is a pathway to control the pace and outcome of the match.


How to beat

Yarok’s Fenlurker presents a unique challenge within MTG gameplay, demanding strategic navigation to overcome its enter the battlefield ability. This ability causes an opponent to exile a card from their hand, a one-time effect upon its entry that can be well planned for. While the Fenlurker’s power lies in its ability to apply early game pressure, its relatively low stats make it vulnerable. Efficient removal spells can easily answer this threat before it manages to capitalize on its potential to disrupt your hand.

Players who expect to encounter Yarok’s Fenlurker can prepare by leveraging low-cost removal spells that can dispatch it without losing tempo. Cards like Shock or Fatal Push are excellent choices to deal with such early threats while preserving your resources. It’s also possible to outmaneuver the Fenlurker by holding onto less critical cards that can be easily discarded if necessary, thus mitigating the impact of its ability. Additionally, graveyard recovery spells can provide a second chance for exiled cards crucial to your strategy.

Treating Yarok’s Fenlurker as a bump in the road rather than a roadblock is key. This involves preemptive deck adjustments or tactical in-game decisions, which allow you to maintain control and ultimately, ensure its effect on the match is minimal.


BurnMana Recommendations

Exploring the strengths and strategic uses of Yarok’s Fenlurker can greatly influence your MTG gameplay, undeniably offering unique advantages like early game disruption. Its entry effect, synergy with flicker mechanisms, and combo potential in the right deck setup highlight its merit. Understanding its limitations and countermeasures is equally critical to effectively manage and outplay this card. Balancing your deck to adapt to various scenarios ensures Yarok’s Fenlurker either serves as a powerful tool in your arsenal or a manageable challenge on the opposite side of the battlefield. Elevate your MTG tactics by embracing and adapting to such intricate card dynamics. Learn more to refine your gameplay and strategy.


Cards like Yarok's Fenlurker

Yarok’s Fenlurker stands as a compelling choice among creatures with enter-the-battlefield abilities in Magic: The Gathering. It shares the same set-stage effect of making your opponent exile a card from their hand as the renowned card, Burglar Rat. Yarok’s Fenlurker, however, offers a slight advantage with its ability to grow stronger with additional mana investment.

Brain Maggot is another card similar to Yarok’s Fenlurker in function, allowing for peeking and temporarily removing a nonland card from your adversary’s hand. However, Yarok’s Fenlurker has the benefit of having a persistent effect, while Brain Maggot’s exile effect lasts only as long as it remains on the battlefield. Kitesail Freebooter also follows a similar template but targets specifically noncreature, nonland cards and has flying, adding a different tactical angle to the gameplay.

In assessing the value of these disruptive creatures, Yarok’s Fenlurker certainly stands out with its ability to affect the game early on and become a bigger threat later. It has made a marked impact on deck strategies, particularly in those synergizing with ETB (Enter the Battlefield) triggers and black devotion mechanics.

Burglar Rat - MTG Card versions
Brain Maggot - MTG Card versions
Kitesail Freebooter - MTG Card versions
Burglar Rat - Guilds of Ravnica (GRN)
Brain Maggot - Journey into Nyx (JOU)
Kitesail Freebooter - Ixalan (XLN)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Yarok's Fenlurker MTG card by a specific set like Core Set 2020, 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 Yarok's Fenlurker and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Yarok's Fenlurker has restrictions

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

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