Stampeding Elk Herd MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	5
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Elk
Abilities	Formidable
Released	2015-03-27
Set symbol
Set name	Dragons of Tarkir
Set code	DTK
Power	5
Toughness	5
Number	208
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Carl Frank

Key Takeaways

Grants formidable presence, boosting creature power and encouraging aggressive playstyles in green-focused decks.
Demands specific mana, potentially limiting its deck versatility, yet integrates well in mono-green builds.
Despite competition in its cost range, its trample ability enhances its appeal in creature-heavy metas.

Text of card

Formidable — Whenever Stampeding Elk Herd attacks, if creatures you control have total power 8 or greater, creatures you control gain trample until end of turn.

The Atarka use them not just for food, but also to clear away snow, trees, and enemy forces.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Stampeding Elk Herd brings a significant presence to the battlefield that can quickly tip the scales in your favor. While it doesn’t draw cards outright, its formidable ability can give you an advantage by potentially providing multiple creatures with a sizeable power and toughness boost.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana acceleration, Stampeding Elk Herd’s ability to grant a consistent and potentially game-ending boost can accelerate your victory, effectively shortening the length of a match by increasing the threat level of your creatures on board.

Instant Speed: Stampeding Elk Herd itself may not have instant speed, but its formidable ability can be activated during your turn, making your creatures much more threatening and forcing your opponent to consider the potential for increased damage each time you attack. This can translate to a tactical advantage as you manage your resources during combat.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Stampeding Elk Herd’s potency in a game is contingent on having other cards like it or cards with similar abilities to trigger the formidable mechanic, which might necessitate discarding valuable cards to maintain other such creatures on the field.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature demands a specific green mana allocation, requiring at least three green mana to play. This can potentially restrict its inclusion to mono-green or two-color decks where green is heavily emphasized, potentially limiting its versatility in multicolored decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a mana value of five, this card may be overshadowed by others in the same cost bracket that either provide instant value or present a more immediate threat to opponents, making it sometimes a less optimal choice during deck construction.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Stampeding Elk Herd boasts a flexibility that seamlessly integrates into various green-focused decks, capitalizing on its formidable presence whenever a player has formidable creatures on the battlefield. It shines in both aggressive and midrange decks that emphasize creature strength.

Combo Potential: With its formidable ability, this card excels when paired in decks that consistently amass multiple creatures. The potential to always attack as a 5/5 or greater creature makes it an asset in synergistic decks that aim to enhance the force of their creature army.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where creature-based strategies dominate, Stampeding Elk Herd can be a game-changer. If the meta sways towards decks that establish board presence with numerous creatures, the Elk Herd’s ability to gain trample can turn the tide of battle, bypassing stalled board states against smaller creature decks.

How to beat

Stampeding Elk Herd brings a sense of foreboding to the battlefield with its formidable presence and game-changing ability to give other creatures trample. Overcoming this card requires strategic countermeasures. One effective approach is to maintain a strong line of defense. Creature removal spells are especially useful, as they can clear the way before the Elk Herd’s trample ability becomes a threat. Also, employing cards that create board-wide effects to decrease an opponent’s creature stats can drastically reduce the Elk Herd’s impact, making it easier to withstand an onslaught.

Focusing on speed is another tactic, as outpacing an opponent’s mana curve may inhibit their ability to cast Stampeding Elk Herd to its full potential. Additionally, cards that change creature abilities remove the trample from not only the Elk Herd but also from other creatures who may have gained it, diminishing the Herd’s influence in the game. Lastly, players should always be ready to adapt their strategy in response to the Herd’s arrival and should prepare their decks with versatile answers to such threats.

By being aware of these strategies, a player can maintain control of the game and neutralize the power of Stampeding Elk Herd, ensuring they don’t get overrun by this powerful force in Magic: The Gathering.

Cards like Stampeding Elk Herd

Stampeding Elk Herd brings a unique dynamic to creature-based strategies in MTG. Its closest relatives might be cards like Stampede Driver, which also empowers your creatures, providing them with the crucial ability to trample over opponents’ defenses. Stampeding Elk Herd requires a substantial presence on the board to be effective, echoing the community-focused nature of the Selesnya Conclave’s mechanics which often revolve around a wealth of creatures and bolstering them through cooperative effects.

Another comparable card is Thunderfoot Baloth. This behemoth not only grants trample to your other creatures but additionally boosts their power, providing a significant advantage in the late game. The Thunderfoot Baloth, however, requires you to have a formidable commander in play to activate its abilities, while Stampeding Elk Herd is self-sufficient, activating its ability just through the sheer number of creatures you control.

Analyzing these cards in concert, it’s evident that while each has its distinct prerequisites and advantages, Stampeding Elk Herd offers a balanced approach. It rewards players who can maintain a wide battlefield, seamlessly integrating into decks that focus on creature quantity rather than quality, thus creating pathways for potentially game-ending trample damage.

Cards similar to Stampeding Elk Herd by color, type and mana cost

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Stampeding Elk Herd MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir, 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 Stampeding Elk Herd and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Stampeding Elk Herd has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Penny	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2015-02-25	If you control a creature with power less than 0, use its actual power when calculating the total power of creatures you control. For example, if you control three creatures with powers 4, 5, and -2, the total power of creatures you control is 7.
2015-02-25	Other formidable abilities are triggered abilities with an “intervening ‘if’” clause. Such abilities check the total power of creatures you control twice: once at the appropriate time to see if the ability will trigger, and again as the ability tries to resolve. If, at that time, the total power of creatures you control is no longer 8 or greater, the ability will have no effect.
2015-02-25	Some formidable abilities are activated abilities that require creatures you control to have total power 8 or greater. Once you activate these abilities, it doesn’t matter what happens to the total power of creatures you control.