Den Protector MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Human Warrior
Abilities Megamorph
Power 2
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Megamorph ability allows Den Protector to return crucial cards from the graveyard to your hand.
  2. Instant-speed activation can outmaneuver opponents, reclaiming resources unexpectedly during play.
  3. Flexibility and resilience make it a formidable component in various MTG deck strategies.

Text of card

Creatures with power less than Den Protector's power can't block it. Megamorph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its megamorph cost and put a +1/+1 counter on it.) When Den Protector is turned face up, return target card from your graveyard to your hand.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Den Protector’s Megamorph ability grants you the power to return a card from your graveyard to your hand. This can tip the scales in your favor by bringing back key spells or creatures at crucial moments.

Resource Acceleration: While Den Protector doesn’t directly provide mana, returning ramp cards or key pieces from the graveyard to your hand can indirectly speed up your resource accumulation, ensuring that you maintain pressure on your opponent.

Instant Speed: While Den Protector itself isn’t an instant, its Megamorph feature can be activated at instant speed. This allows you to unveil the Den Protector at the most opportune time, often catching your opponent off-guard and reclaiming resources when they are least expecting it.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Den Protector offers the utility of returning a card from the graveyard to your hand, it does not facilitate this without a cost. In the case of Den Protector, you must turn it face up, which can be a significant drawback if your hand is already depleted or if you are managing your resources for other critical plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Den Protector requires both generic and green mana to cast effectively. This specific mana cost means that it is inherently less flexible than colorless cards, constraining it mainly to green or green-inclusive decks. Players running other color schemes might find it challenging to incorporate Den Protector seamlessly into their strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When taking into account the combination of its casting cost and the additional cost to use its morph ability, Den Protector can be considered mana-intense. With a total investment of at least five mana to fully utilize its capability, there might be situations where playing Den Protector could slow you down, especially when compared with other cards that can offer similar or greater value at a lower cost.


Reasons to Include Den Protector in Your Collection

Versatility: Den Protector serves multiple roles; it’s a creature with evasion thanks to its Morph ability, allowing it to slip by unblocked. Once flipped, it brings back any card from your graveyard to your hand, making it a valuable asset in decks that hinge on specific spells or creatures.

Combo Potential: With its ability to recur key cards, Den Protector can be an integral part of combos or synergies within a deck. It ensures you have access to the pieces you need when they’re most critical, effectively allowing your strategy to be more consistent and powerful.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where attrition and resource management are key, Den Protector’s recur ability can provide the edge you need. By outlasting your opponent and bringing back the most impactful cards time and again, you maintain an advantage that can swing games in your favor.


How to Beat Den Protector

Den Protector plays an intriguing role in MTG as a versatile creature known for its ability to return cards from your graveyard to your hand. This recursion effect combined with its morph ability makes Den Protector a resilient and strategic card. Uncovering strategies to effectively counter this card is essential to gain an advantage during gameplay.

One approach to counteract Den Protector’s prowess is through the use of removal spells that can bypass its hexproof ability. Cards like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict can sweep the board clean, which can efficiently remove Den Protector without the need to target it directly. Additionally, graveyard hate cards like Relic of Progenitus or Rest in Peace can neutralize the card’s strength by removing the target cards from consideration entirely. Strategic silence, such as using Hushbringer to shut down trigger abilities, can also prevent Den Protector from using its abilities to the fullest.

Managing Den Protector calls for meticulous planning and a wariness of graveyard interaction. By utilizing a combination of removal, graveyard disruption, and trigger negation, MTG players can thwart the advantages that Den Protector brings to the table and maintain dominance in their matchup.


BurnMana Recommendations

Den Protector stands as a card of choice for MTG players who prize flexibility and tactical superiority. Its ability to salvage valuable cards at instant speed while evading blockers makes it a formidable addition to any deck focused on sustained momentum. Its synergy with combo mechanics further cements its place among strategic deck builds. If you’re looking to amplify your game by mastering resource revival and gaining a competitive edge, Den Protector merits consideration. Dive deeper into the nuances of gameplay and optimize your deck’s potential. Learn from seasoned players and leverage your MTG experience to the fullest—discover more with us.


Cards like Den Protector

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Den Protector serves as a pivotal piece for utility creatures, especially in formats that value card recursion. Comparatively, Eternal Witness, a foundational staple in many decks, shares the ability to recover cards from the graveyard. However, Den Protector’s distinct mechanism of face-down play and the Megamorph feature provides the upside of a potential offensive threat.

Another analog is the multitalented Greenwarden of Murasa. While Greenwarden offers an immediate return of a card upon its entry or departure from the battlefield, it comes with a steeper mana investment. Den Protector’s lower casting cost paired with evasion through being unblockable by creatures with lesser power turns the scales in its favor in terms of agility and economic play.

Culminating the exploration of similar cards, Tarmogoyf stands out as a formidable creature that grows with graveyard content but doesn’t offer card return, guiding players to appreciate Den Protector’s unique blend of offensive capability and utility—traits that have cemented its place in decks seeking to recycle key elements for sustained performance and strategy execution.

Eternal Witness - MTG Card versions
Greenwarden of Murasa - MTG Card versions
Tarmogoyf - MTG Card versions
Eternal Witness - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Greenwarden of Murasa - Battle for Zendikar Promos (PBFZ)
Tarmogoyf - Future Sight (FUT)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Den Protector MTG card by a specific set like Dragons of Tarkir and Dragons of Tarkir 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 Den Protector and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Den Protector Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2015-03-27 and 2024-02-09. Illustrated by Viktor Titov.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12015-03-27Dragons of TarkirDTK 1812015normalblackViktor Titov
22015-03-28Dragons of Tarkir PromosPDTK 181s2015normalblackViktor Titov
32016-11-11Commander 2016C16 1472015normalblackViktor Titov
42019-08-23Commander 2019C19 1612015normalblackViktor Titov
52024-02-09Murders at Karlov Manor CommanderMKC 1692015normalblackViktor Titov

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Den Protector has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-02-25 If a face-down creature with megamorph is turned face up some other way (for example, if you manifest a card with megamorph and then pay its mana cost to turn it face up), you won’t put a +1/+1 counter on it.
2015-02-25 Megamorph is a variant of the morph ability. You can find more information on morph on cards with morph from the Khans of Tarkir set.
2015-02-25 Turning a face-down creature with megamorph face up and putting a +1/+1 counter on it is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to.
2015-02-25 You compare Den Protector’s power to the power of any creature trying to block it only as blockers are assigned. Once Den Protector has been legally blocked by a creature, changing the power of either creature won’t change or undo the block.

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