Drumhunter MTG Card

Drumhunter provides consistent card advantage if you control a powerful creature. It offers both color flexibility in mana and pivotal resource acceleration. The end step draw plays into strategy, maximizing turn effectiveness and preparedness.

Shards of Alara (ALA)
2008-10-03 - Number 129

Commander 2013 (C13)
2013-11-01 - Number 142

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Human Druid Warrior
Power	2
Toughness	2

Text of card

At the end of your turn, if you control a creature with power 5 or greater, you may draw a card. : Add to your mana pool.

"I feel the vine-rhythm as my friends drive the beast to me. I will not miss my mark."

Cards like Drumhunter

Drumhunter is an intriguing utility creature within MTG designed to bolster your board presence while also providing a steady card advantage. Closely resembling cards like Elvish Piper and Garruk’s Packleader, Drumhunter has a unique ability that mirrors these creature’s benefits. Elvish Piper allows for cheating in creatures by paying just one green mana, making it perfect for heavy-hitters. However, Drumhunter allows you to draw during your end step if you control a creature with power 5 or greater, offering not only a larger creature presence but also card draw.

We also see a semblance in Oracle of Mul Daya, which permits an additional land play and a glimpse at your upcoming draw, enhancing your mana base and future planning. Although not a direct card draw, the Oracle offers a different form of card advantage. Drumhunter, on the other hand, provides tangible card advantage each turn and extra mana assurance with its tap for mana feature. Essence Warden, while not a direct comparison as it focuses on life gain for creature plays, represents alternative utility creature options that can impact your game over time, like Drumhunter’s consistent draw.

Drumhunter stands out for players who favor creature-based strategies and want incremental benefits as they build up a formidable board state. Its dual function of ramp and card draw wrapped into one creature makes it a valuable addition, especially in decks heavy with large creatures.

Cards similar to Drumhunter by color, type and mana cost

Ulvenwald Oddity // Ulvenwald Behemoth - MTG Card versions

Viridian Lorebearers - MTG Card versions

Monkey Monkey Monkey - MTG Card versions

Matsu-Tribe Birdstalker - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Drumhunter shines by providing a steady stream of card advantage. As long as you control a creature with power 5 or greater, Drumhunter allows you to draw an additional card during the end step. This can be pivotal in keeping your hand full and options plentiful.

Resource Acceleration: Beyond card draw, Drumhunter also acts as a resource accelerator. It taps for one mana of any color, which can be a crucial asset for casting heavy-hitters earlier or efficiently splashing multiple colors in your deck.

Instant Speed: While Drumhunter itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, the additional card draw occurs during the end phase, subtly providing the advantage of instant-speed action. This end step draw means you can potentially deploy other spells or abilities during your turn, knowing that you’ll replenish your hand at the conclusion of the turn, keeping you prepared for opponents’ moves.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Drumhunter provides a handy card draw mechanic, its utility is limited by needing to control a creature with power 5 or greater to activate its ability. This dependency could be a drawback in builds that lack consistently powerful creatures, potentially making the card’s benefit unreliable.

Specific Mana Cost: Drumhunter’s casting cost demands both green and colorless mana, necessitating a certain deck structure that can support such requirements. Players running multicolored or colorless decks may find the mana cost restrictive, hindering the card’s overall flexibility and incorporation into diverse deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Drumhunter enters the battlefield with a mana cost of four, which is quite an investment early in the game. Given that there are alternative mana accelerants and card draw engines available at a lower cost, Drumhunter’s efficiency is often put into question, especially in fast-paced games where speed is of the essence.

Reasons to Include Drumhunter in Your Collection

Versatility: Drumhunter is a unique addition as it provides consistent card draw and mana acceleration. It fits well in creature-heavy decks and those built around large creatures, helping to keep your hand filled with options.

Combo Potential: With Drumhunter, decks that focus on power 5 or greater creatures can greatly benefit. Its ability to tap for mana and draw cards can seamlessly tie into engines that exploit creature size or type, maximizing the value of every powerful creature you play.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where big creatures often decide the game’s outcome, Drumhunter assures you stay ahead. Not only does it bolster your board presence, but it also keeps your resources flowing to outpace opponents relying on heavy hitters.

How to beat

Drumhunter is a unique green card that can be quite advantageous to players of Magic: The Gathering who favor creature-heavy decks. Its ability to not only draw a card during each of your end steps if you control a creature with power 5 or greater but also to add to your mana pool, makes it a valuable asset for ramping up and obtaining those high-cost creatures on the battlefield faster.

To effectively play against Drumhunter, consider utilizing creature removals to ensure that your opponent lacks a qualifying creature, thereby turning off the card draw mechanism. Sweepers or targeted removals can keep the board clear of powerful threats. Another strategy is to employ counter spells or hand disruption tactics to prevent Drumhunter from hitting the table in the first place or removing it before its abilities can be utilized.

By proactively managing the creatures that enable Drumhunter’s engine, and understanding the importance of keeping a clean board or preemptively countering this threat, you can significantly diminish its impact and maintain control of the game.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Drumhunter MTG card by a specific set like Shards of Alara and Commander 2013, 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 Drumhunter and other MTG cards:

BUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer

Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Drumhunter Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2008-10-03 and 2013-11-01. Illustrated by Jim Murray.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2008-10-03	Shards of Alara	ALA		129	2003	Normal	Black	Jim Murray
2	2013-11-01	Commander 2013	C13		142	2003	Normal	Black	Jim Murray

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Drumhunter has restrictions

Format	Legality
Commander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Predh	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2008-10-01	The first ability has an “intervening ‘if’ clause.” That means (1) the ability won’t trigger at all unless you control a creature with power 5 or greater as your end step begins, and (2) the ability will do nothing if you don’t control a creature with power 5 or greater by the time it resolves. (It doesn’t have to be the same creature as the one that allowed the ability to trigger.) Power-boosting effects that last “until end of turn” will still be in effect when this kind of ability triggers and resolves. An ability like this will trigger a maximum of once per turn, no matter how many applicable creatures you control.