Wirewood Herald MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Elf
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Enabling elf synergies, Wirewood Herald replaces itself, offering card advantage and strategic depth.
  2. Key to mana acceleration in elf decks, it can fetch mana-generating elves, enhancing board presence.
  3. Acts as a tactical tool, bringing instant-speed elves, crucial for unexpected gameplay turns.

Text of card

When Wirewood Herald is put into a graveyard from play, you may search your library for an Elf card. If you do, reveal that card and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

The goblins laughed as the elf ran away, until more came back.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wirewood Herald offers a strategic edge by searching for an Elf card upon death, effectively replacing itself in your hand and ensuring you have the right tool for future turns. This can set up powerful synergies or recover key pieces lost in battle.

Resource Acceleration: By fetching the right Elf, Wirewood Herald can pave the way to ramp up your mana resources faster. Elves are notorious for their ability to create mana and escalate your board position, making this Herald pivotal to your game acceleration strategy.

Instant Speed: Though Wirewood Herald itself might not be an instant, the Elf it retrieves can be critical in decks that operate at instant speed. Having access to an instant-speed trick up your sleeve, courtesy of the Herald’s sacrifice, can turn the tides of a match unexpectedly, keeping opponents on their toes.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Wirewood Herald calls for a strategic play regarding your hand, as it necessitates having an elf to discard for its activation, making it potentially disadvantageous when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: The card demands one green mana, which might restrict deck-building options. Players looking to integrate Wirewood Herald within multi-color decks may find this a challenging imposition.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing two mana may seem reasonable, but when considering the overall tempo of an elf-themed deck, other one-mana drop creatures could provide immediate impact or acceleration, making Wirewood Herald a less optimal choice at times.


Reasons to Include Wirewood Herald in Your Collection

Versatility: Wirewood Herald is a utility creature that can effortlessly fit into Elf tribal decks or any strategy focusing on sacrifice mechanics. Its ability to search for another Elf when it dies makes it a flexible inclusion, adapting to various game states.

Combo Potential: When Wirewood Herald is sacrificed, it can tutor for key combo pieces within the Elf archetype, unlocking powerful synergies or setting up a game-winning chain of plays.

Meta-Relevance: In any MTG format where Elves are a viable archetype, Wirewood Herald holds its value. Its search ability ensures it remains relevant, helping players to adapt to shifting metas by fetching the most suitable Elf for any given matchup.


How to beat

Wirewood Herald is an asset for players who favor Elf tribal synergies in their decks. As a two-mana creature that can venture into your library to fetch another Elf upon death, it promotes deck resilience and consistency. The key to disrupting your opponent’s strategy when facing this card is to control the timing and method of Wirewood Herald’s departure from the battlefield.

One effective tactic is to employ graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus, eradicating the Herald’s ability to search the library by exiling it instead. Another strategy is to implement cards such as Grafdigger’s Cage, which prevent creatures from being cast from the library, thus nullifying the Herald’s search ability. Utilizing such strategic tools allows you to retain control over the game pace, making Wirewood Herald significantly less daunting.

In essence, defeating Wirewood Herald is about preventing its death-triggered ability from providing an advantage. By carefully choosing when and how it leaves the battlefield or applying specific countermeasures, it becomes manageable. This approach ensures that the Herald becomes a minor nuisance rather than a formidable enabler in your opponent’s elf-centric strategy.


BurnMana Recommendations

Wrapping up our analysis, Wirewood Herald emerges as a linchpin for any MTG player who appreciates the depth of Elf synergies. Its ability to ensure card replacement and mana acceleration makes it a tactical asset. Crafting your elf-themed deck with strategic depth can dramatically enhance your gameplay experience; including Wirewood Herald offers not just utility but also a counterplay to potential disruptions. Keen to refine your deck and uncover more strategic gems? Dive deeper with us into the MTG realm, where each card choice can lead to triumphant victory. Let’s optimize your deck together for your next victorious match!


Cards like Wirewood Herald

Wirewood Herald is a unique creature card within Magic: The Gathering that players should appreciate for its versatile utility upon leaving the battlefield. This Elf echoes the functionality of cards such as Elvish Visionary, which also provides value beyond just a body on the board. However, Wirewood Herald brings something different to the table by fetching an Elf card from the deck when it dies, whereas Elvish Visionary offers an immediate benefit of drawing a card upon entering the battlefield.

Moreover, creatures like Sylvan Messenger share the elf-retrieving theme with Wirewood Herald, but instead of waiting for a demise trigger, Sylvan Messenger presents a potent form of deck filtering upon its arrival by allowing a look at the top four cards and picking any elves found there. Then there is Fauna Shaman, an ally in the search for critical creature cards, but it demands an active ability and the discard of another creature card to perform its tutor role.

In the realm of elf-centric strategies, Wirewood Herald stands out as a resilient contributor, synergizing particularly well with sacrifice and death-trigger mechanics, elevating its strategic impact and making it a notable member of any elf tribal deck in Magic: The Gathering.

Elvish Visionary - Shards of Alara (ALA)
Sylvan Messenger - Apocalypse (APC)
Fauna Shaman - Magic 2011 (M11)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wirewood Herald MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught and Salvat 2005, 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 Wirewood Herald and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wirewood Herald Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2002-10-07 and 2014-12-05. Illustrated by Alex Horley-Orlandelli.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-10-07OnslaughtONS 3021997normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
22005-08-22Salvat 2005PSAL B432003normalwhiteAlex Horley-Orlandelli
32007-11-16Duel Decks: Elves vs. GoblinsDD1 162003normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli
42014-12-05Duel Decks Anthology: Elves vs. GoblinsEVG 162015normalblackAlex Horley-Orlandelli

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wirewood Herald has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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