Tetravus MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeArtifact Creature — Construct
Abilities Flying
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Tetravus token generation yields a dynamic advantage in board state manipulation and strategic play.
  2. Specialized mana costs and discard mechanics warrant careful deck construction and resource management.
  3. While versatile, Tetravus faces competition from similar cards and demands savvy play to outmaneuver opponents.

Text of card

Flying Tetravus gets three +1/+1 counters when cast. During your upkeep, you may move each of these counters on or off Tetravus. Counters moved off of Tetravus become independent 1/1 flying artifact creatures. If such a creature dies, the counter is removed from play. Such creatures may not have enchantments cast on them, and they do not share any enchantments on Tetravus.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Tetravus generates three Tetravite tokens upon entering the battlefield, offering a significant presence by diversifying your assets across multiple bodies. It also allows for formidable defense or attack strategies, maintaining or escalating your board advantage with each turn.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly providing mana, the ability to proliferate Tetravite tokens means you’re effectively accelerating your resource presence in creature form. This can lead to overwhelming your opponent with a larger board state faster.

Instant Speed: While Tetravus itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its modular nature means you can manipulate the Tetravites during your end step, right before your turn, for strategic surprises. This can mimic the flexibility that instant speed interaction provides, allowing you to adapt to the evolving game state proactively.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Although not applicable to Tetravus specifically, it is important to mention that cards requiring a discard as an additional cost to play can put you at a disadvantage, particularly when you’re running low on cards in hand. This mechanic demands careful hand management which doesn’t pair well with Tetravus’s need for strategic reserve of resources to maximize its utility on the board.

Specific Mana Cost: Tetravus comes at a specific mana cost that requires three generic and three artifact or colorless mana. This can pose restrictions in decks that are not heavily invested in artifacts or lack the necessary ramp to produce colorless mana efficiently, potentially slowing down your game plan.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Tetravus’s total mana cost of six can be considered high in comparison to other creatures or artifacts that provide potentially more immediate impact on the game state. In fast-paced metas, the investment in casting Tetravus might not align with the speed of your deck’s strategy, making it less favorable in competitive scenarios where efficiency is key.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Tetravus is a flexible fit in artifact-centric decks and can be a formidable presence in both offensive and defensive strategies. Its ability to create and sacrifice artifact creatures enables it to adapt to various board states.

Combo Potential: This creature’s modular tokens can synergize with numerous cards that capitalize on artifact manipulation, multiplying the value you get from various interactions and enabling powerful combos.

Meta-Relevance: With artifact strategies consistently present in the meta, Tetravus holds its ground as a relevant card. It can serve as a pivot against opposing control by providing persistent threats through its token generation.


How to beat

Tetravus is a classic artifact creature in Magic the Gathering that can prove quite elusive on the battlefield. With the ability to create three Tetravite tokens, it has a knack for overwhelming opponents with a swarm of flying tokens. When facing this mechanical menace, it’s essential to focus on strategies that neutralize the Tetravus’ token-generating capability. Removal spells that do not target, like Wrath of God or Damnation, can clear the tokens along with Tetravus itself. Alternately, utilizing cards with effects that prevent the Tetravus from dividing, such as Pithing Needle or Phyrexian Revoker to name its action, can halt its token production altogether.

Direct artifact removal cards like Shatterstorm or By Force also serve as robust solutions to dismantle the Tetravus before its army of Tetravites becomes overwhelming. Managing your resources wisely and keeping removal spells in your hand until the optimal moment are key tactics. Recognizing when to take down the Tetravus or when to focus on controlling the field plays a pivotal role in claiming victory over an opponent utilizing this formidable mechanical creation.


Cards like Tetravus

Tetravus occupies a unique space among artifact creatures in Magic: The Gathering. Sharing similarities with Triskelavus, both have the ability to create smaller creature tokens. Tetravus allows its controller to remove and create three +1/+1 flying tokens during the upkeep phase. Triskelavus provides more flexibility, permitting the creation of tokens at any time, but each action requires a mana investment, unlike the cost-free separation Tetravus offers.

Another comparable card is Pentavus, which also generates token creatures, but with the versatility of instant-speed token creation and destruction. Pentavus provides a continual source of +1/+1 fliers whenever the controller has mana to spend, while Tetravus’s ability is bound by its own summoning sickness and the upkeep phase.

Analyzing these cards side by side, Tetravus showcases its strength in decks that capitalize on artifact synergies and token manipulation without further mana investment. Despite the slower token generation mechanism compared to its relatives, Tetravus remains an interesting choice for players keen on integrating a retro artifact-centric strategy into their MTG gameplay.

Triskelavus - MTG Card versions
Pentavus - MTG Card versions
Triskelavus - Time Spiral (TSP)
Pentavus - Mirrodin (MRD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Tetravus MTG card by a specific set like Antiquities and Fourth Edition, 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 Tetravus and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Tetravus Magic the Gathering card was released in 6 different sets between 1994-03-04 and 2011-01-10. Illustrated by Mark Tedin.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11994-03-04AntiquitiesATQ 711993normalblackMark Tedin
21995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3501993normalwhiteMark Tedin
31995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3501993normalblackMark Tedin
41995-08-01RinascimentoRIN 1411993normalblackMark Tedin
51995-08-01RenaissanceREN 1611993normalblackMark Tedin
62011-01-10Masters Edition IVME4 2331997normalblackMark Tedin

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Tetravus has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2004-10-04 Any +1/+1 counter which is on this card can be turned into a Tetravite token. It does not care where the +1/+1 counter came from.
2004-10-04 If the Tetravus is destroyed when the Tetravites are off the card, they are not destroyed, they are just orphaned.
2004-10-04 Only Tetravites from this specific Tetravus may be used for the ability. Ones from a different Tetravus can’t.
2008-08-01 This card now has two upkeep-triggered abilities. Its controller chooses the order they are put on the stack, and thus the order in which they resolve each upkeep.

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