Ripjaw Raptor MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 5 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dinosaur
Abilities Enrage
Power 4
Toughness 5

Key Takeaways

  1. Draw a card whenever it’s dealt damage, turning received blows into strategic card advantage.
  2. Can be restrictive in deck placement due to specific mana requirements, influencing deck versatility.
  3. A solid asset in creature-centric strategies; maintains its value with the right synergies.

Text of card

Enrage — Whenever Ripjaw Raptor is dealt damage, draw a card.

Raptors are clever enough to tear away a hard metal shell to get at the tasty morsel inside.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Ripjaw Raptor offers an impressive advantage by letting you draw a card each time it’s dealt damage. This synergistic ability can quickly fill your hand and keep your options open during a match.

Resource Acceleration: Though not a direct means of mana ramp, the card’s potential for consistent card draw can indirectly lead to resource acceleration by providing you with more land drops and action choices.

Instant Speed: While Ripjaw Raptor itself doesn’t operate at instant speed, its enrage mechanic opens up strategic plays with your own instant-speed damage sources, allowing you to draw at opportune times.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Ripjaw Raptor does not have a direct discard requirement, it’s important to note that its enrage ability only triggers upon taking damage. This means that to draw a card, you may need to engineer situations where it’s dealt damage, potentially at the cost of other beneficial plays or resources.

Specific Mana Cost: Ripjaw Raptor has a specific mana cost that includes two green mana. This restricts its placement primarily to green-based decks or those with a reliable mana base that can accommodate such color requirements, potentially limiting its versatility across various deck types.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The four mana cost to bring Ripjaw Raptor onto the battlefield is notable, as it competes with other four-mana plays that may offer immediate impact or synergize more effectively with deck strategy. This can lead to challenging decisions about board development versus potential card draw from its enrage mechanic.


Reasons to Include Ripjaw Raptor in Your Collection

Versatility: Ripjaw Raptor is a dynamic addition to any deck that can harness the power of strong creatures. Its formidable presence on the battlefield can impact games in both aggressive and midrange strategies, making it a valuable asset for a variety of deck builds.

Combo Potential: The card’s enrage ability allows it to draw a card when it takes damage, creating opportunities to combo with effects that deal damage to your own creatures for strategic benefit. This synergy can fuel your hand and provide a steady stream of resources.

Meta-Relevance: With a solid body that can stand up to many creatures in combat, Ripjaw Raptor holds its own in environments where creature combat is prevalent. And at a time when deck archetypes often revolve around efficient creature-based strategies, having a dino that gains you card advantage on board can be a significant game-changer.


How to beat

Confronting Ripjaw Raptor, the formidable Dinosaur from Ixalan, can seem daunting in MTG. With its sturdy 4/5 body and enrage ability, which draws a card whenever it’s dealt damage, Ripjaw Raptor presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. But fear not, as there are strategic ways to mitigate its presence.

One effective approach is using exile effects. Cards that exile, bypassing the need to deal damage, such as Path to Exile or Settle the Wreckage, can handle Ripjaw Raptor without triggering its card-drawing ability. Another avenue is employing counterspells to prevent it from landing on the battlefield in the first place, keeping your opponent’s card advantage in check.

Additionally, combat tricks that bolster your creatures’ power can ensure they emerge victorious from a fight with the Raptor, or using damage prevention spells can nullify the threat temporarily. Reducing the impact of Ripjaw Raptor requires careful planning and smart deck construction, but with the right tools at your disposal, you can keep this prehistoric powerhouse in check.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive deeper into the strategic depths of MTG with the Ripjaw Raptor, a powerhouse of potential for any player looking to enhance their deck’s capabilities. With insights on how to maximize its enrage mechanic for card advantage and strategies to combat opposing Ripjaw Raptors, there’s a wealth of knowledge to unlock. Understanding its strengths and weaknesses is key to mastering your matches. Join our community of enthusiasts and experts as we explore innovative combos, deck-building techniques, and navigate the ever-evolving metagame. Ready to expand your collection and sharpen your skills? Discover more about Ripjaw Raptor and elevate your gameplay today.


Cards like Ripjaw Raptor

Ripjaw Raptor carves a niche in the world of MTG as a powerful dinosaur with an enticing ability. Looking at other creatures, we notice Steel Leaf Champion, a force in itself with no ability to generate card advantage but comes with formidable stats. On the flip side, Ripjaw Raptor’s enrage ability leads to a potential card draw, a valuable asset in many situations.

Thragtusk is another creature that offers a different kind of resilience. When it leaves the battlefield, it leaves behind a token, helping maintain your board presence. Ripjaw Raptor, however, ensures a continuous card flow as long as you can trigger its enrage—it doesn’t create additional creatures, but it can refill your hand as it takes damage.

Evaluating these options, Ripjaw Raptor stands out in dinosaur decks and strategies valuing consistent card access. It may not be as immediately hard-hitting as Steel Leaf Champion or as persistently present on the board as Thragtusk, but its synergy with enrage mechanic makes it a linchpin in decks designed around damage-based interactions.

Steel Leaf Champion - Dominaria Promos (PDOM)
Thragtusk - Magic 2013 (M13)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ripjaw Raptor MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan and Ixalan 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 Ripjaw Raptor and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ripjaw Raptor Magic the Gathering card was released in 4 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by Ryan Pancoast.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12017-09-29IxalanXLN 2032015normalblackRyan Pancoast
22017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 203s2015normalblackRyan Pancoast
32017-09-29Ixalan PromosPXLN 203p2015normalblackRyan Pancoast
42019-11-15Game Night 2019GN2 502015normalblackRyan Pancoast
52023-11-17The Lost Caverns of Ixalan CommanderLCC 2532015normalblackRyan Pancoast

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ripjaw Raptor has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2018-01-19 If lethal damage is dealt to a creature with an enrage ability, that ability triggers. The creature with that enrage ability leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, so it won't be affected by the resolving ability.
2018-01-19 If multiple sources deal damage to a creature with an enrage ability at the same time, most likely because multiple creatures blocked that creature, the enrage ability triggers only once.

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