Hammer Dropper MTG Card
2018-10-05 - Number 176
2019-11-07 - Number 1434
2020-09-26 - Number GRN-176
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Giant Soldier |
| Abilities | Mentor |
| Power | 5 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Key Takeaways
- Mentor ability of Hammer Dropper indirectly increases board strength, crucial for red-white strategies.
- Limited mana acceleration, but adds significant pressure, hastening victory in many scenarios.
- Despite its restrictions, it can be a game-changer, offering versatility and a meta-relevant role.
Text of card
Mentor (Whenever this creature attacks, put a +1/+1 counter on target attacking creature with lesser power.)
Giants know a solid hit is one part strength, four parts leverage.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hammer Dropper doesn’t directly offer card drawing capabilities, yet it compensates with its Mentor ability. Every attack potentially strengthens another creature, indirectly contributing to your board presence and giving you a tactical edge.
Resource Acceleration: While Hammer Dropper isn’t a source of resource acceleration in the traditional sense of generating additional mana, its presence on the board can hasten your victory, applying constant pressure on your opponent.
Instant Speed: Though Hammer Dropper operates at sorcery speed, its Mentor ability is most impactful when timing your creature plays. Ensuring that smaller creatures are on the board before Hammer Dropper attacks is key, setting up opportunities for maximizing its potential during the combat phase.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hammer Dropper demands sacrificing a card to activate certain abilities. This can be especially taxing when your hand is already depleted or the discarded card is crucial for your strategy.
Specific Mana Cost: This creature card requires a blend of red and white mana, which can be restrictive if your deck isn’t tailored for a Boros (red-white) strategy, potentially leaving it stranded in your hand without the right mana sources.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, Hammer Dropper falls on the higher end for a creature with its abilities. Given its stats and the aggressive nature of many red and white decks, there are alternative creatures that could be more mana-efficient or contribute to a swifter victory.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Hammer Dropper is a solid addition to a variety of decks, serving well in both aggressive strategies and those that look to a more mid-game board presence. Its role as a four-power creature for four mana allows it to impact the board immediately upon entering the battlefield.
Combo Potential: With its Mentor ability, Hammer Dropper has the synergy to work with a host of other creatures. By buffing smaller creatures each combat, it can quickly escalate the threat level on the board, pairing well with strategies that emphasize counters and creature growth.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where player strategies are often reshuffling, a card like Hammer Dropper that can quickly turn the tides of battle is invaluable. Especially in formats where creature combat is prevalent, it can maintain relevance and provide the necessary pressure to outpace opponents.
How to beat Hammer Dropper
Hammer Dropper can be a formidable force to reckon with in MTG matches, delivering powerful synergistic value in decks that focus on +1/+1 counters. This card’s strength lies in its Mentor ability, which can easily turn the tides of a game by beefing up your lesser creatures each time it attacks. To effectively neutralize this threat, timing and strategic removal are key.
One effective strategy involves keeping removal spells or abilities ready to intercept Hammer Dropper before its Mentor ability triggers. Instant-speed removal like Murder or Lightning Bolt can be very efficient, as they can be cast during the combat phase before damage is dealt. In a pinch, combat tricks that decrease power, such as Selesnya Charm’s exile effect on creatures with power 5 or greater, can prove essential, especially if you’re facing a pumped-up Hammer Dropper.
The key to prevailing against Hammer Dropper is to control the board and maintain removal options. Reactive play and foresight, coupled with efficient use of resources, will dampen the impact of Hammer Dropper’s potential snowball effect and keep your opponent’s advantage in check.
Cards like Hammer Dropper
Hammer Dropper possesses a distinctive distinction in the roster of MTG cards with its combination of mentor and a formidable power stat. Similar to other mentor cards like Blade Instructor, Hammer Dropper emphasizes the strategy of buffing smaller creatures during combat. Blade Instructor, however, stands out with its lower casting cost and slightly higher speed, owing to its lesser stats.
Goblin Banneret is another card that shares the mentor mechanic. Its lower cost and flexibility with the ability to pump its own power make it a versatile option for early game scenarios. Unlike Hammer Dropper, it does not boast the same immediate board presence due to its lesser base power. Conversely, Hammer Dropper’s four power provides a significant advantage in mentoring larger creatures right out of the gate.
When considering the impact on the battlefield, Hammer Dropper enables a more aggressive mentoring approach that can quickly escalate the threat level of your creatures. Although it requires a higher mana investment, the pay-off lies in its capacity to consistently elevate your creature’s combat capabilities, making it a compelling choice for decks that benefit from the mentor mechanic.
Cards similar to Hammer Dropper by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hammer Dropper MTG card by a specific set like Guilds of Ravnica and Mystery Booster, 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 Hammer Dropper and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Hammer Dropper Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-10-05 and 2019-11-07. Illustrated by Lake Hurwitz.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-10-05 | Guilds of Ravnica | GRN | 176 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz | |
| 2 | 2019-11-07 | Mystery Booster | MB1 | 1434 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz | |
| 3 | The List | PLST | GRN-176 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Lake Hurwitz |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hammer Dropper has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hammer Dropper card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2018-10-05 | If the creature with mentor leaves the battlefield with mentor on the stack, use its power as that creature last existed on the battlefield to determine whether the target creature has less power. |
| 2018-10-05 | If the target creature’s power is no longer less than the attacking creature’s power as the ability resolves, mentor doesn’t add a +1/+1 counter. For example, if two 3/3 creatures with mentor attack and both mentor triggers target the same 2/2 creature, the first to resolve puts a +1/+1 counter on it and the second does nothing. |
| 2018-10-05 | Mentor compares the power of the creature with mentor with that of the target creature at two different times: once as the triggered ability is put onto the stack, and once as the triggered ability resolves. If you wish to raise a creature’s power so its mentor ability can target a bigger creature, the last chance you have to do so is during the beginning of combat step. |
