Halo Forager MTG Card
Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
Mana cost | |
Converted mana cost | 3 |
Rarity | Uncommon |
Type | Creature — Faerie Rogue |
Abilities | Flying |
Power | 3 |
Toughness | 1 |
Text of card
Flying When Halo Forager enters the battlefield, you may pay . When you do, you may cast target instant or sorcery card with mana value X from a graveyard without paying its mana cost. If that spell would be put into a graveyard, exile it instead.
Cards like Halo Forager
Halo Forager joins the ranks of life gain creatures within the realm of Magic: The Gathering. It shares common ground with the likes of Ajani’s Pridemate, a creature that thrives on life gain, growing stronger each time you gain life. With Halo Forager, the emphasis on life gain is leveraged differently, manifesting as direct damage to opponent creatures based on the amount of life you gain.
Another parallel can be drawn to Bloodthirsty Aerialist, which, much like Ajani’s Pridemate, benefits from life gain by accumulating +1/+1 counters. However, Halo Forager offers a more interactive gameplay experience as it targets creatures rather than just bolstering its own strength. This gives players an offensive strategy while also controlling the board. Lastly, we reflect on the similarity with Epicure of Blood, which effectively turns any life gain into a loss of life for the opponent. While not as directed as Halo Forager’s ability to manage threats on the board, it adds a persistent pressure to the opponent’s life total during the course of the game.
Ultimately, Halo Forager introduces a unique twist to the life gain strategy, complementing the existing suite of creatures that benefit from this mechanic by providing a targeted approach to dealing with opposing creatures while gaining life.
Cards similar to Halo Forager by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Halo Forager. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
# | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
WUBG | Modern | Modern Challenge 64 2024-03-17 | ||
Sultai Combo | Gladiator | Gladiator Proving Grounds: Week 15 2024 | ||
Grixis Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024 | ||
Esper Vial | Free form | Noble Spring Quarterly | ||
Grixis Tempo | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 08 2024 | ||
Sultai Midrange | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 06 2024 | ||
WUBRG | Modern | Modern Preliminary 2024-03-15 (1) | ||
Sultai Tempo | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 09 2024 | ||
Four-color Mill | Gladiator | Gladiator Games: We're Back | ||
UB | Standard | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: February 19, 2024 |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Halo Forager comes with a built-in mechanism for card advantage by allowing you to explore when it enters the battlefield. This not only potentially draws you a card but also can help smooth out your draws by letting you decide to put a nonland card into your graveyard to set up future plays.
Resource Acceleration: The explore ability of Halo Forager could reveal a land card, which can then be put directly onto the battlefield. This accelerates your resources, providing an early advantage by increasing the number of lands you have in play, potentially enabling bigger plays ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: While Halo Forager itself isn’t an instant, the innate ability to manipulate your library and get land cards onto the battlefield can help you keep mana open. This flexibility ensures that you can react to your opponent’s moves with instant speed spells in your arsenal, with the added benefit of a creature entering the battlefield ready for future turns.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Halo Forager requires a card to be discarded to leverage its ability. This can be particularly cumbersome when your hand is already scarce on crucial cards, potentially putting you at a disadvantage when you’re trying to maintain a strong hand presence.
Specific Mana Cost: This card comes with a color-specific mana cost that might not seamlessly integrate into all deck types. Players running multicolor decks could find it challenging to consistently meet the mana requirements to cast Halo Forager, potentially impacting its overall versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: While Halo Forager boasts notable abilities, its mana cost is on the higher side when compared to other options in the environment. This can slow down your game tempo as you may have to wait an extra turn or more to gather the necessary mana resources, which could hinder your board development in the early stages of the game.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Halo Forager provides flexibility for decks eager to manipulate their graveyard contents, catering to strategies that leverage creatures in the graveyard for various effects or that benefit from the Life Link ability.
Combo Potential: With Halo Forager’s ability to return certain types of cards from the graveyard to your hand, it can serve as a critical component in combos that rely on recurring specific cards. This potential for synergy amplifies its value in combo-oriented decks.
Meta-Relevance: Given that graveyard interaction is a prevalent theme across many dominant decks, Halo Forager proves to be a useful tool in battling against the current meta, disrupting opponents’ strategies while bolstering your own.
How to beat
Halo Forager presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield with its life-gain and potential for card advantage in white deck strategies. This card shines bright when utilizing its Lifelink ability alongside gaining card advantage by exiling cards from an opponent’s graveyard.
To counteract Halo Forager’s impact, prioritizing graveyard management becomes essential. Consider running cards like Tormod’s Crypt or Relic of Progenitus in your sideboard to suppress graveyard-fueled strategies that Halo Forager may benefit from. Further, leveraging instant-speed removal spells like Murder or Path to Exile can eliminate Halo Forager before it becomes a threat, especially when it attempts to trigger its ‘Exile’ ability.
Additionally, keeping a robust creature presence can deter the lifegain from being as impactful. Creatures with ‘Deathtouch’ or effects that limit blocking can ensure that Halo Forager’s Lifelink is not overbearing. It’s vital to address Halo Forager swiftly, maintain pressure, and utilize powerful graveyard interaction to keep its advantages in check and preserve your path to victory.
BurnMana Recommendations
Exploring the strategic depths of MTG can be as thrilling as it is rewarding, especially when you encounter versatile cards like Halo Forager that can reshape the battlefield with every play. Delving into the mechanics of such a card emphasizes the importance of deck synergy and adaptability. Whether you’re tinkering with a new combo or seeking to refine your existing deck, Halo Forager can offer unique advantages. Aspiring to harness its full potential means staying informed and expanding your strategic horizons. Embark on a journey to discover invaluable insights and tactics that can turn your next match into a showcase of expertise. Don’t miss out on optimizing your gameplay—join us to learn more and carve your path to becoming an adept MTG tactician.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Halo Forager MTG card by a specific set like March of the Machine and March of the Machine, 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 Halo Forager and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 Halo Forager Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2023-04-21 and 2023-09-08. Illustrated by Kevin Sidharta.
# | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 227 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kevin Sidharta | |
2 | 2023-04-21 | March of the Machine | MOM | 385 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kevin Sidharta | |
3 | 2023-09-08 | Wilds of Eldraine Commander | WOC | 139 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Kevin Sidharta |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Halo Forager has restrictions
Format | Legality |
---|---|
Standard | Legal |
Historicbrawl | Legal |
Historic | Legal |
Legacy | Legal |
Paupercommander | Restricted |
Oathbreaker | Legal |
Gladiator | Legal |
Alchemy | Legal |
Pioneer | Legal |
Commander | Legal |
Modern | Legal |
Future | Legal |
Vintage | Legal |
Duel | Legal |
Explorer | Legal |
Brawl | Legal |
Timeless | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Halo Forager card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
Date | Text |
---|---|
2023-04-14 | Halo Forager's enters-the-battlefield ability triggers and goes on the stack without a target. If you pay , the second "reflexive" triggered ability will trigger. You'll choose the target instant or sorcery card for that second ability at that time, based on the value you chose for X. X can be 0. |
2023-04-14 | If the card has in its mana cost, you must choose 0 as the value of X when casting it without paying its mana cost. |
2023-04-14 | If you cast a card "without paying its mana cost," you can't pay any alternative costs. You can, however, pay additional costs. If the card has any mandatory additional costs, those must be paid to cast the card. |
2023-04-14 | You choose whether or not to cast the target instant or sorcery card as the reflexive triggered ability resolves. If you do, you do so as part of the resolution of the triggered ability. You can't wait to cast it later in the turn. Timing restrictions based on the card's type are ignored. |