Harsh Deceiver MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Spirit |
| Released | 2004-10-01 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Champions of Kamigawa |
| Set code | CHK |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 11 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Heather Hudson |
Text of card
: Look at the top card of your library. : Reveal the top card of your library. If it's a land, untap Harsh Deceiver and it gets +1/+1 until end of turn. Play this ability only once each turn.
Cards like Harsh Deceiver
Harsh Deceiver as a member of the Deceiver cycle in Magic: The Gathering, offers a unique twist on mana efficiency and deck versatility. In the same space, we find creatures like Fathom Seer, which, like Harsh Deceiver, has a conditioning effect for a benefit, allowing you to reinterpret the card in different circumstances. However, Fathom Seer’s morphing cost leads to a card draw, diverging from Harsh Deceiver’s focus on manipulating the top card of your deck.
Stepping into another realm, there is Omenspeaker, a creature known for its ability to scry and set up future draws. While this doesn’t directly interact with lands as Harsh Deceiver does, it similarly affects the card quality and deck manipulation. Then consider the Walking Atlas, which albeit isn’t a direct comparator in terms of creature type or set, shares the land-manipulation aspect. This artifact creature allows you to put lands from your hand onto the battlefield, which can be a smooth complement or alternative to Harsh Deceiver’s abilities for land-focused strategies.
Overall, Harsh Deceiver harmonizes with cards that emphasize deck manipulation and land interaction, though its unique blend of abilities ensures a distinct place within MTG’s intricate web of strategies and card synergies.
Cards similar to Harsh Deceiver by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Harsh Deceiver’s ability to scry before drawing gives players better control over their incoming resources, ensuring they draw cards that are more likely to be immediately useful and avoid unwelcome draws.
Resource Acceleration: This card has the potential to manipulate the top of the library, which can indirectly accelerate your resources by ensuring the next draw aligns with your current mana availability, allowing for more efficient play.
Instant Speed: While Harsh Deceiver itself isn’t an instant, its activated ability can be used at instant speed. This means you can manage your resources and potentially affect deck flow during your opponent’s turn, remaining reactive and flexible.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Harsh Deceiver necessitates flipping colours as part of its activation cost, representing a potential snag in gameplay when you’re trying to maintain hand advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: As a color-specific creature, it demands exact mana alignment, in this case, blue or black mana, to fully utilize its abilities, potentially restricting deck-building versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its activation cost edging on the higher side, players may find themselves in tight spots where resources could be more efficiently allocated to summon creatures with immediate board impact.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Harsh Deceiver stands out for its adaptability across various deck builds. Its ability to scry and potentially turn into a larger creature allows it to serve multiple roles, from early game plays to late-game threats.
Combo Potential: This card’s scry ability, when paired with top-deck manipulation or library synergies, can provide valuable deck filtering. It also meshes well with strategies that capitalize on creature stats, such as power-based triggers or toughness-related buffs.
Meta-Relevance: Given its low cost and flexible nature, Harsh Deceiver can be particularly useful in a meta where the ability to anticipate opponent’s moves or adjust your strategy on-the-fly proves to be advantageous.
How to beat Harsh Deceiver
Harsh Deceiver presents a peculiar challenge on the battlefield due to its ability to potentially manipulate the top cards of a player’s library. Its strength lies in the power to look at the top card of your library and turn it into a resource, either by gaining life or by turning Harsh Deceiver into a stronger creature for that turn. While at first glance this may seem daunting, there are strategies to undermine its capabilities effectively.
To combat Harsh Deceiver, disruption is key. Utilize spells that manipulate the top of your opponent’s library, preventing them from setting up predictable draws. Furthermore, removal spells that can bypass potential buffs to Harsh Deceiver’s power are essential, such as those that deal damage or reduce toughness without depending on the creature’s power. Lastly, keep pressure with creatures that can outpace the growth potential of Harsh Deceiver. Deny your opponent the breathing room to make use of its library manipulation by maintaining a strong and swift offensive.
Remember, understanding the dynamics of Harsh Deceiver and intercepting its mechanics can turn the tide of the game. Execute the right removal at the appropriate time, and this once-intimidating card can be effectively neutralized, paving your way to victory.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Harsh Deceiver MTG card by a specific set like Champions of Kamigawa, 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 Harsh Deceiver 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
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Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Harsh Deceiver has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |