Helping Hand MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 1 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
| Released | 2023-11-17 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | The Lost Caverns of Ixalan |
| Set code | LCI |
| Number | 17 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Aldo Domínguez |
Text of card
Return target creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.
Itzmin walked away from the collapse with a new friend—and an enduring fear of heights.
Cards like Helping Hand
Helping Hand is an intriguing card for players looking to support their teammates in multiplayer formats like Commander. Akin to cards like Orzhov Advokist, which provides aid by buffing creatures of others, Helping Hand allows you to extend support by permitting another player to draw a card. While Orzhov Advokist focuses on augmenting power and toughness, Helping Hand leans into resource acquisition for allies.
Also resembling Benefactor’s Drought, both enable card draw for others, though Helping Hand is more selective, allowing you to target a specific player. Benefactor’s Drought, on the other hand, offers a broader effect, giving all players the chance to replenish their hand to some extent. This focused generosity can foster alliances and tilt the diplomatic scale in games that encourage interaction between players. Compare this to Temple Bell, which rings in a new round of draws for everyone at the table. While Temple Bell ensures everyone benefits equally, Helping Hand gives you control over the distribution.
Overall, within the group-play dynamics of MTG, Helping Hand demonstrates its worth as a political tool and strategic asset, capable of carving pathways to victory through selective generosity.
Cards similar to Helping Hand by color, type and mana cost
Decks using this card
MTG decks using Helping Hand. Dig deeper into the strategy of decks, sideboard cards, list ideas and export to play in ARENA or MOL.
| # | Name | Format | Archetype | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Azorius Tempo | Standard | Azorius Tempo | Traditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 11, 2024 |
| WU | Pioneer | Pioneer League 2024-04-22 | |
 | Mardu Humans | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024 | |
 | WR | Pioneer | Pioneer League 2024-04-08 | |
| Azorius Mentor | Standard | Azorius Tempo | The Pizza Box Open: Standard |
 | Devoted Combo | Modern | Devoted Combo | Modern Preliminary 2024-04-07 |
 | Jeskai Breach | Modern | Jeskai Breach | Modern League 2024-04-02 |
 | Mono-White Death & Taxes | Gladiator | Sword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 13 2024 | |
| Azorius Aggro | Standard | Azorius Tempo | HBMO24 - Common Ground Games Standard RCQ |
 | Five-color Ramp | Standard | 5c Ramp | The Pizza Box Open: Standard |
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Engaging the power of Helping Hand in your deck strategically positions you to enhance your hand by seeking out the ideal cards at critical moments. In the heat of battle, being able to selectively sift through your deck accelerates your potential to clinch control of the game board.
Resource Acceleration: One of the key strengths of Helping Hand is its ability to speed up your gameplay. By swiftly unlocking resources, this card can radically shift the pace of the game in your favor, setting the stage for powerful plays that can overwhelm your opponent.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of using Helping Hand at instant speed cannot be understated. With the luxury of timing, this card puts you in a stealthy position, fully prepared to disrupt your adversary’s plans or to prop up your defenses on the fly. This reactive capacity ensures you’re always one step ahead, ready to make a defining move without missing a beat.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Helping Hand mandates discarding a card as part of casting it. While potentially powerful in the right deck, if your hand is already depleted, this can be a significant setback, forcing you to lose vital resources that may be crucial for your game plan.
Specific Mana Cost: Helping Hand’s mana cost is specifically geared towards decks utilizing white mana. This means that its inclusion is primarily limited to white or multicolored decks, potentially excluding it from mono-colored decks of other types or colorless decks that cannot meet this requirement.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: When evaluating the card’s mana efficiency, Helping Hand’s cost may seem steep. For the investment of three white mana and one of any color, players might expect a higher impact on the game state. Although the ability it grants can be advantageous, players should consider if there are other cards that could provide a similar or better effect for the same or lower mana investment.
Reasons to Include Helping Hand in Your Collection
Versatility: Helping Hand offers a flexible support role in various deck archetypes, allowing you to protect key creatures or making sure your spells resolve by granting them uncounterable status.
Combo Potential: This card can be crucial in facilitating combos by ensuring that combo pieces are not disrupted by your opponent’s counterspells or removal, effectively streamlining your path to victory.
Meta-Relevance: Given its capability to safeguard valuable spells and creatures, Helping Hand can be significantly impactful in a meta dominated by control decks or in environments where instant speed interaction is prevalent.
How to Beat
Helping Hand is an intriguing card that, when played strategically, can offer MTG players a significant advantage. At a glance, it may seem challenging to counter, especially when it’s used to smooth out a player’s mana curve or to accelerate their board state with an extra land drop. The key to overcoming the benefits provided by Helping Hand lies in disrupting your opponent’s game plan.
Utilize discard strategies to force the player to get rid of Helping Hand before they can capitalize on its effect. Another effective tactic is to apply pressure early in the game, prioritizing the removal of creatures that could be boosted by Helping Hand, minimizing the card’s potential impact. Additionally, counter spells are excellent tools against Helping Hand, especially since it requires the card to be revealed and thus telegraphs an opponent’s play.
Lastly, maintaining card advantage ensures that even if Helping Hand is used effectively, you can stay ahead in resources, negating the advantage it provides. By focusing on these strategies, you can effectively neutralize Helping Hand’s influence on the game.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Helping Hand MTG card by a specific set like The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, 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 Helping Hand 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Helping Hand has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |