Helping Hand MTG Card


Helping Hand optimizes gameplay with card advantage and instant speed actions, altering battle dynamics. The card’s specific mana and discard requirements limit its versatility to certain deck types. It shines in deck archetypes where combo execution and meta strategies are critical for success.
Helping Hand - The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost1
RarityUncommon
TypeSorcery
Released2023-11-17
Set symbol
Set nameThe Lost Caverns of Ixalan
Set codeLCI
Number17
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byAldo 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.

Orzhov Advokist - MTG Card versions
Temple Bell - MTG Card versions
Orzhov Advokist - MTG Card versions
Temple Bell - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Helping Hand by color, type and mana cost

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Wake the Reflections - MTG Card versions
Launch the Fleet - MTG Card versions
Chaplain's Blessing - MTG Card versions
Fragmentize - MTG Card versions
Visions - MTG Card versions
Prophecy - MTG Card versions
False Peace - MTG Card versions
Festival of Trokin - MTG Card versions
Prismatic Wardrobe - MTG Card versions
Empty City Ruse - MTG Card versions
Peach Garden Oath - MTG Card versions
Divine Light - MTG Card versions
Faerie Guidemother // Gift of the Fae - MTG Card versions
Ritual of Restoration - MTG Card versions
Steelshaper's Gift - MTG Card versions
Benediction of Moons - MTG Card versions
Gaze of Justice - MTG Card versions
Sunlance - MTG Card versions
Oust - MTG Card versions
Alliance of Arms - MTG Card versions
Wake the Reflections - MTG Card versions
Launch the Fleet - MTG Card versions
Chaplain's Blessing - MTG Card versions
Fragmentize - MTG Card versions

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.

#NameFormatArchetypeEvent
Azorius TempoAzorius Tempo StandardAzorius TempoTraditional Standard Ranked Decklists: March 11, 2024
WUWU PioneerPioneer League 2024-04-22
Mardu HumansMardu Humans GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: AM Week 15 2024
WRWR PioneerPioneer League 2024-04-08
Azorius MentorAzorius Mentor StandardAzorius TempoThe Pizza Box Open: Standard
Devoted ComboDevoted Combo ModernDevoted ComboModern Preliminary 2024-04-07
Jeskai BreachJeskai Breach ModernJeskai BreachModern League 2024-04-02
Mono-White Death & TaxesMono-White Death & Taxes GladiatorSword and Sandals Showdown: EMEA Week 13 2024
Azorius AggroAzorius Aggro StandardAzorius TempoHBMO24 - Common Ground Games Standard RCQ
Five-color RampFive-color Ramp Standard5c RampThe 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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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Helping Hand has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal