Hill Giant Herdgorger MTG Card
2021-07-23 - Number 187
2022-07-07 - Number 213
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Giant |
| Power | 7 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Text of card
When Hill Giant Herdgorger enters the battlefield, you gain 3 life.
A shepherd's crook is useful for cleaning bits of wool out of the teeth.
Cards like Hill Giant Herdgorger
Hill Giant Herdgorger is a creature card that slots comfortably into the category of green creature spells with hefty mana costs. In the world of green giants, it stands tall due to its massive health gain during entering the battlefield, giving it an edge in life-based strategies. When compared to cards like Rampaging Brontodon, for instance, which doesn’t provide life gain but has the potential to become exponentially large based on the number of lands you control, Hill Giant Herdgorger offers a more immediate and guaranteed benefit.
Another card to look at is Beanstalk Giant. While Beanstalk Giant’s power and toughness scale with the number of lands on the field, similar to Rampaging Brontodon, it lacks the life gain Hill Giant Herdgorger provides. Instead, Beanstalk Giant excels with its versatility, as its adventure ability lets you search for a land card and put it into play, which in the long run could prove to be more valuable in land-focused decks.
In reviewing their uses in MTG decks, Hill Giant Herdgorger might not be as flexible or potentially powerful as some other options, but its assured health bump makes it a valuable play for immediate board presence and stability, positioning it as a solid choice for decks that favor direct and reliable effects.
Cards similar to Hill Giant Herdgorger by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hill Giant Herdgorger encourages a more substantial board presence by granting you three life upon entering the battlefield. This incidental life gain can translate into an indirect card advantage, as it allows you more leeway to use your life total as a resource for more aggressive plays or to weather the storm against faster decks.
Resource Acceleration: While Hill Giant Herdgorger itself does not directly provide resource acceleration, its substantial 7/6 body for only six mana represents a significant resource investment for your opponents to deal with. This beefy creature can often require multiple cards from your opponent to be handled effectively, which can lead to advantageous trades and preserving your hand.
Instant Speed: Although Hill Giant Herdgorger operates at sorcery speed, understanding the pace of the game is crucial when deploying such a sizable creature. By curving out early and developing your board, you can apply pressure that forces opponents to respond on their turn, ideally tapping out and allowing Hill Giant Herdgorger to land on an empty stage, ready to swing in without fear of instant-speed removal disrupting your turn.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Not applicable to Hill Giant Herdgorger as it does not necessitate discarding cards as part of its casting or ability costs.
Specific Mana Cost: Hill Giant Herdgorger has a mana cost that includes three generic and three green mana, making it less flexible and harder to play in multicolored decks not focused on green.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a total casting cost of six mana, Hill Giant Herdgorger can be considered expensive for the stats and abilities it offers, especially when compared to other creatures in the same mana range that may provide more impactful abilities or higher power and toughness.
Reasons to Include Hill Giant Herdgorger in Your Collection
Versatility: Hill Giant Herdgorger offers a robust presence on the battlefield that can fit well within various green-based decks. Its solid body can act as a deterrent to opponents, providing defense while stabilizing board presence.
Combo Potential: This card can be a key piece in life-gain strategies, as its entrance to the battlefield provides a decent life boost. Coupled with cards that thrive off of life-gain triggers, Hill Giant Herdgorger can facilitate some impactful combos.
Meta-Relevance: In a game state favoring larger creatures and ramp strategies, the Hill Giant Herdgorger’s size makes it an immediate threat. Its relevance grows in environments where gaining incremental advantages can tip the scales during prolonged matches.
How to Beat Hill Giant Herdgorger
The Hill Giant Herdgorger has made a sizable impression on Magic: The Gathering matches with its formidable body and life-gaining ability upon entering the battlefield. Key to overcoming this green behemoth is to prevent it from hitting the board in the first place. Counterspells, such as Negate or Essence Scatter, serve as perfect tools to thwart your opponent’s plans by keeping the giant at bay while conservatively using your mana resources.
Should the Hill Giant Herdgorger manage to make a presence on the field, removal spells are your next best line of defense. Instant-speed options like Murder or Heartless Act allow you to handle the creature on your terms, possibly even during your opponent’s turn to avoid any combat tricks they might have up their sleeve. Exploiting such spells gives you the flexibility to maintain board control while planning your strategy relentlessly.
Ultimately, while the Hill Giant Herdgorger may seem daunting with its life-gain and sheer size, a well-structured deck with the right control elements can efficiently deal with such threats. Proactive countermeasures and responsive removal can ensure that this hill giant remains more of a molehill in the grand scale of your Magic: The Gathering conquests.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hill Giant Herdgorger MTG card by a specific set like Adventures in the Forgotten Realms and Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate, 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 Hill Giant Herdgorger 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
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Printings
The Hill Giant Herdgorger Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-07-23 and 2022-07-07. Illustrated by Chris Rahn.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-07-23 | Adventures in the Forgotten Realms | AFR | 187 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn | |
| 2 | 2022-07-07 | Alchemy Horizons: Baldur's Gate | HBG | 213 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Chris Rahn |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hill Giant Herdgorger 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 |
| Timeless | Legal |