Hollowborn Barghest MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 7 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Creature — Demon Dog |
| Released | 2008-05-02 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Shadowmoor |
| Set code | SHM |
| Power | 7 |
| Toughness | 6 |
| Number | 68 |
| Frame | 2003 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Eric Fortune |
Text of card
At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have no cards in hand, each opponent loses 2 life. At the beginning of each opponent's upkeep, if that player has no cards in hand, he or she loses 2 life.
It leaves a trail of crumpled trees and dashed dreams.
Cards like Hollowborn Barghest
Hollowborn Barghest offers an interesting dichotomy within the realm of MTG creature cards. Positioned as a fearsome late-game finisher, it stands alongside cards like Dread Presence and Gray Merchant of Asphodel for their ability to deal damage to opponents. However, the Barghest diverges with a condition that hinges on having no cards in hand, activating its ability to cause significant life loss each turn.
Comparatively, the Barghest can be likened to Dismissive Pyromancer, sharing the gameplay mechanic of utilizing an empty hand for added value. Although the Pyromancer operates at a lower mana cost and offers card filtering, it lacks the massive board impact that Hollowborn Barghest can assert when unshackled by hand size. The Barghest’s seven-power stat line towers over Dismissive Pyromancer, positioning itself as a potential game-ender under the right conditions.
Assessing the strategic value and impact of Hollowborn Barghest in MTG, players might find it a compelling choice for decks that accelerate towards an empty hand and thrive on pressuring the opponent with powerful, relentless threats.
Cards similar to Hollowborn Barghest by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: The Hollowborn Barghest Mtg Card can prove to be a real game-changer when it comes to card advantage. This card allows players to potentially draw multiple cards, providing fuel for future plays and ensuring you’re never falling behind in resources.
Resource Acceleration: With its formidable abilities, the Hollowborn Barghest can enable resource acceleration by streamlining your graveyard optimization, thus setting the stage for a powerful late-game presence and possibly even turning the tide by overwhelming opponents with a sudden surge of options.
Instant Speed: Acting at instant speed gives you the upper hand, offering strategic flexibility that can catch an opponent off-guard. You can adapt to the evolving board state without revealing your strategies too early, and the Hollowborn Barghest caters to this need by interacting with the game at critical junctures, ensuring you’re maximising your opportunities for victory.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hollowborn Barghest demands that you have no cards in hand at the beginning of your upkeep to avoid losing half your life total. This stringent requirement can compel players to empty their hands prematurely, leaving them vulnerable to opponents’ strategies.
Specific Mana Cost: With a casting cost that requires four black mana, this card can be challenging to play in multicolored decks, potentially limiting its versatility and requiring a heavily skewed mana base.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a total cost of seven mana, Hollowborn Barghest is on the high end of the mana curve. Considering its powerful abilities, the initial investment might be too steep, especially when faster-paced games favor lower-cost creatures.
Reasons to Include Hollowborn Barghest in Your Collection
Versatility: Hollowborn Barghest offers a unique set of abilities that enable it to adapt to multiple deck strategies. Its ability to force opponents to discard cards while growing in power whenever you have no cards in hand makes it a flexible choice for decks that emphasize discard or reanimation tactics.
Combo Potential: The Barghest can work as a key piece in combos, particularly in decks that revolve around Hellbent mechanics or graveyard synergies. Its capacity to be both an offensive and defensive asset allows it to fit seamlessly into intricate game plans.
Meta-Relevance: In a meta where attrition tactics reign supreme, Hollowborn Barghest excels. The sheer pressure it puts on opponents by threat of significant damage or loss of resources can turn the tide of the game, especially in matches that drag on and hand sizes diminish.
How to beat Hollowborn Barghest
Hollowborn Barghest presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. This imposing creature can debilitate opponents by forcing them to discard cards when its power is high. However, reducing the power of Hollowborn Barghest is key in diminishing its impact. Strategies to weaken its power include using cards that decrease creature strength, such as Humility, which overwrite its abilities and reduce it to a less threatening state.
Spot removal spells like Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization can bypass Barghest’s intimidating power, removing it from play before it can cause havoc. Cards that impose restrictions on card types, particularly creatures, like Linvala, Keeper of Silence, prevent Hollowborn Barghest from utilizing its discard ability, effectively silencing it.
For those wielding control decks, countering Hollowborn Barghest upon its casting is an ideal tactic. Utilizing counterspells such as Counterspell or Negate ensures that Hollowborn Barghest never touches the board, nullifying the potential for disruption. Thus, while Hollowborn Barghest may initially seem formidable, a combination of power reduction, targeted removal, and counter strategies offer effective countermeasures against this challenging adversary.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hollowborn Barghest MTG card by a specific set like Shadowmoor, 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 Hollowborn Barghest 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 Hollowborn Barghest has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Hollowborn Barghest card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-05-01 | The first ability checks whether you have no cards in hand both when it triggers and when it resolves. If you have any cards in your hand at the beginning of your upkeep, it won’t trigger at all. If you have any cards in your hand when the ability resolves, it does nothing. |
| 2008-05-01 | The second ability behaves the same way, except that it’s checking your opponent instead of you. |