Heart Wolf MTG Card


Heart Wolf - Homelands
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Wolf
Abilities First strike
Released1995-10-01
Set symbol
Set nameHomelands
Set codeHML
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number75
Frame1993
Layoutnormal
Borderblack
Illustred byMargaret Organ-Kean

Key Takeaways

  1. Heart Wolf’s card draw mechanic bolsters your late-game options and competitive edge.
  2. Boosts wolf creature plays, accelerating resources for swift, impactful board presence.
  3. Its instant speed enables strategic plays, keeping opponents on their toes.

Text of card

First strike oc T: Target Dwarf gains first strike and gets +2/+0 until end of turn. If that Dwarf leaves play this turn, bury Heart Wolf. Use this ability only when attack or defense is announced.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Heart Wolf allows you to maintain momentum in the late game through its draw mechanic, adding valuable card advantage. This ensures you won’t run out of options even as the game progresses and the board gets more competitive.

Resource Acceleration: By offering a bonus effect when wolf creatures enter the battlefield under your control, it provides a form of resource acceleration that can be a game-changer, allowing you to deploy threats or answers more efficiently.

Instant Speed: One of Heart Wolf’s key strengths is its ability to be cast at instant speed, providing flexibility and the element of surprise. It enables you to react in real-time to your opponent’s moves, essentially allowing you to wait for the most opportune moment to make your play.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Heart Wolf demands a card to be discarded to unleash its abilities, creating potential card disadvantage and challenging players to manage their hand wisely.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost for Heart Wolf is color intensive, requiring a commitment to red mana sources, which could complicate deck-building strategies and limit versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While boasting impactful abilities, Heart Wolf’s mana cost is on the high side, where other creatures may provide similar or greater board presence for less investment.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Heart Wolf offers adaptability across various deck builds, particularly those looking for aggressive creature options. Its ability to challenge both players and planeswalkers alike makes it a useful card in a wide array of strategies.

Combo Potential: This card syncs well with abilities that trigger upon dealing damage, offering interesting combinations with cards that capitalize on direct damage or werewolf synergies.

Meta-Relevance: Given its dual functionality in both aggressive and midrange decks, Heart Wolf has a place in the current meta that rewards versatility and creature-based strategies. Its relevance can shift with the ebb and flow of the competitive scene, ensuring it’s a card worth holding onto for its potential uses.


How to beat

Heart Wolf presents an interesting challenge on the battlefield with its capacity to influence combat outcomes significantly. As a creature that can potentially grow over time, it is pivotal to neutralize this threat early on. A straightforward strategy is to remove it from play before it can accumulate too many +1/+1 counters and become an overwhelming force. Cards like Fatal Push or Path to Exile offer cost-effective removal solutions that can deal with Heart Wolf before it spirals out of control.

Another angle is to circumvent direct combat by implementing control elements. Cards that prevent creatures from attacking or blocking, such as Pacifism or the more versatile Detention Sphere, can incapacitate Heart Wolf regardless of its size. Utilizing counter spells when Heart Wolf is cast is also a highly effective tactic, with Mana Leak and Counterspell being prime examples of spells that can pre-emptively handle such threats.

Tackling Heart Wolf hinges on disrupting its momentum. Whether that’s through early elimination, board control, or countering its summoning, each approach can prevent this card from becoming a major obstacle. Players who manage to keep Heart Wolf in check are likely to maintain the upper hand throughout their MTG duel.


Cards like Heart Wolf

Heart Wolf introduces a compelling dynamic among creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. It brings to mind other wolf-themed cards like Young Wolf, a beloved one-drop that also embodies the resilience of these creatures with its undying ability. However, Heart Wolf’s unique angle stems from its partnership with certain spells, harnessing extra abilities when paired with them. Unlike Young Wolf, Heart Wolf’s capabilities amplify with strategic deck building.

Exploring further, Tovolar’s Huntmaster is a larger kin that shares the wolf theme and packs a punch by creating wolf tokens, yet it demands a greater mana investment compared to Heart Wolf. Then there’s the Silverfur Partisan, which synergizes with spells targeting wolves, much like Heart Wolf encourages spell casting. However, Silverfur Partisan generates additional tokens rather than flourishing individually.

Scrutinizing the traits and play styles of these cards paints a full picture for players. Heart Wolf promises a more interactive gameplay, nudging a blend of smart spell casting and strategic creature support, situating itself as an intriguing option for fans of lupine-themed decks in Magic: The Gathering.

Young Wolf - MTG Card versions
Silverfur Partisan - MTG Card versions
Young Wolf - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Silverfur Partisan - Shadows over Innistrad Promos (PSOI)

Cards similar to Heart Wolf by color, type and mana cost

Dragon Whelp - MTG Card versions
Keldon Warlord - MTG Card versions
Crimson Manticore - MTG Card versions
Márton Stromgald - MTG Card versions
Reckless Embermage - MTG Card versions
Wildfire Emissary - MTG Card versions
Flowstone Giant - MTG Card versions
Rathi Dragon - MTG Card versions
Mogg Bombers - MTG Card versions
Warmonger - MTG Card versions
Bloodfire Kavu - MTG Card versions
Whipkeeper - MTG Card versions
Anger - MTG Card versions
Nalathni Dragon - MTG Card versions
Everquill Phoenix - MTG Card versions
Goblin Goon - MTG Card versions
Lesser Gargadon - MTG Card versions
Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions
Ogre Taskmaster - MTG Card versions
Dragon Whelp - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Keldon Warlord - Unlimited Edition (2ED)
Crimson Manticore - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Márton Stromgald - Ice Age (ICE)
Reckless Embermage - Mirage (MIR)
Wildfire Emissary - Mirage (MIR)
Flowstone Giant - Tempest (TMP)
Rathi Dragon - Tempest (TMP)
Mogg Bombers - Stronghold (STH)
Warmonger - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Bloodfire Kavu - Apocalypse (APC)
Whipkeeper - Odyssey (ODY)
Anger - Judgment (JUD)
Nalathni Dragon - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Everquill Phoenix - Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths (IKO)
Goblin Goon - Legions (LGN)
Lesser Gargadon - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Krark-Clan Engineers - Fifth Dawn (5DN)
Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Ogre Taskmaster - Ninth Edition (9ED)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Heart Wolf MTG card by a specific set like Homelands, 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 Heart Wolf and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Heart Wolf has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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