Honored Hydra MTG Card
2017-04-28 - Number 7
2017-04-28 - Number 172
2017-04-29 - Number 172s
| Card sets | Released in 3 setsSee all |
| Type | Token Creature — Zombie Snake Hydra |
| Abilities | Trample |
| Power | 6 |
| Toughness | 6 |
Text of card
Trample
Cards like Honored Hydra
Honored Hydra stands out in the realm of creature cards with the embalm mechanic. It has a kinship with the likes of Scaled Behemoth, both being powerful green creatures with six mana cost, but Honored Hydra brings something extra to the table. While Scaled Behemoth is a sturdy force with its hexproof ability, Honored Hydra offers flexibility and resilience against removal spells through its embalm ability, allowing it to return for another round.
Analogous to the Hydra, another comparable card is Roar of the Wurm. Even though it doesn’t bear the embalm feature, it offers a similar token-creating mechanic, generating a sizeable creature for the late game. Roar of the Wurm can be played from the graveyard, giving it a recurring edge. However, Honored Hydra’s trample ability gives it the added advantage of potentially dealing excess damage to a player or planeswalker.
Considering these traits, Honored Hydra fits well among creature cards that offer both formidable presence on the battlefield and an enduring value that persists beyond its initial destruction, making it a worthy inclusion in decks looking to press the advantage with high-powered creatures.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Honored Hydra offers a strategic benefit by providing a robust recycle mechanism. When the creature dies, you can embalm it from your graveyard, effectively netting you another 6/6 creature without losing card quantity in hand. This two-for-one potential makes it a challenging threat that can maintain or extend card advantage on the battlefield.
Resource Acceleration: This creature can be a driving force in games that evolve around resource management. While the Hydra itself doesn’t accelerate resources in the traditional sense, its sizeable presence forces opponents to use more resources to deal with it. Consequently, they may find themselves at a disadvantage, trying to keep pace with your resource allocation.
Instant Speed: The embalm ability of Honored Hydra can be activated at instant speed, giving you the flexibility to revive the creature during your opponent’s end step. This timing forces opponents to expend removal spells on their turn, leaving them potentially open during your turn. Instant speed interactions are a significant tactical asset and can provide an unexpected comeback or maintain pressure on an opponent.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Engaging with Honored Hydra requires mindful strategizing, particularly when it comes to fulfilling its embalm mechanic. Players need to relinquish another card from their hand which can sometimes lead to a disadvantageous trade-off, especially if operating with scant resources.
Specific Mana Cost: Summoning the formidable Honored Hydra demands a dedicated commitment to green mana. This attribute dictates its rightful place within decks that can reliably produce green mana, potentially limiting its universal adaptability across varied deck archetypes.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that stands tall at six mana for its initial form and four mana for its embalmed version, Honored Hydra can put a dent in your mana economy. Although it promises a sturdy 6/6 creature, this cost factor positions it as a somewhat ponderous option when pitted against other creatures or spells in the same cost bracket that could offer more immediate board impact or versatility.
Reasons to Include Honored Hydra in Your Collection
Versatility: Honored Hydra aptly fits a multitude of deck strategies, given its ability to be a powerful late-game threat with a formidable 6/6 Trample or a cost-efficient creature with the Embalm mechanic after being sent to the graveyard.
Combo Potential: This card can synergize with graveyard manipulation strategies, maximizing value from both casting it from hand and later from the graveyard, adding layers of complexity to your plays.
Meta-Relevance: As the game meta shifts towards longer and more interactive games, the recurring threat of an Honored Hydra provides sustained board presence that demands answers, potentially tipping the scales in your favor.
How to beat
The Honored Hydra is a formidable creature in the realm of Magic: The Gathering, holding sway with its trample ability and embalm, making it a resilient threat on the battlefield. To effectively counteract this serpentine powerhouse, one strategy stands above all: exile effects. Since the Hydra can emerge from the graveyard thanks to its embalm ability, conventional removal spells will only provide a temporary solution. Graveyard hate cards, such as Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus, could sever the Hydra’s ability to return, stripping it of its regenerative prowess.
Moreover, introducing a robust defense is crucial. The Honored Hydra demands a creature with a high toughness to absorb its trample damage or cards that prevent combat damage like Ghostly Prison to control the pace of the game. In cards like Baffling End or Declaration in Stone, the Hydra finds its match as these removal spells can take it down without triggering its embalm comeback. When facing the daunting Honored Hydra, keep in mind that a tailored strategy that targets its strengths will be your key to success.
Overall, the Hydra remains a challenging adversary but with strategic planning and the right mix of cards, overcoming this behemoth is well within the realm of possibility for adept Magic: The Gathering players.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Honored Hydra MTG card by a specific set like Amonkhet and Amonkhet, 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 Honored Hydra 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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Printings
The Honored Hydra Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-04-28 and 2017-04-29. Illustrated by Todd Lockwood.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 7 | 2015 | Token | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 2 | 2017-04-28 | Amonkhet | AKH | 172 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood | |
| 3 | 2017-04-29 | Amonkhet Promos | PAKH | 172s | 2015 | Normal | Black | Todd Lockwood |