Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider MTG Card
2021-11-19 - Number 203
2022-01-28 - Number 470
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Human Werewolf |
| Abilities | Daybound |
| Power | 4 |
| Toughness | 4 |
Text of card
Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)
The local gossips swore Nesmith lost his hands in a fight with a werewolf.
Cards like Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider
Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider offers a dynamic edge in werewolf tribal decks within MTG. As a daybound and nightbound card, it brings a dual-sided effect that stands out when compared to other shape-shifting creatures like Lambholt Pacifist // Lambholt Butcher. While both cards transform to pack a greater punch, the Mariner // Raider escalates in power and toughness more significantly upon nightfall, alongside granting valuable evasion through menace.
Another card worth comparing is the Breakneck Berserker from Kaldheim. This card shares a similar mana cost and base stats with the Hookhand Mariner side but lacks the impactful nightbound ability to transform into the more powerful Riphook Raider. It’s a single-faced card with haste, ensuring immediate impact, contrasted by the Mariner’s need to potentially wait a turn cycle for its transformation into the Raider, which then brings a superior combat presence.
Reflecting upon the mechanics, Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider finds its niche in MTG. It presents a variable threat that adapts to the ebb and flow of the day-night cycle, making it a strategic choice for players leading a pack of lycanthropes into battle and aiming to outmaneuver their opponents with agility and raw power.
Cards similar to Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider excels at maintaining hand superiority by offering transform conditions that can easily be met in a game’s natural course. When it becomes night, you can flip it into Riphook Raider, potentially drawing you an additional card each turn if you connect with a player. This consistent card draw mechanism keeps your hand replenished and puts pressure on your opponents to find answers quickly.
Resource Acceleration: While the Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider itself doesn’t directly accelerate resources, the ability to potentially draw extra cards increases the likelihood of hitting land drops or drawing into ramp spells. This indirect resource acceleration helps you outpace opponents by providing the resources needed to deploy threats ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: Although this card operates at sorcery speed, its daybound and nightbound mechanics interact with spells cast at instant speed. Making strategic decisions about when and how many spells to cast can manipulate the day/night cycle, thereby optimizing the timing for when the Hookhand Mariner transforms into Riphook Raider. This layer of strategy at instant speed can significantly impact the board state to your advantage.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider demands a player to toss another card from their hand to activate its daybound and nightbound transformation. For strategists who aim to maintain a full grip of options, this may constrain their playstyle or deplete their hand prematurely.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana needed to bring Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider into play is particularly blue and green. This requirement can be restrictive, rendering it incompatible with decks that do not run these colors or that cannot reliably produce the specific mana when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that totals four mana, including two that are color-specific, this card may hit the board later than others with similar or better effects. Deckbuilders must weigh its transformative capabilities against the possibility of finding more economically cast creatures or spells that offer similar or improved board impact.
Reasons to Include Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider in Your Collection
Versatility: Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider offers flexibility in gameplay as it can transform into a more aggressive option depending on the state of the game. This duality means it can be a reliable card in decks looking for adaptable creature cards.
Combo Potential: Its transformation mechanic can be integrated into strategies that capitalize on switching between day and night or benefit from having powerful Werewolves. This allows for interesting synergies in tribal-themed decks or those that exploit transformation triggers.
Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to fit into a variety of deck archetypes and its potential to disrupt opponents with its transformation, Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider maintains a certain degree of relevance in the current meta. It becomes a particularly strategic choice in environments where the werewolf tribal has a foothold or where the day/night cycle can be manipulated for advantage.
How to beat
Hookhand Mariner, which transforms into Riphook Raider, presents a unique challenge in Magic: The Gathering due to its transformation ability and stat boosts. When facing this card, consider its nighttime transformation trigger. It excels in decks that can switch between day and night effectively, so disrupting this cycle is key. To counter it, instant speed removal spells such as Fatal Push can be used before it transforms, especially considering its initial form’s lower toughness.
Control and creature-based strategies can also effectively overpower Hookhand Mariner. Board wipes like Wrath of God can reset the board, removing Riphook Raider regardless of its beefier stats post-transformation. Additionally, cards that prevent creatures from transforming, like Moonmist, can lock Hookhand Mariner in its original state, making it easier to handle over the course of the game.
In immersive gameplay, adapting your strategy to handle transforming creatures like Hookhand Mariner is essential. Utilizing instant removals, strategic board wipes or transformation prevention ensures that this dual-natured threat doesn’t dominate the match. Assessing its power and versatility, strategically planned responses are indispensable when Hookhand Mariner hits the board.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider MTG card by a specific set like Innistrad: Crimson Vow and Innistrad: Double Feature, 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 Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider 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 Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-11-19 and 2022-01-28. Illustrated by Caio Monteiro.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2021-11-19 | Innistrad: Crimson Vow | VOW | 203 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Caio Monteiro | |
| 2 | 2022-01-28 | Innistrad: Double Feature | DBL | 470 | 2015 | Transform | Black | Caio Monteiro |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hookhand Mariner // Riphook Raider has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Standard | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Future | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |