Hurkyl's Prodigy MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Creature — Human Soldier |
| Released | 2022-12-13 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: The Brothers' War |
| Set code | YBRO |
| Power | 1 |
| Toughness | 4 |
| Number | 4 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Artur Nakhodkin |
Text of card
When Hurkyl's Prodigy enters the battlefield, create a tapped Powerstone token. Whenever Hurkyl's Prodigy attacks, you may pay . If you do, Hurkyl's Prodigy can't be blocked this turn and it perpetually gets +2/+0.
Cards like Hurkyl's Prodigy
Hurkyl’s Prodigy steps into the Magic: The Gathering scene as a blue human wizard card offering a unique mix of abilities. It echoes the abilities of cards like Snapcaster Mage, an MTG cornerstone for its prowess in retrieving instant and sorcery cards from the graveyard. Unlike Hurkyl’s Prodigy, Snapcaster Mage immediately grants those spells flashback, allowing them to be played directly from the graveyard for their mana cost.
Merfolk Looter is another card that shares a semblance of utility with Hurkyl’s Prodigy due to its loot ability, allowing a player to draw then discard a card. However, Hurkyl’s Prodigy brings an additional layer of strategy by temporarily returning a blue instant or sorcery card from the graveyard to the hand, providing timing advantages for sequence plays.
In terms of leveraging past spells for future gains, Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy stands out with a transformational ability into a Planeswalker but requires a setup through self-milling. Meanwhile, Hurkyl’s Prodigy asks for no such setup, giving it an edge in certain game stages. The comparisons made point to Hurkyl’s Prodigy as a strong choice for decks that seek to optimize the use of blue instants and sorceries across multiple turns.
Cards similar to Hurkyl's Prodigy by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Hurkyl’s Prodigy gives you the upper hand by potentially untapping two of your lands. This can enable you to cast more spells and thus draw more cards, giving you a significant advantage as the game progresses.
Resource Acceleration: This card can be incredibly efficient in strategies focusing on resource acceleration. By untapping lands or mana-producing artifacts, Hurkyl’s Prodigy can lead to explosive turns where you deploy threats faster than usual, potentially snowballing to a game-winning position.
Instant Speed: The ability to activate Hurkyl’s Prodigy at instant speed provides considerable flexibility. During your opponent’s end step, you can free up your resources, keeping your defenses up while you prepare to make a strong play on your own turn, ensuring you’re always one step ahead.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Hurkyl’s Prodigy comes with the stipulation of discarding a card to activate its ability. This can potentially deplete your hand, putting you at a disadvantage, especially if your strategy relies on maintaining card advantage.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring both blue and generic mana, the mana cost of Hurkyl’s Prodigy may not easily fit into multicolor decks that aren’t focused on including blue mana sources, potentially restricting its playability to specific deck types.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost that sits on the higher end for its ability set, Hurkyl’s Prodigy can be outmatched by alternative cards with lower mana requirements or more impactful effects, reducing its overall competitiveness within the format.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Hurkyl’s Prodigy shines in multiple deck archetypes, offering a flexible role as either a blocker in defensive strategies or as an enabler for instants and sorceries in more active plays.
Combo Potential: This card offers a significant advantage by allowing you to reuse spells or abilities, setting the stage for powerful combos that can turn the tide of the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: Considering ever-shifting metagames, Hurkyl’s Prodigy stands out as a feasible pick against decks that rely heavily on non-creature spells, potentially disrupting opponent strategies and providing you with a vital edge.
How to beat Hurkyl’s Prodigy
Hurkyl’s Prodigy is a card that demands immediate attention in any MTG game. This intriguing blue creature can return target nonland permanent to its owner’s hand, which can disrupt opponents’ plans by bouncing their threats back to their hand. It’s a versatile card that requires a tactical approach to overcome.
One efficient strategy to beat Hurkyl’s Prodigy is to limit the number of worthwhile targets it can affect. You can do this by playing cards that are less impacted by being returned to your hand, or cards that provide value upon entering or leaving the battlefield. Another method involves using instant speed removal to eliminate the Prodigy before its controller can activate its loyalty ability.
Furthermore, by making use of graveyard recursion or spells that can counter abilities, you could negate the advantage provided by Hurkyl’s Prodigy. The key is to anticipate the threats and either adapt your board state to minimize its effect or preemptively remove the Prodigy from the battlefield. Keep in mind the timing of your plays, as disrupting their plans while they are tapped out can ensure your victory against this tricky card.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Hurkyl's Prodigy MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: The Brothers' War, 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 Hurkyl's Prodigy 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
See MTG Products
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Hurkyl's Prodigy has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Brawl | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |