Dire Wolves MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Wolf |
| Released | 1995-06-03 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Ice Age |
| Set code | ICE |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
| Number | 230 |
| Frame | 1993 |
| Layout | Normal |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Ron Spencer |
Key Takeaways
- Generates card advantage by allowing targeted draws from the deck, staying ahead of opponents.
- Some can untap lands or produce mana, giving a resource acceleration to casting spells faster.
- Abilities at instant speed offer tactical flexibility, responding optimally to evolving game states.
Text of card
Gains banding if you control any plains.
"It's amazing how scared a city kid can get at a dog. Now, of course, I'd cross Terisiare alone, and keep no watch if I had a pack of greys hanging on my flanks as I went." —Oddveig Ulfsson, caravan scout
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Dire Wolves can consistently generate card advantage as they allow you to sift through your deck, putting you in a better position to draw the cards you need. This helps maintain a lead in resources against your opponent.
Resource Acceleration: These creatures can act as a form of resource acceleration, particularly if they have abilities that untap lands or produce additional mana. This can give you the upper hand in deploying more threats or answers onto the battlefield ahead of schedule.
Instant Speed: If Dire Wolves offer abilities that can be activated at instant speed, this provides tactical flexibility. You can adapt to the evolving game state, making optimal decisions in response to your opponent’s actions or during their end step, keeping your strategy concealed until the moment is just right.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Dire Wolves card demands a discard from the hand to unleash their abilities, posing a strategic setback when your hand is already stretched thin on options.
Specific Mana Cost: Requiring a precise blend of mana to field them, Dire Wolves may not fit smoothly into a deck that’s not centered around their particular mana type, hindering deck versatility.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The resources committed to bringing Dire Wolves into play are substantial when evaluated against other cards with similar or sunsidiary effects, making them a less attractive choice when building an efficient deck.
Reasons to Include Dire Wolves in Your Collection
Versatility: Dire Wolves offer great adaptability across various deck strategies. Their creature nature means they can be useful in tribal synergies or as efficient blockers in any deck that values board presence.
Combo Potential: These creatures often come with abilities that synergize well with other cards that capitalize on creature count or type, leading to powerful interactions that can swing the game in your favor.
Meta-Relevance: Given their potential to match up well against certain popular deck archetypes, Dire Wolves can disrupt opponent strategies and provide a solid game plan in creature-centric metas.
How to Beat Dire Wolves in MTG
Dire Wolves, a force to be reckoned with in Magic: The Gathering, often present challenges with their formidable pack mentality and synergistic strengths. The key to turning the tide against these relentless canines lies in understanding their mechanics and identifying strategic plays that can unravel their coordinated assault. The most straightforward method of neutralizing the threat is through efficient removal spells. Board wipes like “Wrath of God” or “Doomskar” can sweep the battlefield clean of these creatures, breaking the formation of their ranks.
Control strategies that focus on single-target elimination such as “Path to Exile” or “Terminate” are also effective in picking off Dire Wolves before their numbers grow out of hand. Furthermore, employing creatures with deathtouch, like “Chevill, Bane of Monsters,” can serve as a persistent deterrent, preventing your opponent from attacking without incurring significant losses. Adept pilots will carefully consider when to engage and when to hold back, leveraging their instant-speed interactions to keep Dire Wolves in check. Diligent planning and the element of surprise can turn the hunters into the hunted, ensuring your victory against these lupine threats.
Whether facing down a solitary wolf or a snarling pack, ensure to stay ahead in card advantage, manage your resources wisely, and disrupt their tribal synergies to triumph over these apex predators of the Magic: The Gathering landscape.
Cards like Dire Wolves
In the realm of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering, Dire Wolves present a notable comparison to other wolf-themed cards. Grizzled Outrider, for instance, shares a close resemblance with a solid five mana cost for a 5/5 creature. While Grizzled Outrider lacks the wolf synergy, it stands alone as a formidable force on the battlefield.
Moving onto a more synergistic option, Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves offers not just a creature but also a boost to other wolves and wolf tokens when they enter the battlefield, albeit at a higher mana cost for its multicolored nature. This added layer of interactivity is something Dire Wolves don’t inherently possess but can be part of a strategically built wolf deck.
Finally, comparing Dire Wolves to Wicked Wolf brings in the concept of utility through direct engagement, with Wicked Wolf offering the potential to fight other creatures as it enters the battlefield. Although Dire Wolves don’t have this capability natively, within a wolf-centric deck, their tribal connections can be leveraged to build a dominant board presence.
In the analysis of wolf-centric creature cards, Dire Wolves offer straightforward strength that, when combined with tribal support, could be as effective as their more complex counterparts in Magic: The Gathering.
Cards similar to Dire Wolves by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Dire Wolves MTG card by a specific set like Ice Age, 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 Dire Wolves and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- 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 Dire Wolves has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Premodern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Dire Wolves card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2008-10-01 | A maximum of one nonbanding creature can join an attacking band no matter how many creatures with banding are in it. |
| 2008-10-01 | Creatures in the same band must all attack the same player or planeswalker. |
| 2008-10-01 | If a creature with banding attacks, it can team up with any number of other attacking creatures with banding (and up to one nonbanding creature) and attack as a unit called a “band.” The band can be blocked by any creature that could block a single creature in the band. Blocking any creature in a band blocks the entire band. If a creature with banding is blocked, the attacking player chooses how the blockers’ damage is assigned. |
| 2009-10-01 | If a creature in combat has banding, its controller assigns damage for creatures blocking or blocked by it. That player can ignore the damage assignment order when making this assignment. |
