Hoar Shade MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Shade
Released	1995-06-03
Set symbol
Set name	Ice Age
Set code	ICE
Power	1
Toughness	2
Number	131
Frame	1993
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Richard Thomas

Key Takeaways

Hoar Shade can create card advantage by scaling power according to available mana.
Its instant-speed ability lets you react dynamically to the game’s state.
However, Hoar Shade demands high mana investment and color specificity.

Text of card

oo B +1/+1 until end of turn

"The creature we fought in the western waste was doubly dangerous: mortally wounded, it rebounded and attacked again." —Disa the Restless, journal entry

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hoar Shade offers versatile mana usage by allowing you to pump any number of times, potentially overpowering opponents with significant card advantage if resources allow.

Resource Acceleration: This creature is particularly synergistic with decks that have a focus on ramping or untapping lands, allowing for explosive turns where you can greatly increase your Shade’s power.

Instant Speed: The ability to boost Hoar Shade at instant speed provides a strategic advantage. This allows you to adapt to the changing game state, force opponents to second-guess attacks, and make decisions at the last possible moment.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging in the dark arts of the Hoar Shade requires a sacrifice of resources. Compared to other creatures, being forced to discard a card to leverage its abilities can be a crippling setback when your hand is already stretched thin.

Specific Mana Cost: An intricate pattern of mana is necessary to summon the Hoar Shade. Its reliance on black mana makes it a less flexible option for decks that celebrate a broader spectrum of the magical palette.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: To harness the full potential of the Hoar Shade, a more substantial investment is demanded. When assessing its value on the battlefield, remember that there are other creatures in the multiverse that might command the tides of battle with a lower mana expenditure.

Reasons to Include Hoar Shade in Your Collection

Versatility: Hoar Shade can be a flexible addition to decks that capitalize on creature abilities. Its power can be increased at any time by pumping mana into its ability, making it adaptable during various game phases.

Combo Potential: With the ability to increase its strength on demand, Hoar Shade works well with strategies focused on surprise attacks or as a mana sink when you have extra resources. This can lead to unexpected wins with the right combination of cards.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that values creatures with instant-speed abilities, Hoar Shade holds its own. Being able to decide when to power it up means it’s seldom just a mere blocker or attacker on the board; it interacts well with the ebb and flow of the current competitive landscape.

How to beat

Hoar Shade brings its unique twist to the battlefield. A quintessential part of any deck that leverages the powers of darkness, this creature becomes stronger with each mana invested in it. However, tactical play can mitigate its growth potential. Engaging in battle with Hoar Shade necessitates strategic foresight. Removal spells that don’t rely on damage – such as exile effects or spells that force toughness reduction – can effectively neutralize it before it swells in power.

Countering Hoar Shade’s ability to grow lies in timing. An adept player would avoid destroying it in battle, courtesy of its ability to pump up its strength at will. Instead, one finds success in sidestepping its combat trickery by using removal at the end of the opponent’s turn or before your own turn begins. Doing so minimizes the mana available to buff the Shade, ensuring that it meets its demise before becoming an overwhelming force. Cards that strip away abilities or prevent players from activating them can also cripple the Shade’s inherent advantage.

In essence, while Hoar Shade may appear daunting with its scalable power, its weakness lies in its predictability and the dependency on mana. By playing around these constraints, one can contain the shade effectively, maintaining equilibrium on the battlefield.

Cards like Hoar Shade

In the realm of Magic: The Gathering, Hoar Shade brings a unique aspect to the table with its ability to repeatedly pump its power using mana. This is similar to other creatures like Nantuko Shade, which also has the capacity to boost its power and toughness. However, Nantuko Shade pumps both power and toughness for each black mana spent, whereas Hoar Shade focuses solely on increasing power, and it requires one black and one colorless mana for each increment.

Another comparable card is Drana, Liberator of Malakir. Like Hoar Shade, Drana can potentially alter the game’s outcome by growing stronger over time. But Drana does so by influencing the entire playing field, providing a +1/+1 counter to each attacking creature whenever she deals combat damage to a player.

When delving into the nuances of these cards, Hoar Shade stands out for players who prioritize mana versatility and the tactical decision of when and how much mana to invest into a creature’s power increase. In a strategy where the timing of power boosts is key, Hoar Shade offers a specific kind of flexibility that can be quite advantageous under the right conditions.

Drana, Liberator of Malakir - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Hoar Shade by color, type and mana cost

Xiahou Dun, the One-Eyed - MTG Card versions

Demon of Catastrophes - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hoar Shade 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 Hoar Shade and other MTG cards: