Howlpack Piper // Wildsong Howler MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Howlpack Piper enables you to flip cards into your hand by simply tapping it, allowing continuous card flow and opportunities to play multiple creatures without depleting your hand.

Resource Acceleration: Its transform ability, Voracious Packer, can put creature cards straight onto the battlefield, giving you a significant advantage as you bypass their mana costs, effectively speeding up your game plan.

Instant Speed: Though the Howlpack Piper itself is not an instant, its ability to flash in creatures during your opponent’s turn can disrupt their strategy and gives you the edge by sneakily introducing threats at the most opportune moments.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Howlpack Piper comes with the specific need to have another werewolf or wolf to unveil its full potential. Without this component in hand, you may miss out on a valuable trigger.

Specific Mana Cost: Howlpack Piper requires both green and generic mana, demanding a commitment in your mana base to ensure it can be played on curve, potentially impacting the deck’s color versatility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: At a casting cost of four mana, Howlpack Piper is on the higher end for creature spells. In a fast-paced game, this could put you at a disadvantage when quicker, impactful plays are needed.

Reasons to Include Howlpack Piper in Your Collection

Versatility: Howlpack Piper offers a broad range of utility for decks, fitting snugly into strategies revolving around creature play. Its ability to cheat creatures into play at the mere cost of flipping it over enriches Green-centric or Werewolf decks immensely.

Combo Potential: When coupled with cards that allow you to play numerous spells in a turn or manipulate the day/night cycle, Howlpack Piper can transform repeatedly. This enables continuous creature deployment, setting the stage for powerful combos and synergy.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state that prizes creature-based tactics or in a meta where werewolves are a robust archetype, Howlpack Piper becomes a crucial card. It helps you stay ahead by playing higher-cost creatures early, challenging opponents to find an answer quickly.

How to beat

Howlpack Piper presents a unique challenge on the battlefield. Both formidable and sneaky, it influences the game by allowing players to put creature cards onto the battlefield without casting them. This is reminiscent of cheat-into-play mechanics from earlier sets. Understanding this, the strategy to overcome the Howlpack Piper revolves around rapid removal or counterspells before its abilities can go off.

Just as players used to rely on instant removal like Lightning Bolt or Path to Exile to tackle such threats, Howlpack Piper also allows little room for delay. Sweepers are an option, albeit less efficient due to the Piper’s swift effect. Counter magic remains one of the best methods to pre-emptively prevent the Piper’s songs from affecting the game’s state, with cards like Counterspell or Dovin’s Veto standing by to negate its entrance or abilities.

Magic: The Gathering matches often hinge on pivotal moments and Howlpack Piper could certainly be considered one. To hold dominance, it requires vigilance and preemptive play, as allowing it to resolve could usher in a cascade of creatures overwhelming the board. In essence, it’s imperative to counteract swiftly, neutralizing the Piper before its tune calls forth a devastating array of beasts.

BurnMana Recommendations

Diving into the MTG arena with power plays is exhilarating, and the Howlpack Piper stands as a testament to strategic depth and versatility. If your deck thrives on sinewy creatures or you’re aligning with the full moon’s call with werewolves, this card is a keystone to unlocking potential on the battleground. Mastery of MTG comes from both knowledge and experience. To harness the full power of Howlpack Piper or to learn how it can be effectively countered, join our community of enthusiasts. Expand your arsenal, refine your strategies, and elevate your game with our insights.