Marauding Looter MTG Card


Marauding Looter - Ixalan
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityUncommon
TypeCreature — Human Pirate
Abilities Raid
Released2017-09-29
Set symbol
Set nameIxalan
Set codeXLN
Power 4
Toughness 3
Number225
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byJason A. Engle

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides card filtering and graveyard synergy, enhancing strategic depth and hand options.
  2. Instant ability use boosts flexibility and surprise, countering opponents’ strategies.
  3. The right deck can turn its discard requirement into an advantage for synergistic play.

Text of card

Raid — At the beginning of your end step, if you attacked with a creature this turn, you may draw a card. If you do, discard a card.

"I'll be taking that."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Marauding Looter provides a consistent card filtering mechanism, helping players dig through their library to find relevant spells and maintain a flow of options.

Resource Acceleration: By discarding cards, especially those with graveyard synergies, you can effectively fuel subsequent strategies that hinge on a robust graveyard, turning discards into a valuable resource.

Instant Speed: This creature’s ability can be activated at instant speed, allowing for strategic plays during an opponent’s turn, which provides flexibility and the element of surprise.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: To harness the abilities of Marauding Looter, a player must discard a card, which could be a strategic setback when the hand is already dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: This creature card calls for both red and blue mana, necessitating a commitment to a two-color deck and potentially straining your mana base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Costing four mana, this card could be considered steep, especially since there are other options available that provide card draw or looting effects at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Marauding Looter in Your Collection

Versatility: Marauding Looter provides dual utility with both looting and damage output, making it a solid choice for decks focused on graveyard synergy or those seeking to filter through their cards for better options.

Combo Potential: Its ability to discard and draw each turn can be the engine for powerful graveyard strategies, as well as enabling discard-themed combos that can dominate the board.

Meta-Relevance: In an environment heavy with slower decks, Marauding Looter can keep your hand refreshed while applying consistent pressure, ensuring you’re never at a disadvantage.


How to beat

Marauding Looter presents an interesting challenge in Magic: The Gathering matches, particularly with its Raid ability allowing players to draw and discard cards if it has attacked this turn. Strategically, to counteract Marauding Looter’s advantage, players should focus on removing it quickly from the battlefield. Use targeted removal spells efficiently, like Fatal Push or Path to Exile, before the Looter’s controller has the opportunity to reap the benefits of the Raid trigger.

Employing instant-speed interaction is key when facing this creature to prevent card advantage and graveyard filling strategies. Controlling the combat phase and preventing successful attacks can also decrease the value Marauding Looter provides to your opponent. Board control spells such as Wrath of God can simultaneously eliminate threats, including Marauding Looter, while preserving card parity. By prioritizing the removal or disruption of the Looter’s abilities, you reduce the chances of your opponent gaining the upper hand and increase your probability of maintaining a solid position in the game.


Cards like Marauding Looter

Exploring the breadth of utility provided by Marauding Looter, we see it as a unique asset in the Magic: The Gathering landscape. What sets it apart is its integrated looting ability, a trait shared with cards like Merfolk Looter. However, Marauding Looter’s prowess goes beyond just drawing and discarding. It escalates the potential loot value by dealing damage when you discard a nonland card, something that Merfolk Looter and its direct looting counterparts do not offer.

Seeking parallels within the Izzet faction, we have Enigma Drake, which also capitalizes on the use of instants and sorceries from the graveyard. While it doesn’t have a looting effect, Enigma Drake’s power is directly proportional to these cards in the graveyard, indicative of the synergy present in Red and Blue spellslinger decks. The comparison broadens as we consider Avaricious Dragon, which offers a comparable constant draw but at the cost of discarding your hand, providing a riskier yet potentially higher reward.

Upon evaluating the landscape, it’s evident that Marauding Looter claims a solid position with its unique combination of looting and damage potential, catering well to players who appreciate gradual resource advantage and direct player interaction.

Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Enigma Drake - MTG Card versions
Avaricious Dragon - MTG Card versions
Merfolk Looter - MTG Card versions
Enigma Drake - MTG Card versions
Avaricious Dragon - MTG Card versions

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Marauding Looter MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan, 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 Marauding Looter and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Marauding Looter has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderRestricted
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
PennyLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Marauding Looter card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-01-19 Raid abilities care only that you attacked with a creature. It doesn’t matter how many creatures you attacked with, or which opponent or planeswalker controlled by an opponent those creatures attacked.
2018-01-19 Raid abilities evaluate the entire turn to see if you attacked with a creature. That creature doesn’t have to still be on the battlefield. Similarly, the player or planeswalker it attacked doesn’t have to still be in the game or on the battlefield, respectively.
2018-01-19 Some raid abilities trigger at the beginning of your end step. These abilities trigger if you attacked with a creature that turn, even if the card with that raid ability wasn’t on the battlefield when you attacked.

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