Wolverine Riders MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Elf Warrior
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Provides consistent elf token generation, expanding board presence and strategic options during your upkeep.
  2. Introduces life gain with each token, fortifying your life total and hindering opposing aggressive strategies.
  3. Demanding mana requirements and higher casting cost may limit its inclusion in multi-colored or fast-paced decks.

Text of card

At the beginning of each upkeep, create a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token. Whenever another Elf enters the battlefield under your control, you gain life equal to its toughness.

"We'll break their lines. The rest of you, follow!"


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Wolverine Riders ensure a steady flow of Elves into your battlefield, bolstering your army each turn and reinforcing your position with every draw.

Resource Acceleration: Each Elf token entering the fray under your command means an uptick in your resource pool, paving the way for bigger threats to be unleashed sooner than your opponent may be prepared for.

Instant Speed: While it doesn’t operate at instant speed, the Riders themselves generate value at the end of your every upkeep, essentially adding a layer of inevitability which applies pressure without spending mana at instant speed intervals.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Wolverine Riders provide a steady stream of Elf tokens and life gain, its inclusion in a deck might necessitate discard strategies to maximize its potential. This could lead to situations where you’re forced to discard valuable cards to keep the synergies running smoothly.

Specific Mana Cost: Wolverine Riders require a specific combination of green mana to cast. With a casting cost that includes triple green, it might not fit into decks that run multiple colors or those that have a mana base less dedicated to green.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a six mana value (4GG), Wolverine Riders have a comparatively high casting cost, which can be a significant setback, especially if you’re facing faster, more aggressive decks. The cost-to-benefit ratio can be less appealing when alternatives might provide immediate board presence or impact at a lower mana investment.


Reasons to Include Wolverine Riders in Your Collection

Versatility: Wolverine Riders is a highly adaptable card, a solid fit for Elf tribal or green decks focused on creature strategies. Its ability not only strengthens your board position but also keeps your life total safe, making it valuable in various game scenarios.

Combo Potential: This card pairs excellently with effects that benefit from creature tokens or life gain. Combining it with cards that trigger upon life gain or when a creature enters the battlefield can set off a cascading chain of advantageous plays.

Meta-Relevance: As the metagame fluctuates regularly, a card like Wolverine Riders, which supports incremental advantage, becomes a staple in the evergreen arsenal against attrition-based or aggressive strategies, ensuring its longevity in your collection.


How to beat Wolverine Riders

Wolverine Riders can quickly become a dominant force on the battlefield, as each elf you control at the beginning of your upkeep not only boosts your life total but also puts a 1/1 green Elf Warrior creature token onto the battlefield. With this ability to rapidly populate the board, overcoming Wolverine Riders requires a strategy to stem the flow of elves.

To counter this card effectively, board wipes like Wrath of God or Damnation come in handy, clearing all creatures and resetting the board. Spot removal also plays a key role; employing cards that can target and destroy or exile Wolverine Riders before it generates overwhelming value is key. Cards like Path to Exile or Hero’s Downfall work well here.

Keep in mind, violent disruption isn’t the only approach. If you’re playing blue, countering the spell as it’s cast using counterspells like Counterspell or Mana Leak keeps this pesky card from ever hitting the field. Lastly, enacting graveyard strategies with cards such as Leyline of the Void, containing creatures that make Wolverine Riders and its tokens enter the battlefield tapped, or using Tocatli Honor Guard to negate its elf token generation ability are thoughtful tactics to keep the elf legion at bay. Play smart, and you’ll stand a good chance when facing down this resilient elven cavalry.


BurnMana Recommendations

With Wolverine Riders, you enrich your MTG deck with a powerful Elf-centric engine that continuously fortifies your board and cushions your life total. Assembling a legion of elves becomes a fearsome strategy as you gain incremental advantages with each of your upkeeps. Integrating this card into your collection can be a wise move to maintain relevance in shifting metagames. For those eager to harness the power of Wolverine Riders, we offer in-depth guides and strategic insights into optimizing your deck around its strengths. Advance your gameplay and secure your position in the dynamic world of MTG by tapping into the synergistic potential of this formidable card.


Cards like Wolverine Riders

Wolverine Riders stand out as a unique entity in the realm of MTG green creature spells. With an ability that spawns elf tokens at every upkeep corresponding to your elf count, it resonates with cards like Lys Alana Huntmaster, which also revels in elf token creation, albeit triggered by casting elf spells. Wolverine Riders, however, take the token generation one step further by incorporating a life-gain mechanism for each token created.

One notch closer to Wolverine Riders is Imperious Perfect. It champions the elf synergy by not only generating elf tokens but also by bolstering them. Both cards thrive in elf tribal decks, yet Wolverine Riders carry the additional benefit of incremental life gain, providing a more substantial presence in prolonged games. Then we have Jade Mage, another parallel in the green card ancestry. While available at a lower mana cost and offering utility in creating saproling tokens, Jade Mage lacks the elf-centric advantages and the automatic upkeep-triggered token and life engine of Wolverine Riders.

In evaluating the utility and potential impact on gameplay, Wolverine Riders command attention within the ecosystem of token-generating green creatures in MTG, albeit with a slower pace but augmented by the dual assets of increasing board presence and ensuring player longevity.

Lys Alana Huntmaster - MTG Card versions
Imperious Perfect - MTG Card versions
Jade Mage - MTG Card versions
Lys Alana Huntmaster - MTG Card versions
Imperious Perfect - MTG Card versions
Jade Mage - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Wolverine Riders by color, type and mana cost

Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
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Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Seshiro the Anointed - MTG Card versions
Force of Nature - MTG Card versions
Craw Wurm - MTG Card versions
Gaea's Liege - MTG Card versions
Wiitigo - MTG Card versions
Autumn Willow - MTG Card versions
Ancient Silverback - MTG Card versions
Sulam Djinn - MTG Card versions
Verdeloth the Ancient - MTG Card versions
Nemata, Grove Guardian - MTG Card versions
Gang of Elk - MTG Card versions
Kavu Howler - MTG Card versions
Crashing Centaur - MTG Card versions
Giant Warthog - MTG Card versions
Rhox - MTG Card versions
Kodama of the East Tree - MTG Card versions
Terra Stomper - MTG Card versions
Feral Throwback - MTG Card versions
Brontotherium - MTG Card versions
Elvish Aberration - MTG Card versions
Seshiro the Anointed - MTG Card versions
Force of Nature - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Wolverine Riders MTG card by a specific set like Kaldheim Commander and Jumpstart 2022, 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 Wolverine Riders and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Wolverine Riders Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2021-02-05 and 2022-12-02. Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12021-02-05Kaldheim CommanderKHC 142015NormalBlackJesper Ejsing
22022-12-02Jumpstart 2022J22 7432015NormalBlackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Wolverine Riders has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2021-02-05 Use the toughness of the creature as the last ability resolves to determine how much life you gain. If the Elf is no longer on the battlefield at that time, use its toughness from when it was last on the battlefield.