Snowhorn Rider MTG Card

Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
2014-09-26 - Number 201y

Khans of Tarkir (KTK)
2014-09-26 - Number 201

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	6
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Human Warrior
Abilities	Morph,Trample
Power	5
Toughness	5

Key Takeaways

Provides card advantage through its morph mechanism, influencing play with a robust creature on board.
Can surprisingly accelerate resources in Temur-colored decks, offering a formidable presence quickly.
Flexible and unpredictable, morphing and unmorphing Snowhorn Rider can disrupt opponent strategies.

Text of card

Trample Morph (You may cast this card face down as a 2/2 creature for . Turn it face up any time for its morph cost.)

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Snowhorn Rider excels in providing card advantage in decks built around the morph mechanic. Unmorphing reveals the card and impacts the board, while also leaving you with a powerful creature in play.

Resource Acceleration: Thanks to its Temur colors, Snowhorn Rider can act as a critical piece in a deck that looks to quickly ramp up mana. By using mana dorks or land ramp spells, you can get this formidable threat onto the battlefield ahead of schedule, greatly accelerating your game plan.

Instant Speed: While Snowhorn Rider itself is not an instant, the ability to morph and unmorph at instant speed offers a level of flexibility and surprise in gameplay. You can turn up Snowhorn Rider when your opponents least expect it, potentially during their turn or after they’ve declared attackers, which could disrupt their strategy and give you the upper hand.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Snowhorn Rider demands the player to exile another card, which can be a serious setback when you’re already dealing with a depleted hand. This can lead to difficult decisions, especially in longer games where every card in hand is vital.

Specific Mana Cost: The casting cost of Snowhorn Rider includes a particular blend of mana colors, which can sometimes be a struggle to achieve, particularly in a fast-paced game where mana flexibility is key.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost requiring a total of six mana, Snowhorn Rider sits at the upper end of the mana curve, especially for a creature without immediate board impact or protection against removals.

Reasons to Include Snowhorn Rider in Your Collection

Versatility: Snowhorn Rider excels as a flexible component in decks, adapting well to varying in-game situations. With its morph ability, you can play it as a face-down creature and flip it when it best suits your strategy, giving you a powerful creature at the most opportune moment.

Combo Potential: This card has great synergy with strategies that reward you for creature spells with a high power. Its trample ability also makes it an excellent pair with effects that boost its power, allowing you to potentially overrun your opponents with significant damage.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-based strategies are prevalent, Snowhorn Rider can play a pivotal role. It matches up well against other midrange creatures, and its morph cost can lead to surprise plays that disrupt opponent strategies, making it a strong contender in various MTG matchups.

How to beat

Snowhorn Rider is a multifaceted creature card in MTG that can pose a considerable challenge on the battlefield due to its trample ability and morph feature. Overcoming this versatile threat requires strategic planning. One effective tactic is employing removal spells that can target Snowhorn Rider regardless of its face-up or face-down status. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can efficiently deal with Snowhorn Rider before the morph cost is paid, preventing your opponent from leveraging its full potential.

Another approach is to reduce the effectiveness of the trample ability by using creatures with high toughness to block. This turns any combat involving the Snowhorn Rider into a less damaging encounter for your life total. Additionally, counterspells are highly effective in neutralizing this creature when it’s being cast or turned face-up. Knowing when to use your countermagic can be the key to maintaining control of the game.

Stifling your opponent’s mana resources can also be an effective strategy, as Snowhorn Rider’s morph and unmorph costs are relatively high. Denying them the necessary mana to activate these features can keep the Rider at bay and give you the upper hand. With these strategies in mind, players can effectively challenge and beat Snowhorn Rider in their MTG matchups.

Cards like Snowhorn Rider

Snowhorn Rider is an intriguing tri-color creature card in MTG with the prowess to impose a dominant board presence in the late game. Among its kin, Woolly Thoctar merits mention, also being a tri-color beast of noteworthy size. However, Snowhorn Rider distinguishes itself with morph ability, allowing for strategic flexibility and surprise tactics. Where Woolly Thoctar offers no such mechanic, its mana cost is more stable and predictable.

Analogous to Snowhorn Rider in conversion of mana into muscle is the Alpine Grizzly. A sought-after card for players in need of substantial brute force without delay. While the grizzly may lack the intricate morph ability and the tri-color diversity, its lower cost provides a quicker path to a potent creature on the board. In this realm of might versus mechanics, each card finds its niche, with players often debating the situational advantages of raw power against the element of surprise.

To sum up, the choice between Snowhorn Rider and similar creature cards comes down to personal strategies and game circumstances. Rider’s morph ability adds a layer of depth to its use, granting it a special place in the decks of many MTG enthusiasts seeking versatility in their creature plays.

Cards similar to Snowhorn Rider by color, type and mana cost

Miirym, Sentinel Wyrm - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Snowhorn Rider MTG card by a specific set like Khans of Tarkir and Khans of Tarkir, 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 Snowhorn Rider and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Snowhorn Rider Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2014-09-26 and 2014-09-26. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2014-09-26	Khans of Tarkir	KTK		201y	2015	Normal	Black	Nathaniel Himawan
2	2014-09-26	Khans of Tarkir	KTK		201	2015	Normal	Black	Tomasz Jedruszek

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Snowhorn Rider has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Penny	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2014-09-20	A permanent that turns face up or face down changes characteristics but is otherwise the same permanent. Spells and abilities that were targeting that permanent, as well as Auras and Equipment that were attached to the permanent, aren’t affected.
2014-09-20	Any time you have priority, you may turn the face-down creature face up by revealing what its morph cost is and paying that cost. This is a special action. It doesn’t use the stack and can’t be responded to. Only a face-down permanent can be turned face up this way; a face-down spell cannot.
2014-09-20	At any time, you can look at a face-down spell or permanent you control. You can’t look at face-down spells or permanents you don’t control unless an effect instructs you to do so.
2014-09-20	Because the permanent is on the battlefield both before and after it’s turned face up, turning a permanent face up doesn’t cause any enters-the-battlefield abilities to trigger.
2014-09-20	If a face-down permanent leaves the battlefield, you must reveal it. You must also reveal all face-down spells and permanents you control if you leave the game or if the game ends.
2014-09-20	Morph lets you cast a card face down by paying , and lets you turn the face-down permanent face up any time you have priority by paying its morph cost.
2014-09-20	The face-down spell has no mana cost and has a converted mana cost of 0. When you cast a face-down spell, put it on the stack face down so no other player knows what it is, and pay . This is an alternative cost.
2014-09-20	When the spell resolves, it enters the battlefield as a 2/2 creature with no name, mana cost, creature types, or abilities. It’s colorless and has a converted mana cost of 0. Other effects that apply to the creature can still grant it any of these characteristics.
2014-09-20	You must ensure that your face-down spells and permanents can easily be differentiated from each other. You’re not allowed to mix up the cards that represent them on the battlefield in order to confuse other players. The order they entered the battlefield should remain clear. Common methods for doing this include using markers or dice, or simply placing them in order on the battlefield.