Macetail Hystrodon MTG Card

Legions (LGN)
2003-02-03 - Number 106

Macetail Hystrodon - Dominaria Remastered (DMR)

Dominaria Remastered (DMR)
2023-01-13 - Number 130

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	7
Rarity	Common
Type	Creature — Beast
Abilities	Cycling,First strike,Haste
Power	4
Toughness	4

Key Takeaways

Macetail Hystrodon can provide card advantage and speed up resource access through its unique enrage ability.
This card demands strategic hand management and dedicated mana colors for casting, adding complexity to gameplay.
Combining power and utility, Macetail Hystrodon fits into decks valuing sturdiness and attrition-based strategies.

Text of card

First strike, haste Cycling (, Discard this card from your hand: Draw a card.)

The goblins tracked the hystrodon with much stealth and cunning. Then they were eaten with much pain and yelling.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Macetail Hystrodon offers players the potential for card advantage in matches. By fulfilling its enrage mechanic conditions, you’re able to draw cards which can be a critical maneuver for sustaining a strong hand throughout the game.

Resource Acceleration: This dynamic creature can serve as an effective form of resource acceleration. When its enrage ability is triggered, it not only affects the board state but it also allows you to pull ahead by accessing more of your deck, essentially speeding up your access to crucial resources.

Instant Speed: Though the Macetail Hystrodon operates at sorcery speed, it can synergize well with instant speed spells that trigger its enrage ability. This combination allows you to influence the board unexpectedly and react to your opponents’ actions on their turn for strategic plays.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Engaging in the battlefield with Macetail Hystrodon comes at a cost that includes discarding a card. This adds an extra layer of strategy, particularly when your hand is already depleted or the cards held are crucial for later plays. It’s essential for MTG players to weigh the opportunity cost when leveraging this card’s full potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Casting Macetail Hystrodon demands a focused mana base that includes both green and red. This specific requirement can sometimes restrict deck-building flexibility, encouraging a commitment to a Gruul-deck archetype or making it a challenging fit for multicolored deck strategies that don’t emphasize these colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: While the dinos are known for their might, Macetail Hystrodon’s mana value may give pause to those looking for more immediate board impact. In a game where tempo can turn on a dime, the initial investment for this prehistoric powerhouse requires consideration against other competitive options that may advance your game state more efficiently.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Macetail Hystrodon is a unique card that offers a blend of power and utility. It’s perfect for decks that require creatures with substantial toughness to endure long battles or those that need a reliable blocker with the potential to become an offensive threat.

Combo Potential: This card has a synergy with strategies that benefit from enrage mechanisms or those utilizing +1/+1 counters. It can easily become a key component in a combo by interacting with cards that trigger off of taking damage or by being a recipient of counter manipulation spells.

Meta-Relevance: In a game state where the battlefield is densely populated and attrition wars are common, Macetail Hystrodon shines by being able to deter attacks with its formidable presence and simultaneously threaten damage absorption capabilities. Should the game environment value resilience and adaptability, including this card in your collection could prove advantageous.

How to Beat

The Macetail Hystrodon is an intriguing creature card in Magic: The Gathering, offering both resilience and a unique form of card advantage with its cycling ability. When up against this prehistoric reptile, it’s important to understand its strengths in order to effectively counter it. The Hystrodon’s cycling ability allows players to replace it in their hand with a new card while triggering beneficial effects if they have a card with cycling or a cycling-related ability.

One approach to outpace the Macetail Hystrodon is to limit your opponent’s ability to derive value from cycling. This can be achieved through the use of cards that restrict actions during the draw phase or that penalize the discarding of cards. Keeping up removal spells that can be played at instant speed also ensures you can deal with the Hystrodon should it hit the board. Additionally, since cycling is contingent on having the card in hand, hand disruption tactics can preemptively remove it before your opponent has the chance to use it to their advantage.

Remaining vigilant and strategic about when to deploy your spells or abilities can tilt the odds in your favor, making the Macetail Hystrodon less of a threat in your MTG duels. Reflect on your deck’s capabilities to include countermeasures that align with your overall strategy while maintaining pressure on your opponent.

Cards like Macetail Hystrodon

Macetail Hystrodon is a unique creature on the battlefields of Magic: The Gathering. This beast stands out with its provoke ability, encouraging tactical gameplay. An interesting point of comparison could be Spikeshot Goblin, as both creatures have the potential to influence opponent’s combat decisions. Macetail Hystrodon, however, also has the benefit of trample, allowing excess damage to carry over to the opponent’s life total.

Contrasting it with creatures like Taunting Elf, we observe a shared theme of manipulating blocks. While Taunting Elf forces all creatures to block it, Macetail Hystrodon offers more selective control, potentially removing a key blocker by making it engage with its hefty body. Compared to Bull Elephant, another creature with trample, Macetail Hystrodon may have a lower power and toughness ratio, but the provoke ability gives it an edge in combat tactics.

Assessing gameplay dynamics, Macetail Hystrodon’s versatility through provoke and trample provides a blend of offense and defense, making it a creature card that can adapt to multiple strategies on the MTG landscape.

Cards similar to Macetail Hystrodon by color, type and mana cost

Yidaro, Wandering Monster - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Macetail Hystrodon MTG card by a specific set like Legions and Dominaria Remastered, 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 Macetail Hystrodon and other MTG cards: