The Hive MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 16 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeArtifact

Key Takeaways

  1. Generates a steady flow of Insect tokens to build board presence without depleting hand resources.
  2. Demands card sacrifice and specific mana types, which can limit its deck versatility.
  3. Effective against aggressive metagames; vulnerable to artifact removal and board wipes.

Text of card

o5: Creates one Giant Wasp, a 1/1 flying creature. Represent Wasps with tokens, making sure to indicate when each Wasp is tapped. Wasps can't attack during the turn created. Treat Wasps like artifact creatures in every way, except that they are removed from the game entirely if they ever leave play. If the Hive is destroyed, the Wasps must still be killed individually.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Hive offers the ability to consistently generate a stream of 1/1 Insect artifact creature tokens without depleting resources from your hand, allowing you to build up your board presence and overwhelm opponents with an ever-increasing army.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly ramping your mana, the tokens created by The Hive can be utilized for chump blocking or as sacrificial assets for various in-game effects, potentially conserving life points and other resources for a more strategic play.

Instant Speed: The Hive allows you to create Insect tokens at instant speed, thus enabling surprise blockers, interaction with end of turn plays, or capitalizing on an opponent’s unpreparedness, providing a tactical edge during critical phases of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Deploying The Hive into battle demands sacrifices beyond mere mana. To bring forth its insectile legion, you must first part with a precious card from your hand, a strategy that can weaken your position if your arsenal is already depleted.

Specific Mana Cost: The Hive’s summoning chant calls for a particular weave of magic, consisting of three arbitrary mana plus one strictly colorless. This precise incantation binds it inexorably to decks capable of generating the required mana, potentially excluding it from more color-centric strategies.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its initial investment weighed against its later benefits, The Hive’s value is in question when the battlefield is rife with alternatives. Requiring a steep five mana to make its presence known—and even more to unleash its swarm—it stands in the shadow of cards that promise more immediate or impactful advantages for less.


Reasons to Include The Hive Mtg Card in Your Collection

Versatility: The Hive offers a unique flexibility to deck builders. Its ability to produce creature tokens can bolster your defenses or provide necessary offense in a variety of game states, thus fitting seamlessly into multiple deck archetypes that require a steady board presence.

Combo Potential: As an artifact that generates tokens, The Hive synergizes well with strategies that capitalize on artifact manipulation or creature token generation. This can lead to powerful combinations with cards that benefit from such mechanics, enhancing strategic depth and surprise factor in gameplay.

Meta-Relevance: Given its ability to create recurrent blockers, The Hive can be a compelling addition to your collection if the current competitive scene is swarmed with aggressive decks. It provides a recurring asset that can consistently interfere with opponents’ strategies, making it a solid card in specific metagame landscapes.


How to beat

The Hive is an iconic artifact that’s made a name for itself within the MTG realm. This card has the ability to churn out 1/1 Insect artifact creature tokens, potentially overwhelming your opponents with a swarm of creatures over time. At the core of its strategy is the continuous investment of mana to create these tokens, which can steadily tip the balance of the game in favor of the player controlling The Hive.

To circumvent the threat posed by The Hive, one must focus on strategies that can handle repeated creature production. Removal spells that can target artifacts, like Disenchant or Naturalize, offer a direct solution to dismantle the artifact before it turns into an unstoppable force. Board wipes like Day of Judgment or Wrath of God, ensure that even if the creatures are produced, they can be cleared swiftly, minimizing the impact they can have on board presence. Furthermore, adopting a faster, more aggressive play strategy could also outpace The Hive, rendering the gradual token production too slow to be effective in the race to victory.

Ultimately, recognizing The Hive’s potential and preparing your deck to counter it can negate the advantage this card may provide. By including artifact destruction or board-controlling elements, you can maintain the upper hand against decks leveraging The Hive’s persistent threat.


Cards like The Hive

The Hive is an iconic artifact card in Magic: The Gathering, well-known among players for its ability to produce 1/1 Insect artifact creature tokens. This card echoes the mechanics of other token-generating cards, such as Trading Post, though with different creature types and additional utility. Unlike The Hive, Trading Post offers more flexibility with its four different abilities, providing various forms of resource advantage but at the cost of specific resource sacrifices.

Mobilization is another card that bears resemblance, focusing instead on soldier token creation. While The Hive generates token creatures without any color, Mobilization produces white tokens and can also empower soldiers across the board, providing a beneficial synergy with other soldier cards.

Looking for something with a lower activation cost? Breeding Pit might come to mind with its production of Thrull tokens at the beginning of your upkeep. It comes with an upkeep cost that requires life payment, which alters the dynamic of resource management. Taking these comparative nuances into account, The Hive stands as a noteworthy card for its straightforward token generation, appealing to players who favor artifact creature strategies in their decks.

Trading Post - MTG Card versions
Mobilization - MTG Card versions
Breeding Pit - MTG Card versions
Trading Post - Magic 2013 (M13)
Mobilization - Onslaught (ONS)
Breeding Pit - Fallen Empires (FEM)

Cards similar to The Hive by color, type and mana cost

Gauntlets of Chaos - MTG Card versions
Ring of Renewal - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Avian - MTG Card versions
Soldevi Steam Beast - MTG Card versions
Urza's Engine - MTG Card versions
Sand Golem - MTG Card versions
Pandora's Box - MTG Card versions
Belbe's Portal - MTG Card versions
Crumbling Sanctuary - MTG Card versions
Mind's Eye - MTG Card versions
Horizon Stone - MTG Card versions
The Deck of Many Things - MTG Card versions
Batterskull - MTG Card versions
Coat of Arms - MTG Card versions
Clockwork Vorrac - MTG Card versions
Timesifter - MTG Card versions
Leveler - MTG Card versions
Gilded Lotus - MTG Card versions
Myr Matrix - MTG Card versions
Dross Golem - MTG Card versions
Gauntlets of Chaos - Chronicles (CHR)
Ring of Renewal - Fallen Empires (FEM)
Clockwork Avian - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Soldevi Steam Beast - Alliances (ALL)
Urza's Engine - Alliances (ALL)
Sand Golem - Mirage (MIR)
Pandora's Box - Astral Cards (PAST)
Belbe's Portal - Nemesis (NEM)
Crumbling Sanctuary - World Championship Decks 2000 (WC00)
Mind's Eye - The Brothers' War Retro Artifacts (BRR)
Horizon Stone - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
The Deck of Many Things - Adventures in the Forgotten Realms Promos (PAFR)
Batterskull - The List (PLST)
Coat of Arms - The List (PLST)
Clockwork Vorrac - Mirrodin (MRD)
Timesifter - Mirrodin (MRD)
Leveler - Mystery Booster Retail Edition Foils (FMB1)
Gilded Lotus - Warhammer 40,000 Commander (40K)
Myr Matrix - Darksteel (DST)
Dross Golem - Darksteel (DST)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase The Hive MTG card by a specific set like Limited Edition Alpha and Limited Edition Beta, 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 The Hive and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The The Hive Magic the Gathering card was released in 14 different sets between 1993-08-05 and 2022-11-28. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
11993-08-05Limited Edition AlphaLEA 2721993normalblackSandra Everingham
21993-10-04Limited Edition BetaLEB 2731993normalblackSandra Everingham
31993-12-01Unlimited Edition2ED 2731993normalwhiteSandra Everingham
41993-12-10Intl. Collectors' EditionCEI 2731993normalblackSandra Everingham
51993-12-10Collectors' EditionCED 2731993normalblackSandra Everingham
61994-04-01Foreign Black BorderFBB 2771993normalblackSandra Everingham
71994-04-01Revised Edition3ED 2771993normalwhiteSandra Everingham
81994-06-21Summer Magic / EdgarSUM 2771993normalwhiteSandra Everingham
91995-04-01Fourth Edition4ED 3511993normalwhiteSandra Everingham
101995-04-01Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border4BB 3511993normalblackSandra Everingham
111997-03-24Fifth Edition5ED 4021997normalwhiteSandra Everingham
121999-04-21Classic Sixth Edition6ED 2891997normalwhiteSandra Everingham
132007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 324★2003normalblackRon Spencer
142007-07-13Tenth Edition10E 3242003normalblackRon Spencer
152022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 5401997normalblackSandra Everingham
162022-11-2830th Anniversary Edition30A 2432015normalblackSandra Everingham

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where The Hive has restrictions

FormatLegality
OldschoolLegal
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PremodernLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal
PennyLegal

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