Blood Seeker MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Vampire Shaman
Power 1
Toughness 1

Key Takeaways

  1. Offers indirect card advantage by affecting opponents’ creature play decisions, deterring overcommitment on the board.
  2. Though not a direct resource accelerator, it influences game tempo by impeding opponent’s board development.
  3. Its consistent pressure through triggered abilities presents a threat, regardless of turn sequence, enhancing attrition strategies.

Text of card

Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under an opponent's control, you may have that player lose 1 life.

A drop now is all he needs to find you later.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Blood Seeker doesn’t provide card draw directly, but it taxes your opponent’s actions by causing life loss whenever they summon creatures. This cumulative effect deters them from playing multiple creatures and can indirectly lead to gaining card advantage as your opponent might be forced to hold back resources.

Resource Acceleration: While Blood Seeker doesn’t accelerate your mana, it can be considered a form of resource acceleration in the sense that it slows down your opponent’s board development. It excels in extracting value over time from a low-mana investment, allowing you to allocate your resources elsewhere for a more extensive game strategy.

Instant Speed: Blood Seeker itself isn’t played at instant speed, but its ability triggers at any time your opponent casts a creature spell. This means it’s always ‘on alert,’ ready to take advantage of any creature spell your opponent plays during the match, irrespective of the turn or phase, which places consistent pressure on your opponent’s strategy.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing Blood Seeker in your deck means you’re tying up slots that could be used for more consistent threats or utility cards. This can lead to moments where you’re forced to discard this creature due to it not being the optimal play, diminishing your hand’s value.

Specific Mana Cost: Blood Seeker’s black mana requirement restricts it to black-inclusive decks, hindering its flexibility. Players running multicolor decks might face challenges incorporating this card without affecting their mana base stability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a cost of two mana for a 1/1 body, Blood Seeker might not provide the early game presence needed when compared with other two-drop creatures. Its ability, while useful in specific metas, does not always justify the card’s spot in a tightly curated deck.


Reasons to Include Blood Seeker in Your Collection

Versatility: Blood Seeker’s ability to impact the board every time an opponent summons a creature makes it an excellent inclusion for a range of decks from aggressive to control-oriented strategies.

Combo Potential: This card pairs well with cards that cause opponents to put creatures onto the battlefield, such as through token generation, turning the card into a consistent source of life loss for your opponents.

Meta-Relevance: Given the frequency of creature-heavy decks in most metas, Blood Seeker serves as a deterrent to opponents overextending on the field, hindering swarm tactics and punishing rapid creature deployments.


How to beat

Blood Seeker is an intriguing creature card often employed in MTG decks to wear down opponents through its ability to inflict gradual damage. However, like all cards, it has vulnerabilities. One strategy to counter Blood Seeker is to limit the number of creatures you play. Since its ability triggers upon creature entrance to the battlefield, playing fewer creatures hinders its potential. Another effective method includes removal spells. Spells like Fatal Push or Path to Exile can remove Blood Seeker from the board before it accrues significant damage.

Another angle is to employ life gain strategies to offset the damage Blood Seeker deals. Cards such as Essence Warden can help you recover the lost life whenever a creature enters the battlefield. Moreover, instant-speed creature removal ensures that you control when Blood Seeker triggers, potentially during your turn to manage life totals better. Similarly, utilizing cards that can bounce Blood Seeker back to the hand, like Unsummon, temporarily alleviates the pressure and disrupts your opponent’s board presence.

In summary, thoughtfully playing around Blood Seeker, deploying targeted removal, or embracing life gain tactics are all viable methods to counteract this card’s ability to slowly drain your resources in MTG.


BurnMana Recommendations

The allure of Blood Seeker in your MTG collection revolves around its subtle yet steady ability to dictate the pace of your opponent’s gameplay. It thrives in environments where creatures are summoned aplenty, maintaining a consistent drain on your adversary’s life total. If you find yourself intrigued by the strategy and finesse required to optimize Blood Seeker’s potential, embracing its capability to disrupt creature-heavy decks could be a rewarding angle. Seeking more insights on how to weave this card into your deck effectively? Continue your MTG journey with us, uncovering advanced tactics and deck-building tips that turn this card into a formidable asset in your arsenal.


Cards like Blood Seeker

The allure of the Blood Seeker card lies in its ability to siphon life from opponents in Magic: The Gathering. Resembling the effects of cards like Suture Priest, Blood Seeker stands out by focusing on penalizing opponents whenever a creature enters the battlefield under their control. In contrast, Suture Priest not only punishes your opponents in a similar fashion but also rewards you for your own creature spells, providing a slight edge in terms of life gain.

Comparatively, cards such as Falkenrath Noble might come to mind. Though costing more mana, it offers a broader scope of life-draining triggered abilities, not limiting to just creature entering but also exiting play. This grants a more comprehensive range of triggers for the life loss and gain effect. Then we encounter Trespasser’s Curse, another enchantment that deters your rival’s creature plays. While it doesn’t diminish life upon creature casting, it establishes a passive effect that drains life whenever creatures enter the battlefield under an opponent’s control on any turn.

In evaluating the advantages of creature entry-based life-draining cards, Blood Seeker claims its niche by providing a cost-efficient and specific form of player harassment in Magic: The Gathering, making it a pertinent choice for passive aggression and attrition strategies.

Suture Priest - MTG Card versions
Falkenrath Noble - MTG Card versions
Trespasser's Curse - MTG Card versions
Suture Priest - New Phyrexia (NPH)
Falkenrath Noble - Innistrad (ISD)
Trespasser's Curse - Amonkhet (AKH)

Cards similar to Blood Seeker by color, type and mana cost

Drudge Skeletons - MTG Card versions
Nether Shadow - MTG Card versions
Erg Raiders - MTG Card versions
Cuombajj Witches - MTG Card versions
Order of the Ebon Hand - MTG Card versions
Bog Imp - MTG Card versions
Wall of Corpses - MTG Card versions
Blighted Shaman - MTG Card versions
Rabid Rats - MTG Card versions
Dakmor Bat - MTG Card versions
Ravenous Rats - MTG Card versions
Flesh Reaver - MTG Card versions
Bloodcurdler - MTG Card versions
Nantuko Shade - MTG Card versions
Piper of the Swarm - MTG Card versions
Undead Augur - MTG Card versions
Shepherd of Rot - MTG Card versions
Swarm of Rats - MTG Card versions
Skullsnatcher - MTG Card versions
Nezumi Cutthroat - MTG Card versions
Drudge Skeletons - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Nether Shadow - Intl. Collectors' Edition (CEI)
Erg Raiders - Fourth Edition Foreign Black Border (4BB)
Cuombajj Witches - Chronicles (CHR)
Order of the Ebon Hand - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
Bog Imp - Rivals Quick Start Set (RQS)
Wall of Corpses - Mirage (MIR)
Blighted Shaman - Mirage (MIR)
Rabid Rats - Stronghold (STH)
Dakmor Bat - Portal Second Age (P02)
Ravenous Rats - Invasion (INV)
Flesh Reaver - Urza's Saga (USG)
Bloodcurdler - Odyssey (ODY)
Nantuko Shade - Commander 2014 (C14)
Piper of the Swarm - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Undead Augur - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Shepherd of Rot - Onslaught (ONS)
Swarm of Rats - Eighth Edition (8ED)
Skullsnatcher - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Nezumi Cutthroat - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Blood Seeker MTG card by a specific set like Zendikar and Magic 2012, 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 Blood Seeker and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Blood Seeker Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2009-10-02 and 2011-07-15. Illustrated by Greg Staples.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12009-10-02ZendikarZEN 802003normalblackGreg Staples
22011-07-15Magic 2012M12 812003normalblackGreg Staples

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Blood Seeker has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2011-09-22 Life loss is not the same as damage. Blood Seeker’s ability will not cause creatures with bloodthirst to enter the battlefield with +1/+1 counters.

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