Hixus, Prison Warden MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 4 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Soldier
Abilities Flash
Power 4
Toughness 4

Key Takeaways

  1. Hixus offers battlefield control by exiling attackers, disrupting opponent strategies.
  2. His flash ability grants flexibility, surprising opponents and managing threats effectively.
  3. Despite a higher mana cost, Hixus provides a tactical edge in creature-heavy metas.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.

Text of card

Flash (You may cast this spell any time you could cast an instant.) Whenever a creature deals combat damage to you, if Hixus, Prison Warden entered the battlefield this turn, exile that creature until Hixus leaves the battlefield. (That creature returns under its owner's control.)


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Hixus, Prison Warden allows players to control the battlefield by temporarily removing threatening creatures your opponents control. This can effectively turn the tides of a match by neutralizing an opponent’s tactical advantages, deterring aggressive plays, and maintaining board presence without losing card resources from hand.

Resource Acceleration: Although not directly influencing mana resources, Hixus can contribute to resource acceleration indirectly. By hindering opponents’ creatures, players may delay opponents from using their own resource acceleration, buying crucial time to develop their own board and reach pivotal mana thresholds for game-changing plays.

Instant Speed: Hixus, Prison Warden’s flash ability enables players to deploy him at the most opportune moment, often at the end of an opponent’s turn or in response to an attack. This strategic flexibility allows for better hand management and can surprise an opponent who might not expect a creature with such impactful abilities to be played like an instant.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Hixus, Prison Warden doesn’t have a direct discard requirement, its utility can be diminished if you do not have the right setup to capitalize on its ability. Without a consistent flow of opponents’ creatures being tapped, it’s not leveraged to its full potential.

Specific Mana Cost: Hixus’s specific mana cost leans heavily on white mana, requiring three white symbols, which could potentially restrict its integration into multicolored or mana-flexible decks that favor a broader color base.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of 3WW, Hixus, Prison Warden demands a sizeable amount of resources for a setup-dependent effect. There are alternatives with lower casting costs, offering deterrence or removal effects without the conditional nature of Hixus’s ability.


Reasons to Include Hixus, Prison Warden in Your Collection

Versatility: Hixus, Prison Warden offers a unique blend of defense and strategy to your gameplay. Capable of fitting into decks that prioritize board control and delaying opponent’s tactics, his ability to exile creatures until he leaves the battlefield can be a game-changer in many scenarios.

Combo Potential: With this card’s ability to detain multiple threats temporarily, it complements strategies that capitalize on the time gained. Pairing Hixus with cards that can bounce or flicker him can repeatedly exploit his effect, clearing the way for your winning moves.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta swarming with aggressive creature-based strategies, Hixus can provide a backdoor out of tight spots. Being able to stall an opponent’s onslaught gives your deck breathing room to set up its win conditions or recover from early pressure, making him a strategic selection for your collection.


How to beat

Hixus, Prison Warden is a unique figure on the battlefield with the ability to reshape the course of the game by trapping creatures that have dealt damage to you. With a look at how this card operates, players facing Hixus must tread with caution. The key is a strategic approach, recognizing that Hixus’ strength lies in its reactionary power.

To overcome this obstacle, tactics such as removal spells that can target Hixus before its ability triggers or utilizing indirect damage sources to steer clear of the trap are essential. Engaging in combat only when necessary or employing effects that neutralize abilities can be crucial in outmaneuvering Hixus’ confining capabilities. Hixus, Prison Warden demands respect on the field, but a thought-out strategy can contain this warden’s influence and keep your creatures free to move and strike.

Ultimately, maintaining control over the gameplay and carefully choosing the timing and type of your attacks will allow you to bypass Hixus, Prison Warden’s daunting presence and continue to press the advantage in your favor.


Cards like Hixus, Prison Warden

Hixus, Prison Warden offers a unique incarceration mechanism, stepping into the battlefield of Magic: The Gathering with a measure of control over the opponent’s creatures. Its parallels can be drawn with other cards like Lavinia of the Tenth, which detains each nonland permanent your opponents control with converted mana cost 4 or less whenever it enters the battlefield. Yet, Hixus differs with its ability to jail any number of attacking creatures until it leaves the battlefield, offering a broader sweep.

Another control-oriented counterpart is Ghostly Prison, imposing a cost on attackers rather than outright detention. Ghostly Prison demands a fee for each creature that swings your way, effectively throttling aggressive strategies while in play. It’s a taxing scheme versus Hixus’ one-shot mass detainment. Finally, there’s Detention Sphere that exiles all permanents with the same name as its target until Detention Sphere leaves play.

Assessing these control tools reveals Hixus, Prison Warden as a potential game changer. It serves as a solid defensive option, capable of controlling the pace and providing reprieve during a critical onslaught. Its value in MTG hinges on its sweeping temporary removal, offering a strategic pause in your favor.

Lavinia of the Tenth - MTG Card versions
Ghostly Prison - MTG Card versions
Detention Sphere - MTG Card versions
Lavinia of the Tenth - Dragon's Maze (DGM)
Ghostly Prison - Champions of Kamigawa (CHK)
Detention Sphere - Return to Ravnica (RTR)

Cards similar to Hixus, Prison Warden by color, type and mana cost

Veteran Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Rashida Scalebane - MTG Card versions
Avenging Angel - MTG Card versions
Lancers en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Radiant, Archangel - MTG Card versions
Master Healer - MTG Card versions
Angel of Mercy - MTG Card versions
Serra Angel - MTG Card versions
Border Patrol - MTG Card versions
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Sigardian Savior - MTG Card versions
Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions
Collector Protector - MTG Card versions
Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions
Belfry Spirit - MTG Card versions
Petra Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Barrenton Medic - MTG Card versions
Ivory Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Conclave Phalanx - MTG Card versions
Veteran Bodyguard - Limited Edition Beta (LEB)
Rashida Scalebane - Mirage (MIR)
Avenging Angel - Tempest (TMP)
Lancers en-Kor - Stronghold (STH)
Radiant, Archangel - Urza's Legacy (ULG)
Master Healer - Urza's Destiny (UDS)
Angel of Mercy - The List (PLST)
Serra Angel - Commander Anthology (CMA)
Border Patrol - Judgment (JUD)
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)
Sigardian Savior - Innistrad: Midnight Hunt (MID)
Celestial Gatekeeper - Legions (LGN)
Collector Protector - Unhinged (UNH)
Kiyomaro, First to Stand - Saviors of Kamigawa Promos (PSOK)
Belfry Spirit - Guildpact (GPT)
Petra Sphinx - Masters Edition (ME1)
Barrenton Medic - Shadowmoor (SHM)
Ivory Gargoyle - Masters Edition II (ME2)
Shu Elite Companions - Masters Edition III (ME3)
Conclave Phalanx - Duel Decks: Elspeth vs. Tezzeret (DDF)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Hixus, Prison Warden MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Magic Origins Promos, 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 Hixus, Prison Warden and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Hixus, Prison Warden Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2015-07-17 and 2015-07-17. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 575842015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
22015-07-17Magic Origins PromosPORI 192015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
32015-07-17Magic Origins PromosPORI 19s2015normalblackChris Rallis
42015-07-17Magic OriginsORI 192015normalblackChris Rallis

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Hixus, Prison Warden has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PioneerLegal
PennyLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2015-06-22 Auras attached to the exiled creatures will be put into their owners’ graveyards. Equipment attached to the exiled creatures will become unattached and remain on the battlefield. Any counters on the exiled creatures will cease to exist.
2015-06-22 Hixus’s ability causes a zone change with a duration, a style of ability that’s somewhat reminiscent of older cards like Oblivion Ring. However, unlike Oblivion Ring, cards like Hixus have a single ability that creates two one-shot effects: one that exiles the creature when the ability resolves, and another that returns the exiled card to the battlefield immediately after Hixus leaves the battlefield.
2015-06-22 If Hixus leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, the creature that dealt combat damage to you won’t be exiled.
2015-06-22 If a creature token is exiled, it ceases to exist. It won’t be returned to the battlefield.
2015-06-22 In a multiplayer game, if Hixus’s owner leaves the game, the exiled cards will return to the battlefield. Because the one-shot effect that returns the cards isn’t an ability that goes on the stack, it won’t cease to exist along with the leaving player’s spells and abilities on the stack.
2015-06-22 The exiled cards return to the battlefield immediately after Hixus leaves the battlefield. Nothing happens between the two events, including state-based actions.

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