Thalia, Heretic Cathar MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost3
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Human Soldier
Abilities First strike
Power 3
Toughness 2

Key Takeaways

  1. Thalia disrupts opponents by making their creatures and lands enter tapped, offering strategic card advantage.
  2. Low cost and instant impact of Thalia’s presence allows for tempo control in various stages of the game.
  3. While Thalia adds value, her specific mana cost and discard requirement may limit deck integration flexibility.

Text of card

First strike Creatures and nonbasic lands your opponents control enter the battlefield tapped.

"Salvation will not be granted by the Lunarch Council. It must be earned—at the edge of a sword, if necessary."


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thalia, Heretic Cathar deals with off-set card parity by impacting the opponent’s rhythm of play. She forces opposing creatures and non-basic lands to enter the battlefield tapped, in essence slowing down their game and strategically offering the player a card advantage.

Resource Acceleration: As a low-cost creature at just three CMC; two colorless and one white, Thalia, Heretic Cathar, scales well with the game pace. Her abilities remain relevant throughout all stages, functioning as a resource ripple that can tip the balance in your favor.

Instant Speed: While Thalia, Heretic Cathar isn’t an instant, her effect impacts the battlefield immediately upon her presence. Simulating an instant effect, she disrupts the opponent’s plans, and puts them on a back foot, allowing you to dictate the tempo of the game.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thalia, Heretic Cathar comes with a drawback that can cost players significant resources. Using this card means you’ll have to let go of another card in your deck, a move that could prove detrimental especially if you’re already struggling with a thinning stack.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost may pose another major hindrance. Its cost includes a specific white mana, limiting its usability to decks that favor this particular color. If your deck isn’t constructed around this, you might find her inclusion somewhat restrictive.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Lastly, the mana cost of Thalia, Heretic Cathar is notably high. With three mana needed, there are alternatives in the realm of MTG that might provide more cost-effective disruption or creature control. So, consider your options carefully before committing to this card.


Reasons to Include Thalia Heretic Cathar in Your Collection

Versatility: Thalia Heretic Cathar’s ability to slow down your opponent is beneficial in a variety of decks, especially ones focused on tempo and control. This card’s power to restrict opponents to having their creatures and nonbasic lands enter the battlefield tapped can disrupt strategies and provide an essential edge.

Combo Potential: The unique attribute of Thalia Heretic Cathar perfectly synergizes with cards that exploit the opponent’s tapped permanents. This combo potential fosters a multitude of possibilities generating tactics that emphasize on tapped or non-untapping abilities.

Meta-Relevance: Meshing well into the meta game of MTG, Thalia Heretic Cathar excels against decks reliant on hasty creatures or those leveraging lands’ abilities by entering untapped. A card capable of inhibiting those strategies could be a formidable weapon in the current meta.


How to Beat

Contrasting an impressive addition to the list of creature cards, Thalia Heretic Cathar in Magic: The Gathering is comparable to cards such as Harbinger of Night. Thalia markedly exudes game tactics with its ability to cause opponents’ creatures and nonbasic lands to enter the battlefield tapped. Harbinger of Night, conversely, doesn’t carry this function yet it triggers a minus one to all creatures at every upkeep. Neither does it grant first strike power, unlike Thalia.

In a similar thread, we stumble upon Archfiend of Ifnir who, much like Thalia, riots the battlefield but operates under different conditions. Archfiend requires one to discard or cycle a card, applying a minus one to opponent creatures. However, Archfiend’s strategy is drawn out whereas Thalia is straight-cut, causing the opponents’ defences to drop immediately.

To round off, when considering counter-play actions while assessing the value of different counter cards, Thalia Heretic Cathar makes for a potent adversary in Magic: The Gathering. Keeping the elements in control is crucial. Hence, strategizing against such a card’s strength with the smart play of creatures spells the difference in turning the tide of battle.


BurnMana Recommendations

Dive into the tactical depths of MTG with a card that can shape the battlefield to your favor. Thalia, Heretic Cathar, is not just a card but an avenue to strategic supremacy. She disrupts opponents and gives you the subtle edge needed for victory. Considering her advantages and her potential drawbacks, this card demands a nuanced approach in deck construction and play style. Whether you’re fine-tuning a control deck or just looking for that key piece to round out your strategies, Thalia can be your linchpin. Discover more insights, deck-building tips, and how to maximize Thalia’s powerful abilities for your next match. Join us to delve deeper and conquer the MTG arena with confidence.


Cards like Thalia, Heretic Cathar

Thalia, Heretic Cathar finds a unique place among white creature cards in Magic: The Gathering. She’s akin to Imposing Sovereign; both disrupt opponents’ game strategies by making their creatures enter the battlefield tapped. Nevertheless, Thalia goes a step further to include nonbasic lands, offering a greater degree of control.

Similarly, we see Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, another rendition of Thalia. She too causes disruption, in her case by increasing the cost of noncreature spells, making her especially useful against control or combo decks. However, her ability does not affect the battlefield’s pace like her Heretic Cathar counterpart.

Next, consider Leonin Arbiter. This card also meddles with opponents, but its effect is on searching libraries, a slightly different flavor of game interference than Thalia, Heretic Cathar’s.

In summary, Thalia, Heretic Cathar is a truly valuable card, enhancing the subtleties of game control in Magic: The Gathering. Her exceptional attributes outshine many other disrupting cards, thanks to her extensive influence over both creatures and nonbasic lands arrivals.

Imposing Sovereign - MTG Card versions
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - MTG Card versions
Leonin Arbiter - MTG Card versions
Imposing Sovereign - Magic 2014 (M14)
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - Dark Ascension (DKA)
Leonin Arbiter - Scars of Mirrodin (SOM)

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Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thalia, Heretic Cathar MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and Eldritch Moon 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 Thalia, Heretic Cathar and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Thalia, Heretic Cathar Magic the Gathering card was released in 5 different sets between 2016-07-22 and 2023-03-21. Illustrated by 3 different artists.

#ReleaseNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 615452015normalblackJohannes Voss
22016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 462015normalblackJohannes Voss
32016-07-22Eldritch Moon PromosPEMN 46s2015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
42016-07-22Eldritch MoonEMN 462015normalblackMagali Villeneuve
52022-11-02Secret Lair 30th Anniversary Countdown KitSLC 20162015normalborderlessRosemary Valero-O'Connell
62023-03-21Shadows over Innistrad RemasteredSIR 492015normalblackMagali Villeneuve

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Thalia, Heretic Cathar has restrictions

FormatLegality
HistoricbrawlLegal
CommanderLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
ModernLegal
OathbreakerLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
GladiatorLegal
PioneerLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

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

DateText
2016-07-13 If Thalia enters the battlefield at the same time as an opponent’s creatures or nonbasic lands, those creatures and lands aren’t affected by Thalia’s last ability.
2016-07-13 If an effect states that a creature or land enters the battlefield tapped unless a condition is met, Thalia’s last ability has it enter tapped even if that condition is true. For example, your opponent may reveal a Plains while playing Port Town (from the Shadows over Innistrad set), but Port Town will still enter tapped.

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