Warren Pilferers MTG Card
2007-10-12 - Number 146
2013-06-07 - Number 103
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 5 |
| Rarity | Common |
| Type | Creature — Goblin Rogue |
| Power | 3 |
| Toughness | 3 |
Key Takeaways
- Brings card advantage by returning key creatures from graveyard to hand for ongoing gameplay impact.
- While versatile in black decks, specific mana requirements can limit use in multicolor strategies.
- Graveyard interaction makes it a valuable component against control decks in resource-heavy matches.
Text of card
When Warren Pilferers comes into play, return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand. If that card is a Goblin card, Warren Pilferers gains haste until end of turn.
"What do they need all this stuff for? They're dead. We're alive. Simple enough."
Card Pros
Card Advantage: Warren Pilferers offers a unique opportunity to return a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, potentially giving you a second use of a valuable asset.
Resource Acceleration: While not directly impacting your mana pool, by reclaiming previously played creatures, Warren Pilferers effectively serves as resource acceleration, ensuring your hand remains stocked.
Instant Speed: Although Warren Pilferers operates at sorcery speed, its interaction with instant-speed cards can be strategic, especially when reclaiming creatures with flash or abilities that can be activated at any time.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: While the Warren Pilferers can provide value by returning a creature card from your graveyard to your hand, it comes without a direct discard trade-off. However, playing it without exploiting this feature may sometimes feel like a missed opportunity, especially if your strategy relies on cyclically using your graveyard’s resources.
Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost to summon the Warren Pilferers includes both generic and black mana, necessitating a solid black mana base. This can sometimes create constraints in multicolored decks that may not be able to consistently generate the required black mana early on or in games where your mana sources are disrupted.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including two black, the Warren Pilferers’ ability to retrieve a creature card upon entering the battlefield might be outpaced by lower-cost alternatives. In environments where tempo plays a crucial role, the mana spent on the Pilferers could potentially be allocated to more impactful plays, such as developing the board or interacting with the opponent.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Warren Pilferers boasts a flexible nature that allows it to be included in a variety of black-based decks. Its ability to return a card from your graveyard to your hand gives it a role in strategies focusing on recycling valuable creatures or other key cards.
Combo Potential: The consistent return-to-hand effect of Warren Pilferers can be the linchpin in combos, providing recurring synergies with cards that have enter-the-battlefield triggers or sacrificing mechanics for consistent value and advantage.
Meta-Relevance: In a game where graveyard interaction and recurring resources are crucial, Warren Pilferers can shine. With its solid body and fundamental recovery ability, it can be especially relevant against control matchups where attrition and resource regeneration is key.
How to beat
Warren Pilferers is a creature card with a nuanced role in the MTG landscape. Much like other cards that allow players to retrieve creatures from their graveyard, Warren Pilferers presents a challenge by potentially bringing back key creatures to the opponent’s hand. Such recursion abilities, while invaluable, can be mitigated. Here lies the strategy in overcoming the advantage it offers: graveyard disruption.
To effectively counter the Warren Pilferers’ ability, focus on cards that exile or shuffle the opponent’s graveyard into their library. Graveyard hate cards like Rest in Peace or Scavenging Ooze can prevent the Pilferers from having any targets to retrieve. Alternatively, quick removal in response to the Pilferers being cast ensures that the enter the battlefield ability is wasted. Lastly, tempo plays that deny the opponent the opportunity to make the most of their returned creature ensure you maintain control of the game state.
By anticipating and disrupting the graveyard strategies, specifically targeting the key synergies that Warren Pilferers is set to exploit, you can maintain the upper hand. Strategic sideboarding and timely responses are your best tools to mitigate the impact of this particular threat and secure your victory in the match.
Cards like Warren Pilferers
Warren Pilferers holds an interesting position among creature cards with returning abilities in Magic: The Gathering. This creature offers a key advantage by allowing players to retrieve another creature card from their graveyard to their hand upon entering the battlefield. It mirrors the utility seen in cards like Gravedigger, a classic choice for graveyard retrieval. Both cards have the same casting cost and power/toughness ratio, and they both allow you to recuperate from losses on the battlefield.
Comparatively, Cadaver Imp presents a slightly different option. While it too returns a creature from graveyard to hand, its lower casting cost and flying ability offer a different strategic angle. However, Warren Pilferers gains an edge with its higher toughness, able to withstand damage that might take down the Imp. There’s also the powerful Pit Keeper, which requires having a minimum number of creature cards in your graveyard to activate its ability, whereas Warren Pilferers lacks this precondition, making it a more reliable option in various game situations.
All in all, Warren Pilferers stands out for its reliable and unconditional creature retrieval. An essential for players looking to maximize graveyard interactions, this card ensures continuity and preserves valuable creature resources in prolonged matches.
Cards similar to Warren Pilferers by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Warren Pilferers MTG card by a specific set like Lorwyn and Modern Masters, 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 Warren Pilferers and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Warren Pilferers Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2007-10-12 and 2013-06-07. Illustrated by Wayne Reynolds.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007-10-12 | Lorwyn | LRW | 146 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds | |
| 2 | 2013-06-07 | Modern Masters | MMA | 103 | 2003 | Normal | Black | Wayne Reynolds |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Warren Pilferers has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Paupercommander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Pauper | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Predh | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Warren Pilferers card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2007-10-01 | If the card is an illegla target as the ability resolves, the ability won’t resolve and none of its effects will happen. Warren Pilferers won’t gain haste. |
| 2007-10-01 | The ability checks whether the targeted card is a Goblin when the ability resolves. |
