Thunder of Hooves MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Sorcery
Released	2002-10-07
Set symbol
Set name	Onslaught
Set code	ONS
Number	242
Frame	1997
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Jim Nelson

Key Takeaways

Instantly boosts board presence and can surprise opponents during combat or at key moments.
Requires careful hand management due to discard needs and specific mana costs.
Valuable in beast-heavy or token-generating decks, enhancing combat damage effectively.

Text of card

Thunder of Hooves deals X damage to each creature without flying and each player, where X is the number of Beasts in play.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Thunder of Hooves brings the potential for a significant boost in board presence, granting you a surge of creature tokens that can overwhelm your opponent and turn the tides in your favor. It helps build up your army, which is a key element to maintaining dominance in a match.

Resource Acceleration: While not directly providing mana resources, Thunder of Hooves acts as a force multiplier on the battlefield. By rapidly increasing your creature count, it effectively speeds up your game plan and allows you to leverage a larger force without having to commit multiple cards from your hand individually.

Instant Speed: The capability of casting Thunder of Hooves at instant speed offers strategic flexibility. It can be a game-changer during combat or at the end of your opponent’s turn, catching them off-guard. This allows you to maximize the impact of your plays while keeping the element of surprise on your side.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Thunder of Hooves demands that you discard a card to unleash its full potential. This can sometimes backfire, especially if your hand is already stretched thin, and you’re forced to let go of crucial strategy pieces.

Specific Mana Cost: The mana cost for Thunder of Hooves includes distinctly colored mana, which may restrict its synergy with multi-color decks. If your mana base isn’t perfectly tuned, you might find yourself unable to cast it at a critical moment.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: When you take into account that Thunder of Hooves costs a significant amount of mana to play, it’s vital to weigh it against other cards with similar effects. There may be alternatives that accomplish the same goals but at a lower cost, leaving you more flexibility to play other spells in your turn.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Thunder of Hooves is a card that performs exceptionally well in decks that are designed to summon a large number of creatures. Its ability to boost the power of your creatures based on the count of Beasts you control can be a game-changer in turning a stable board presence into a decisive assault.

Combo Potential: This card shines in combo scenarios, particularly in decks that proliferate tokens or rely heavily on the synergy with Beast-type creatures. Its area effect can swiftly amplify the damage dealt in a turn, particularly when combined with cards that also benefit from the number of creatures you control.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-heavy decks prevail, Thunder of Hooves can be a strategic addition. It has the potential to turn the tide of battle in your favor, especially if your deck is built to maintain a steady flow of Beasts onto the battlefield. Moreover, its ability to give your creatures an unexpected burst of power makes it relevant in matchups against other creature-based strategies.

How to beat

The Thunder of Hooves card is an exhilarating card for players aiming to ramp up the power of their creature-based strategies in Magic: The Gathering. Commanding attention in games, it strengthens the board presence by bolstering creatures based on the number of beasts you control. While it can quickly swing games in your favor, strategically managing this card is crucial for opponents seeking to maintain control of the battlefield.

To effectively counteract Thunder of Hooves’ impact, it’s essential to control the number of beasts on your opponent’s side. Employing removal spells that can handle multiple creatures, such as Wraths or board wipes, can significantly reduce the potency of Thunder of Hooves. Spot removal, though often less efficient, can still disrupt early build-up, mitigating the potential surge of power it offers. Interrupting your opponent’s creature engine ensures Thunder of Hooves loses its momentum and thus protects your chances of victory.

Hence, when confronted with Thunder of Hooves, focus on diminishing your opponent’s creature base and maintaining board control. With tactical forethought and well-timed interventions, overcoming the thunderous powerhouse this card presents is undoubtedly within reach.

Cards like Thunder of Hooves

In the dynamic world of Magic: The Gathering, Thunder of Hooves stands as a remarkable red spell that shines among creature-based strategies. Analogous to Thunder of Hooves, we have Overrun, which provides creatures with a significant power boost and trample until end of turn. While Overrun strictly benefits green creature swarms, Thunder of Hooves affects all creatures you control, combining both a power boost and direct damage to opponents based on the number of creatures galloping under your banner.

Then there’s Trumpet Blast, a lower cost alternative that offers an attack phase advantage by giving attacking creatures a smaller power boost. It lacks the direct damage component present in Thunder of Hooves but compensates with a more mana-friendly casting cost. Another card that mirrors a portion of Thunder of Hooves’ impact is Coat of Arms. While Coat of Arms provides a permanent power and toughness increase for each creature of the same type, it doesn’t offer the burst damage potential that making Thunder of Hooves powerful in creature-heavy decks.

Evaluating them side by side, Thunder of Hooves encapsulates the essence of red’s aggressive style, offering not only a formidable army bolster but also a swift impact on an opponent’s life total, serving as both force multiplier and finisher in creature-focused decks.

Cards similar to Thunder of Hooves by color, type and mana cost

Draconic Intervention - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Thunder of Hooves MTG card by a specific set like Onslaught, 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 Thunder of Hooves and other MTG cards: