Plague Reaver MTG Card

Card Pros

Card Advantage: The Plague Reaver offers a strategic edge by enabling players to exchange excess creatures for new cards. This can dramatically swing the momentum in your favor by refilling your hand with more options to address the evolving battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: This formidable creature can quickly escalate game dynamics by giving you the ability to sacrifice other creatures. This action can synergize with various card effects that activate upon a creature dying, potentially accelerating your board presence or generating additional value as the game progresses.

Instant Speed: The Plague Reaver’s ability to be played at instant speed adds a layer of tactical depth. You can effectively adjust your strategy in response to your opponents’ moves, making the Reaver a flexible and surprising element during crucial game moments. This instant speed utility ensures that your gameplay remains adaptable and unpredictable.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Plague Reaver forces you to discard two cards at the beginning of your end step if it caused damage that turn. This can quickly deplete your hand, especially if you can’t mitigate the discard through other means.

Specific Mana Cost: Plague Reaver’s casting cost is quite specific, requiring one black and two generic mana which can be a hurdle for multicolored decks that don’t focus heavily on black mana. It may not fit smoothly into all strategies due to this limitation.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of three mana, Plague Reaver may come across as a steep investment in the early game, particularly when compared to other creatures at similar or lower mana costs that don’t come with a mandatory discard downside.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Plague Reaver offers flexibility in deck building, as it can be a key piece in decks focused on creature sacrifice or reanimation strategies, potentially providing a significant advantage when placed in the right build.

Combo Potential: This card has the potential to power up various combos, especially those revolving around sacrificing creatures for value or utilizing the graveyard as a resource, making it a potent enabler in combo-centric decks.

Meta-Relevance: In environments where creature-heavy decks dominate, Plague Reaver can act as both a formidable threat and a way to disrupt opponent strategies, keeping it relevant and useful within the ever-evolving MTG meta.

How to Beat

Plague Reaver is an intriguing creature card that can profoundly influence the battlefield in MTG. It boasts substantial power and toughness, making it a formidable opponent. When encountering this beast, remember its unique ability that allows its controller to pass it onto an opponent by sacrificing two other creatures. To outmaneuver Plague Reaver, smart use of removal spells is key. Cards like Swords to Plowshares or Path to Exile can remove it from the game before its ability becomes a problem. Additionally, effects that force your opponent to sacrifice creatures can drastically diminish the impact of Plague Reaver before it’s passed to your side of the field.

Another strategy is to maintain control over your creature count. By limiting the number of creatures you have on the board, you ensure that should Plague Reaver become your burden, you’ll have fewer sacrifices to contemplate. Cards that can bounce Plague Reaver back to its owner’s hand, such as Unsummon or Brazen Borrower, also provide a temporary but effective solution. Ultimately, having a plan to deal with big threats like this is essential for victory. Keep your removal ready and remember that outlasting the Reaver is a viable strategy in itself.

BurnMana Recommendations

The Plague Reaver is a card that demands respect for its potential to sculpt the battlefield to your advantage. With its strategic depth, it can lead to significant card advantage and resource acceleration, pivotal in outpacing your opponent. Its instant speed allows for unpredictable plays, fitting snugly into decks built around creature sacrifice or reanimation strategies. However, its power comes with caveats—discarding cards and a specific mana cost that may not align with every deck’s strategy. Savvy players can leverage its strengths and navigate its weaknesses for a substantial payoff in MTG. Dive deeper with us into maximizing Plague Reaver’s potential within your collection.