Polyraptor MTG Card


Polyraptor excels in creating multiple copies of itself, offering a significant advantage in creature numbers. It has combo potential with damage-dealing cards, allowing for rapid, mana-efficient army expansion. Triggering Polyrapton’s effect at instant speed can surprise opponents, increasing your creatures unexpectedly.
Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost8
RarityMythic
TypeCreature — Dinosaur
Abilities Enrage
Power 5
Toughness 5

Text of card

Enrage — Whenever Polyraptor is dealt damage, create a token that's a copy of Polyraptor.

An innumerable pack is concealed in a single reflection.


Cards like Polyraptor

Polyraptor is a distinctive creature in Magic the Gathering, renowned for its ability to clone itself upon taking damage. A card with similar traits would be Broodbirth Viper, known for creating token copies through combat. While both cards amplify your creature presence, Polyrapton distinguishes itself by its synergy with enrage mechanics and potential for exponential growth, particularly when combined with effects that deal damage to all creatures. It’s notable that Broodbirth Viper offers a more controlled token generation, as it creates a clone only during combat.

Precursor Golem is another counterpart, yielding additional golems when entering the battlefield. Though this card can expand your board quickly, it lacks the recursive clone potential inherent to Polyrapton. The golem tokens also share vulnerability to any spell targeting one, making Polyrapton’s individual tokens inherently less risky to board wipes. With the rise of Polyrapton decks and their combo potentials, this card carves a unique position in the MTG meta for those looking to exploit infinite creature combos.

Polyrapton, amidst similar cards, shines in its unique ability to create a self-sustaining army, making it an interesting choice for players who enjoy combining pings and damage buffs to achieve a formidable board state.

Broodbirth Viper - MTG Card versions
Precursor Golem - MTG Card versions
Broodbirth Viper - MTG Card versions
Precursor Golem - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Polyraptor creates a duplicate of itself whenever it is dealt damage, potentially leading to a field full of formidable dinosaurs. This replicating ability can quickly tip the scales in your favor, ensuring that you never run out of creatures to command on the battlefield.

Resource Acceleration: By combining Polyraptor with cards that deal damage to all creatures, you can accelerate the creation of a massive dinosaur army. This synergy effectively multiplies your board presence without the need to invest additional mana into casting more creatures.

Instant Speed: While Polyraptor itself isn’t an instant, the creature’s multiplying effect can be triggered at instant speed through spells or abilities that cause damage during your opponent’s turn. This keeps opponents on their toes, as any damage can result in an unexpected surge in your creature count.


Card Cons

Specific Mana Cost: Polyraptor demands a specific blend of mana, including two green and six other mana sources. This can limit deck-building flexibility and slows down your ability to cast it in the early stages of the game.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With an eight-mana cost, Polyraptor is on the higher end of the mana spectrum. This makes it a late-game play, potentially too slow against fast-paced decks that aim to win before you can stabilize and cast it.

Discard Requirement: Although Polyraptor itself does not have a discard requirement, the need for potent synergies to optimize its value can compel players to include other cards that might cause discards. This can lead to card disadvantage if not managed carefully.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Polyraptor boasts adaptability in various deck builds, from dino-centric themes to those focusing on creatures with enrage mechanics, enhancing its playability across multiple strategies.

Combo Potential: The card can create an endless loop of tokens with the right setup, such as having a damage enabler on the board. This interaction can be a game-changer and offers interesting synergies within a deck.

Meta-Relevance: In a meta where board wipes and creature control are prevalent, Polyraptor can provide resilience against those strategies, making it a valuable asset in specific meta environments.


How to beat

Overcoming a Polyraptor on the battlefield is a unique challenge due to its ability to multiply. This eight-mana Dinosaur from the Ixalan expansion can quickly overwhelm opponents once it starts replicating through damage. It is crucial when facing down this formidable creature to have removal spells ready that can exile or directly send it to the graveyard without inflicting damage. Cards with effects like “Path to Exile,” “Swords to Plowshares,” or “Ashes to Ashes” can be effective tools. Counterspells, such as “Cancel” or “Mana Leak,” are also effective when used as the Polyraptor spell is cast—preventing it from entering the field altogether.

Board wipes that don’t deal damage but rather destroy or exile creatures can clear multiple Polyraptors at once. “Wrath of God” or “Merciless Eviction” become prime choices as they can reset the board state regardless of how many Polyraptors have been generated. Additionally, preventing the combo enablers that often pair with Polyraptor, such as “Forerunner of the Empire” or “Marauding Raptor,” from resolving can nip the problem in the bud before the replication process even starts. Assessing the situation and employing the right strategy promptly will ensure that this prehistoric peril does not spiral out of control.


BurnMana Recommendations

As a diligent MTG strategist, understanding the Polyraptor’s capabilities is a masterstroke for outwitting adversaries. Revel in the thrill of fielding an ever-expanding army of dinosaurs, each instance of damage to Polyraptor a chance to amp up your board presence. Still, this formidable creature also demands a careful consideration of mana resources and synergies for its cost to truly pay off. Don’t let its cons discourage you; the right game plan can turn this prehistoric powerhouse into an unstoppable force. Embrace the potential and build a deck that turns every match into an exhibit of strategic finesse and raw power. Ready to command these clonal colossi? Visit us to learn more and let Polyraptor eclipse the battlefield with its primeval might.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Polyraptor MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Secret Lair Drop, 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 Polyraptor and other MTG cards:

TCGPlayerBUY NOW
BurnMana is an official partner of TCGPlayer
Continue exploring other sealed products in Amazon
See MTG Products

Printings

The Polyraptor Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2023-11-17. Illustrated by 4 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12018-01-19Rivals of IxalanRIX 1442015NormalBlackMark Behm
22019-12-02Secret Lair DropSLD 13912015NormalBorderlessDan Mumford & Thomas Roach
32023-11-17Special GuestsSPG 122015NormalBorderlessYeong-Hao Han

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Polyraptor 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 Polyraptor card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2018-01-19 If Polyraptor leaves the battlefield before its triggered ability resolves, most likely because it was dealt lethal damage, the token will still enter the battlefield as a copy of Polyraptor, using Polyraptor’s copiable values from when it was last on the battlefield.
2018-01-19 If lethal damage is dealt to a creature with an enrage ability, that ability triggers. The creature with that enrage ability leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, so it won’t be affected by the resolving ability.
2018-01-19 If multiple sources deal damage to a creature with an enrage ability at the same time, most likely because multiple creatures blocked that creature, the enrage ability triggers only once.
2018-01-19 The token will have Polyraptor’s ability. It will also be able to create copies of itself.
2018-01-19 The token won’t copy counters or damage marked on Polyraptor, nor will it copy other effects that have changed Polyraptor’s power, toughness, types, color, or so on. Normally, this means the token will simply be a Polyraptor. But if any copy effects have affected that Polyraptor, they’re taken into account.