Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham MTG Card
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 4 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Instant — Adventure |
| Released | 2023-10-10 |
| Set symbol | |
| Set name | Alchemy: Wilds of Eldraine |
| Set code | YWOE |
| Number | 23 |
| Frame | 2015 |
| Layout | Adventure |
| Border | Black |
| Illustred by | Warren Mahy |
Key Takeaways
- Porcine Portent shines by offering strategic foresight, contributing to significant card advantage.
- Its instant speed allows for reactive plays, optimizing mana and disrupting opponents.
- Despite the advantages, the requirement to discard for casting can be a notable downside.
Text of card
Exile target creature. You gain 1 life for each Boar you control.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: When considering the Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham card, card advantage is an important factor. This card shines in its ability to give you insights into the upcoming turns, equipping you with vital information to make strategic decisions.
Resource Acceleration: Porcine Portent excels in its potential for resource acceleration. Its mechanics can pave the way for early deployment of powerful spells and creatures that may turn the tide of the game in your favor.
Instant Speed: The instant-speed nature of this card cannot be understated. It allows you to react swiftly to the changing battlefield. With the capability to cast at the end of your opponent’s turn or in response to their actions, it provides the opportunity to maximize your mana efficiency and keep your opponent guessing.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham requires players to discard a card as part of its casting cost. This can put players at a disadvantage, especially in tight situations where hand size is crucial for maintaining strategic options.
Specific Mana Cost: This card’s mana cost demands green color mana specifically, which can limit its flexibility in multi-colored decks. Players running a deck without sufficient green mana sources may find it challenging to cast the spell when needed.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: With its mana cost at the higher end for its effects, players may find that Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham is outclassed by other cards that achieve similar outcomes at a lower cost. This can be a setback in games where mana efficiency is key to victory.
Reasons to Include Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham in Your Collection
Versatility: Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham offers diverse applications, fitting seamlessly into creature-based decks or ones focusing on spell synergy. As a split card, it delivers two different options for game play – one side providing a sneaky surprise block, while the other can top off your resources or hand when you’re in a pinch.
Combo Potential: Its dual nature opens up numerous combo routes. For instance, Lend a Ham can aid in recovering key creatures from your graveyard, while Porcine Portent can unexpectedly disrupt your opponent’s attacks, possibly enabling favorable trades or protecting life totals during critical turns.
Meta-Relevance: In environments where games can swing with a single turn, the flexibility of Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham makes it pertinent. It can adapt to the shifting meta, either by blunting aggressive tactics with an unexpected blocker or by ensuring your hand stays resource-rich for pivotal plays.
How to beat
Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham is a quirky and versatile card beloved by fans of Magic: The Gathering. Its ability to foresee what’s coming—literally flipping a card to potentially transform piglets into a sudden burst of resources—is a unique mechanic. However, every card has its kryptonite. The key to outmaneuvering Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham lies in denying its predictive power. Cards like Thoughtseize, which allows you to pluck a card directly from your opponent’s hand, disrupts their game plan effectively.
Deck manipulation also plays a critical role. By using cards like Tasha’s Hideous Laughter or Mill mechanics, players can strategically deplete an opponent’s library, rendering Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham less effective as desired cards might end up in the graveyard. Alternatively, instant-speed removal or counterspells that target the resulting tokens or prevent the spell from resolving will undoubtedly hamper the ham’s advantage. This assures that Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham’s potential remains capped, keeping your opponent’s barnyard dreams in check.
Strategizing against these porcine predictions requires awareness and the right countermeasures. With the correct approach, this whimsical card’s capabilities can be significantly diminished, safeguarding your path to victory.
Cards like Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham
Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham enters the realm of MTG as an intriguing modal double-faced card rich with whimsical charm and strategic versatility. It reminds seasoned players of other modal cards such as Commit // Memory, which offers flexibility in response to evolving game scenarios. However, Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham has a distinct edge with its dual utility – both sides usable based on the player’s current needs.
Comparatively, we find strategic analogy with cards like Kazuul’s Fury // Kazuul’s Cliffs, which can be played either as a land or as a spell. The ability to offer two options within a single card slot makes these cards valuable for maintaining a dynamic game plan. Porcine Portent, with its creature-buffing capability, contrasts with Kazuul’s Fury that functions as removal or a finisher. Flip cards like these diversify one’s deck without increasing card count.
Assessing the place Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham holds in the game, it becomes clear it has a distinct appeal. With a blend of humor and flexible utility, it’s a card that could find its way into many casual decks looking to spice up their game both in form and function.
Cards similar to Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham by color, type and mana cost
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham MTG card by a specific set like Alchemy: Wilds of Eldraine, 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 Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham 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
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Porcine Portent // Lend a Ham has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Alchemy | Legal |
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |