Forest Bear MTG Card


Forest Bear - Portal Three Kingdoms
Mana cost
Converted mana cost2
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Bear
Released1999-05-01
Set symbol
Set namePortal Three Kingdoms
Set codePTK
Power 2
Toughness 2
Number135
Frame1997
Layoutnormal
Borderwhite
Illustred byWang Yuqun

Key Takeaways

  1. Forest Bear offers card draw advantage when Forests are tapped, keeping your hand full.
  2. Mana acceleration from Forest synergies make powerful plays possible earlier in the game.
  3. Pairing with instant speed cards, the Bear becomes an unexpected and potent force.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Forest Bear’s entry into the battlefield, its ability to potentially draw a card when a Forest is tapped keeps your hand replenished, ensuring you won’t fall behind in the match.

Resource Acceleration: This creature could play a key role in ramping up your mana reserves. By utilizing Forests for more than just mana, it helps accelerate your resources and enable powerful plays earlier than usual.

Instant Speed: Forest Bear might not be an instant itself, but it pairs well with cards that you can play at instant speed. Its synergy with the land, especially if you can untap a Forest on your opponent’s turn, can be unexpected and potent.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Playing the Forest Bear card comes with the stipulation that you must discard another card. When cards are at a premium, losing a potential resource could put you at a strategic disadvantage, hindering your ability to respond to the evolving battlefield.

Specific Mana Cost: Summoning the Forest Bear necessitates a specific combination of green mana. This requirement can present a challenge in multi-colored decks where mana diversity is crucial, potentially limiting its inclusion to mono-green or heavily green-focused builds.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The casting cost for a Forest Bear might be seen as excessive when compared to other creatures with similar stats or abilities. Savvy players often seek out creatures that offer a more optimal balance of impact to mana expenditure, making it essential to evaluate the opportunity cost of including this card in your deck.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Forest Bear is a solid creature that can seamlessly adapt to a multitude of deck styles. Its natural habitat in green decks makes it a reliable inclusion for strategies emphasizing creature growth and board presence.

Combo Potential: With Forest Bear, you unlock several combos thanks to its creature type and abilities. It can partner with cards that favor bears or forest-related synergies, enhancing your strategy and amplifying its effects on the battlefield.

Meta-Relevance: As the meta shifts towards creature-based tactics or decks that value cost-efficient creatures, Forest Bear stands out. Its presence in a deck can counter these common strategies, making it a tactical inclusion against prevalent decks in the current gaming landscape.


How to beat

The Forest Bear is a creature card many players might overlook at first glance. However, in the realm of creature dynamics, underrating the simplicity of this card could be a misstep. Its presence on the field, often in decks that emphasize on green’s innate connection to nature and creature strength, hints at a strategy that favors prosperous creature development.

To counter Forest Bear effectively, you’ll want to consider cards that neutralize creature advantages or that can bypass creature-based defenses. Spot removal spells are an efficient way to handle individual creatures. Options include Path to Exile or Rapid Hybridization, offering swift and budget-friendly solutions to remove threats like Forest Bear. Board wipes such as Wrath of God can reset the playing field if you’re facing multiple creatures. Ensnaring creature abilities and using cards with deathtouch, such as Typhoid Rats, can also halt the Bear’s utility in combat.

Strategically, keeping the Bear from providing value for too long is key. By understanding the ebb and flow of creature-based strategies, employing both reactive and preventive measures in your gameplay, you’ll minimize the impact of cards like Forest Bear and maintain the upper hand in your matches.


Cards like Forest Bear

The Forest Bear from MTG presents a basic yet reliable creature card with a presence in green decks. Its similarities align closely with Grizzly Bears, an iconic creature card offering the same mana cost and stats. Both carry a simple 2/2 body for two mana, fitting comfortably into the curve of many decks that prioritize early field presence.

Comparing it further, Balduvian Bears also mirrors the Forest Bear in terms of cost and power. However, Forest Bear often is chosen for thematic deck builds, particularly those that resonate with nature and wildlife themes. Albino Bear is another similar card with the same stats, but it comes with a unique flavor that might appeal to a distinct player base. While these bears share the efficiency of being cost-effective creatures, the choice between them often boils down to personal preference and deck theme rather than strategic advantage.

Identifying the perfect bear for your deck involves analyzing your strategy and theme. The Forest Bear slots in effortlessly for those seeking a basic, no-frills addition to their creature lineup while tapping into the aesthetics of a woodland army.

Grizzly Bears - MTG Card versions
Balduvian Bears - MTG Card versions
Grizzly Bears - Limited Edition Alpha (LEA)
Balduvian Bears - Ice Age (ICE)

Cards similar to Forest Bear by color, type and mana cost

Wyluli Wolf - MTG Card versions
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River Boa - MTG Card versions
Albino Troll - MTG Card versions
Silverglade Pathfinder - MTG Card versions
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Blurred Mongoose - MTG Card versions
Llanowar Loamspeaker - MTG Card versions
Genesis Hydra - MTG Card versions
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - MTG Card versions
Scavenging Ooze - MTG Card versions
Heir of the Wilds - MTG Card versions
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - MTG Card versions
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Bloodline Shaman - MTG Card versions
Sakura-Tribe Elder - MTG Card versions
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Wyluli Wolf - Arabian Nights (ARN)
Whirling Dervish - Pro Tour Collector Set (PTC)
River Boa - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Albino Troll - World Championship Decks 1999 (WC99)
Silverglade Pathfinder - Mercadian Masques (MMQ)
Quirion Elves - Duel Decks: Phyrexia vs. the Coalition (DDE)
Blurred Mongoose - Invasion (INV)
Llanowar Loamspeaker - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Genesis Hydra - Iconic Masters (IMA)
Jolrael, Mwonvuli Recluse - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Scavenging Ooze - Modern Masters 2017 (MM3)
Heir of the Wilds - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Mayor of Avabruck // Howlpack Alpha - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Wren's Run Vanquisher - Magic Online Promos (PRM)
Muscle Sliver - Secret Lair Drop (SLD)
Utopia Tree - Ninth Edition (9ED)
Bloodline Shaman - Salvat 2005 (PSAL)
Sakura-Tribe Elder - Junior APAC Series (PJAS)
Oran-Rief Survivalist - Zendikar (ZEN)
Vine Trellis - Duel Decks: Garruk vs. Liliana (DDD)

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Forest Bear MTG card by a specific set like Portal Three Kingdoms, 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 Forest Bear and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Forest Bear has restrictions

FormatLegality
CommanderLegal
LegacyLegal
PaupercommanderLegal
OathbreakerLegal
PauperLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
PredhLegal

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