Rescue Retriever MTG Card


Card setsReleased in 3 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost5
RarityRare
TypeCreature — Dog Soldier
Abilities Flash
Power 3
Toughness 3

Key Takeaways

  1. Rescue Retriever excels in card retrieval, instantly bringing back permanents to maintain match momentum.
  2. Its creature type enables synergies with graveyard and combo strategies, making it versatile.
  3. Discard cost and specific mana requirement may limit its use to certain deck builds.

Text of card

Flash When Rescue Retriever enters the battlefield, put a +1/+1 counter on each other Soldier you control. Prevent all damage that would be dealt to other attacking Soldiers you control.


Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rescue Retriever shines in its ability to bring back a key piece from the graveyard directly to your hand, maintaining your momentum in the match.

Resource Acceleration: This canine companion efficiently utilizes your mana, as its cost is well-aligned with the benefit of retrieving a valuable card without a delay, speeding up your gameplay.

Instant Speed: The true strength of Rescue Retriever lies in its instant speed, providing flexibility to respond to your opponent’s moves by recovering the perfect card at the right moment.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: In order to fully utilize Rescue Retriever’s ability, players must discard a card. This could pose a strategic setback when hand size is already diminished or when holding key cards crucial for upcoming plays.

Specific Mana Cost: Rescue Retriever requires a precise combination of mana types to cast. Its particular mana cost can be restrictive, often necessitating a dedicated deck build around these colors to ensure consistent playability.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: The rescue ability comes at a steep price. When evaluating the mana investment against the ability’s impact, some players might find the cost outweighs the benefit, especially when other cards may offer similar retrieval effects at a lower mana expenditure.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Rescue Retriever’s ability to return a permanent card from your graveyard to your hand makes it a versatile inclusion in decks that capitalize on reusing valuable resources.

Combo Potential: Its creature type and enter-the-battlefield effect allow it to synergize with strategies focused on creature-based combos or graveyard recursion, enhancing potential interactions within your deck.

Meta-Relevance: The shifting MTG landscape often sees cards with such recursion abilities gain relevance, making Rescue Retriever a potential staple in formats where permanents frequently enter and leave the battlefield.


How to Beat

Rescue Retriever is a unique card in the complex ecosystem of Magic: The Gathering, offering players a chance to return target permanent they own to their hand. This utility can disrupt strategies centered around maintaining a particular board state or capitalizing on permanent synergies. To effectively counteract this card, it is essential to employ tactics that either minimize the value of the returned permanent or strategically remove it before the Rescue Retriever’s ability can be activated.

One method is to utilize instant speed removal or exile effects on key targets, nullifying the advantage gained from returning them. This forces the Rescue Retriever’s user to either waste their resource or gain significantly less benefit from the retrieval. Another effective approach is to apply pressure with aggressive creature strategies, compelling your opponent to use their mana defensively rather than proactively with their retriever.

In essence, overcoming the challenges posed by Rescue Retriever in Magic: The Gathering involves preemptive action and disruption. With careful planning and execution, players can mitigate the impact of Rescue Retriever and maintain a strong foothold in the game.


BurnMana Recommendations

Familiarizing yourself with the intricacies of Rescue Retriever could bolster your gameplay significantly, especially if you aim to maximize your graveyard interactions. Understanding its pros, like card advantage and instant speed, alongside its cons, such as the discard requirement, helps in making well-informed deck-building decisions. Its unique traits can seamlessly integrate into your strategy, weaving new layers of depth and complexity into your matches. Keep an eagle eye on the continuously evolving MTG meta to fully leverage the potential of this versatile card. Dive deeper with us and uncover the finer points of mastering Rescue Retriever’s capabilities in your deck.


Cards like Rescue Retriever

Rescue Retriever carves out a unique niche in the realm of creature retrievals in Magic: The Gathering. It’s akin to cards like Regrowth, which allows players to recover a card from the graveyard to their hand. What makes Rescue Retriever distinct is its embodiment as a creature, granting a corporeal presence on the battlefield alongside its graveyard retrieval ability. Regrowth, while direct and without the need for a creature body, cannot offer the on-board interaction that a living card can.

Another comparable piece is Eternal Witness, a creature that similarly returns a card from the graveyard when it enters the battlefield. Eternal Witness’ versatility in reclaiming any card type gives it a broad utility, though it’s slightly costlier than Rescue Retriever. Tamiyo’s Safekeeping proposes a different approach with its protective nature and the potential to retrieve multiple cards of a particular type, but lacks the immediate board impact of a creature-based return effect.

Through the lens of utility and strategy, Rescue Retriever presents a balanced choice for players looking to add both a resurrecting mechanism and a creature’s influence in their game plan. Its dual functionality could well be appreciated in decks that value creature presence as much as strategic card recovery.

Regrowth - MTG Card versions
Eternal Witness - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo's Safekeeping - MTG Card versions
Regrowth - MTG Card versions
Eternal Witness - MTG Card versions
Tamiyo's Safekeeping - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Rescue Retriever by color, type and mana cost

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Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Conclave Phalanx - MTG Card versions
Veteran Bodyguard - MTG Card versions
Rashida Scalebane - MTG Card versions
Avenging Angel - MTG Card versions
Lancers en-Kor - MTG Card versions
Radiant, Archangel - MTG Card versions
Master Healer - MTG Card versions
Angel of Mercy - MTG Card versions
Serra Angel - MTG Card versions
Border Patrol - MTG Card versions
Enduring Angel // Angelic Enforcer - MTG Card versions
Sigardian Savior - MTG Card versions
Celestial Gatekeeper - MTG Card versions
Collector Protector - MTG Card versions
Kiyomaro, First to Stand - MTG Card versions
Belfry Spirit - MTG Card versions
Petra Sphinx - MTG Card versions
Barrenton Medic - MTG Card versions
Ivory Gargoyle - MTG Card versions
Shu Elite Companions - MTG Card versions
Conclave Phalanx - MTG Card versions

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rescue Retriever MTG card by a specific set like Magic Online Promos and The Brothers' War, 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 Rescue Retriever and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rescue Retriever Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2022-11-18 and 2022-11-18. Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12002-06-24Magic Online PromosPRM 1056162015NormalBlackJesper Ejsing
22022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 3732015NormalBlackJesper Ejsing
32022-11-18The Brothers' WarBRO 2882015NormalBlackJesper Ejsing

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rescue Retriever has restrictions

FormatLegality
StandardLegal
HistoricbrawlLegal
HistoricLegal
LegacyLegal
OathbreakerLegal
GladiatorLegal
AlchemyLegal
PioneerLegal
CommanderLegal
ModernLegal
FutureLegal
VintageLegal
DuelLegal
ExplorerLegal
BrawlLegal
TimelessLegal

Rules and information

The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering Rescue Retriever card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.

Date Text
2022-10-14 If Rescue Retriever leaves the battlefield before combat damage is dealt to your other attacking Soldiers, they will take damage as normal. Notably, this means it is usually a bad idea to attack with Rescue Retriever if your opponent could block it with a creature that has first strike and enough power to kill it.
2022-10-14 Rescue Retriever prevents damage to other attacking Soldiers even if it isn't also attacking.
Flash card art

Guide to Flash card ability

Explore the dynamic Flash ability in Magic: The Gathering (MTG), a feature that allows you to cast spells at lightning speed, often leaving your opponents reeling and your strategy several steps ahead. This versatile ability can turn the tide of a game, providing the element of surprise and tactical advantage. It places a premium on timing and foresight, transforming an ordinary deck into a formidable arsenal of instant threats and responses.