Rhox Pummeler MTG Card

Rhox Pummeler secures card advantage by drawing additional cards during combat damage. It accelerates resources, allowing for more strategic plays and board control. Instant-speed interactions can significantly enhance Rhox Pummeler’s combat damage.
Rhox Pummeler - Streets of New Capenna
Mana cost
Converted mana cost6
RarityCommon
TypeCreature — Rhino Soldier
Released2022-04-29
Set symbol
Set nameStreets of New Capenna
Set codeSNC
Power 6
Toughness 3
Number155
Frame2015
LayoutNormal
BorderBlack
Illustred byGabor Szikszai

Text of card

Rhox Pummeler enters the battlefield with a shield counter on it. (If it would be dealt damage or destroyed, remove a shield counter from it instead.) Rhox Pummeler has trample as long as it has a shield counter on it.

When all you have is a warhammer, every face looks like a nail.

Cards like Rhox Pummeler

Rhox Pummeler has carved a niche for itself among the vast array of green creatures in Magic: The Gathering. With the uncanny ability to increase its power exponentially, this creature draws comparisons to other cards that excel in becoming massive threats. For instance, it shares a kinship with cards like Primordial Hydra, which also has the potential for growth unchecked if left on the battlefield for too long.

Then there’s Managorger Hydra, another card that grows with each spell cast, though it does so in a more incremental and steadfast manner compared to the explosive growth of Rhox Pummeler. Still, both creatures have the capability of becoming game-ending threats if not answered swiftly. Yet another parallel can be drawn with the renowned Kalonian Hydra, which doubles the number of +1/+1 counters on each creature you control when it attacks, hinting at a semblance of synergy that could be explored alongside Rhox Pummeler in a counter-centric deck.

In summary, while Rhox Pummeler might not be the first card of its kind, its distinctive growth mechanics and formidable presence provide players with a unique tool for constructing decks around hefty creatures that can dominate the battlefield in MTG.

Primordial Hydra - MTG Card versions
Managorger Hydra - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Hydra - MTG Card versions
Primordial Hydra - MTG Card versions
Managorger Hydra - MTG Card versions
Kalonian Hydra - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Rhox Pummeler provides a reliable way to bolster your hand by allowing you to potentially draw extra cards. When it deals combat damage to a player, you may draw a card for each point of damage Rhox Pummeler has dealt, thereby increasing your strategic options and sustaining momentum.

Resource Acceleration: Rhox Pummeler has the capability to accelerate your resources on the board. By enhancing the power of Rhox Pummeler, you can secure more card draws, effectively giving you access to more resources which in turn can be deployed to outpace your opponent.

Instant Speed: The utility of Rhox Pummeler is not limited to the main phases of your turn. Any buffs or synergistic interactions that operate at instant speed can be used to increase its combat damage output during the attack phase, potentially leading to a sudden and overwhelming card advantage.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: The Rhox Pummeler brings with it the need to discard another card to unleash its potential. This drawback requires you to weigh the value of cards in your hand, which could impair your game plan, particularly if your hand size is dwindling.

Specific Mana Cost: To cast Rhox Pummeler, you’ll need not just a significant amount of mana but also the right types. Its specific mana requirements can be challenging in a deck that doesn’t focus on green or struggles with mana flexibility.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a relatively steep cost to get onto the battlefield, Rhox Pummeler might lag behind other creatures that can hit the ground running for less. In fast-paced games, the mana investment required might mean falling behind your opponents in terms of board presence.

Reasons to Include Rhox Pummeler in Your Collection

Versatility: Rhox Pummeler is a powerful addition to decks that seek to benefit from creatures with multiple abilities. Its trample and ability to increase its power make it a formidable force in combat situations.

Combo Potential: With its power-boosting ability, Rhox Pummeler can synergize well with cards that track the number of times you’ve activated abilities or with effects that double counters or amplifies creature powers for a definitive strike.

Meta-Relevance: In metas where creature-based strategies are prevalent or where board presence leads to victory, Rhox Pummeler’s robust stat line and self-empowerment can turn the tide of battle in your favor.

How to beat

Rhox Pummeler is a formidable creature in MTG, known for its strength in combat. To effectively neutralize it, you must understand its mechanics and employ counterstrategies. The card’s power lies in its ability to gain double strike, making it potentially devastating in a single turn. However, this ability requires energy, a resource that is finite within a player’s pool.

One strategy is to control the amount of energy your opponent can accumulate. Cards that disrupt energy gain or usage, such as countering spells that generate energy or removing creatures that rely on it, can be quite effective. Removal spells that can target Rhox Pummeler before it becomes a larger threat or to remove it once it’s already on the battlefield are important as well.

Additionally, because Rhox Pummeler relies on becoming unblocked to deal massive damage, strategic use of blockers or spells that can tap or otherwise incapacitate it before the attack phase can be a key tactic. Remember that proactive card choices and anticipating your opponent’s moves will be your greatest assets in overcoming the challenge posed by Rhox Pummeler.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rhox Pummeler MTG card by a specific set like Streets of New Capenna, 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 Rhox Pummeler and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rhox Pummeler has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2022-04-29 A creature with a shield counter on it may still be destroyed by state-based actions if it has damage marked on it equal to its toughness or has been dealt unpreventable damage by a source with deathtouch.
2022-04-29 Combat damage is assigned to creatures and players and then dealt simultaneously. Notably, this means blocking a Rhox Pummeler with a shield counter on it won't normally prevent Rhox Pummeler from dealing damage to the defending player due to its trample ability.
2022-04-29 If a permanent that would be dealt damage has more than one shield counter on it, that damage is prevented and only one shield counter is removed.
2022-04-29 If a permanent with a shield counter is dealt unpreventable damage, that damage will be dealt and a shield counter will still be removed.
2022-04-29 If an attacking Rhox Pummeler with one shield counter on it is blocked by a creature with first strike, the shield counter will be removed in the first combat damage step. In that case, Rhox Pummeler won't have trample when it deals combat damage in the second combat damage step.
2022-04-29 Removing a shield counter in this way isn't the same as regenerating a creature.
2022-04-29 Shield counters don't prevent players from sacrificing creatures.
2022-04-29 “Shield” is not an ability that creatures have and shield counters are not keyword counters. If a creature with a shield counter loses its abilities, the shield counter will still protect it as normal.