Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold MTG Card


Generates card advantage and board presence by creating creature tokens with no extra mana investment. Equipping weapons on entry opens combo possibilities, making Ria versatile for various strategies. Despite the trade-offs, she remains meta-relevant due to her combat utility and synergy with soldiers.
Card setsReleased in 6 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost4
RarityRare
TypeLegendary Creature — Phyrexian Knight
Abilities Battle Cry
Power 3
Toughness 4

Text of card

Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.) At the beginning of combat on your turn, the next time target creature would deal combat damage to one or more players this combat, prevent that damage. If damage is prevented this way, create that many 1/1 colorless Phyrexian Mite artifact creature tokens with toxic 1 and "This creature can't block."


Cards like Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold

Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold brings a new level of strategy to the battlefield in the world of Magic: The Gathering. Her abilities draw parallels with other warrior-inspired cards like Mirran Crusader. Both share the double strike ability, however, Ria Ivor adds to the fray by granting additional bonuses to other attacking creatures, potentially shifting combat outcomes significantly.

Analogous in theme, we see Hero of Bladehold, a card known for its battlefield influence by creating soldier tokens and boosting the attack power of other creatures. Although Hero of Bladehold does not possess double strike, its ability to multiply attacking forces closely mirrors the inspiring presence of Ria Ivor on the field. Furthermore, Ria’s capacity to equip weapons upon entering the arena plays a vital role, reminiscent of the tactics seen with Stoneforge Mystic, which also facilitates equipment-based strategies albeit in a different manner.

Overall, Ria Ivor stands out among warrior-type cards by combining the fierce ability of double strike with strong synergies in equipment and creature boosting. This makes her a formidable opponent and an asset in aggressive MTG decks that focus on warrior synergy and equipment strategies.

Mirran Crusader - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions
Mirran Crusader - MTG Card versions
Hero of Bladehold - MTG Card versions
Stoneforge Mystic - MTG Card versions

Cards similar to Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold by color, type and mana cost

Shaile, Dean of Radiance // Embrose, Dean of Shadow - MTG Card versions
Orah, Skyclave Hierophant - MTG Card versions
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Aryel, Knight of Windgrace - MTG Card versions
Seraph of the Scales - MTG Card versions
Teysa Karlov - MTG Card versions
Basilica Bell-Haunt - MTG Card versions
Resolute Rider - MTG Card versions
Spiteful Squad - MTG Card versions
Shaile, Dean of Radiance // Embrose, Dean of Shadow - MTG Card versions
Orah, Skyclave Hierophant - MTG Card versions
Felisa, Fang of Silverquill - MTG Card versions
Elenda, the Dusk Rose - MTG Card versions
Ghost Council of Orzhova - MTG Card versions
Ostiary Thrull - MTG Card versions
Blind Hunter - MTG Card versions
Voracious Hatchling - MTG Card versions
Harvest Gwyllion - MTG Card versions
Alms Beast - MTG Card versions
Triad of Fates - MTG Card versions
Unyielding Krumar - MTG Card versions
Cliffhaven Vampire - MTG Card versions
Restoration Gearsmith - MTG Card versions
Aryel, Knight of Windgrace - MTG Card versions
Seraph of the Scales - MTG Card versions
Teysa Karlov - MTG Card versions
Basilica Bell-Haunt - MTG Card versions
Resolute Rider - MTG Card versions
Spiteful Squad - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: With Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold, players can experience significant card advantage. This powerful creature offers the potential to provide a steady stream of creature tokens, which not only populate the battlefield but can also translate into a flow of additional cards if synergized with other card-drawing mechanics in your deck.

Resource Acceleration: This card is a powerhouse when it comes to resource acceleration. By generating tokens, it effectively increases the number of permanents under your control without additional mana investment. This can rapidly escalate your board presence, giving you the upper hand in terms of available resources to use each turn.

Instant Speed: While Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold isn’t an instant itself, the strategies it enables often involve playing at instant speed. With tokens at the ready, you can leverage various instant-speed spells and abilities, utilizing your army of tokens anytime to adapt to the evolving game landscape.


Card Cons

Discard Requirement: Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold’s ability comes with the condition that you discard a card, a trade-off that could deplete your hand, especially in a pinch when card advantage is crucial.

Specific Mana Cost: With a mana cost that demands both white and red mana, this card fits well in Boros decks but might not be as flexible in mana bases that can’t consistently produce both colors.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: Ria Ivor’s ability might be powerful, but it’s tied to a mana cost that’s on the higher side, potentially making it a slow addition in fast-paced matches where tempo is king.


Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold offers adaptability to various deck themes, due to her ability to bolster your battlefield presence. She can seamlessly blend into both aggressive and midrange strategies with her soldier synergies and combat enhancements.

Combo Potential: Her unique mechanic to equip weapons as she enters the battlefield opens up intriguing combo possibilities with various equipment cards, potentially leading to powerful interactions and unexpected play outcomes.

Meta-Relevance: Given her solid stats and utility in combat, Ria Ivor has a place in the current meta, particularly in formats where equipment-heavy strategies gain traction, and combat phases are pivotal to securing a win.


How to beat

Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold poses a significant challenge on the battlefield, known for bolstering attacking armies in MTG. This formidable card shines in decks designed for aggressive strategies, especially when combined with other Soldiers. To effectively counter Ria Ivor, prioritizing removal spells that can target creatures directly is key. Cards like Doom Blade or Path to Exile can dispatch Ria before her abilities become a threat. Board wipes such as Wrath of God or Damnation also work wonders by clearing multiple threats at once.

Moreover, in managing Ria Ivor’s potential snowball effect, instant-speed interaction during the combat phase can be particularly effective. Consider packing tricks like Settle the Wreckage to address troops that are about to get buffed. Lastly, employing control elements and stalling the game gives time to establish a state that’s unfavorable for Ria Ivor to thrive. With these strategies, maintaining a robust defense against Ria and her cohort becomes achievable, keeping her bane at bay.

Whether through direct removal or strategic board control, there are various ways to mitigate the impact Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold has on the game, ensuring you come out on top against this challenging MTG card.


Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold MTG card by a specific set like Phyrexia: All Will Be One and Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art Series, 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 Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold Magic the Gathering card was released in 3 different sets between 2023-02-03 and 2023-02-03. Illustrated by 2 different artists.

#ReleasedNameCodeSymbolNumberFrameLayoutBorderArtist
12023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 2142015NormalBlackAndreas Zafiratos
22023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One Art SeriesAONE 532015Art seriesBorderless
32023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 3232015NormalBorderlessRavenna Tran
42023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 214s2015NormalBlackAndreas Zafiratos
52023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be OneONE 4752015NormalBorderlessRavenna Tran
62023-02-03Phyrexia: All Will Be One PromosPONE 214p2015NormalBlackAndreas Zafiratos

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Ria Ivor, Bane of Bladehold has restrictions

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

Rules and information

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

Date Text
2023-02-04 A player with ten or more poison counters loses the game. This is a state-based action and doesn't use the stack. In other words, it happens immediately and players can't respond to it, just like a player losing the game due to having 0 or less life.
2023-02-04 Any other effects of that damage, such as life gain from lifelink, still apply.
2023-02-04 Conversely, replacement effects that apply to the number of counters put on a player can modify the counters placed this way. For example, Vorinclex, Monstrous Raider's last two abilities can apply to counters placed this way.
2023-02-04 Damage dealt by a creature with toxic grants the same number of counters regardless of how much damage is dealt. Notably, if a replacement effect modifies the damage in some way (such as that of Gratuitous Violence), the number of counters given remains unchanged.
2023-02-04 If a creature with toxic deals combat damage to a creature or planeswalker, or if it deals noncombat damage, toxic has no effect and no player gets poison counters.
2023-02-04 If multiple replacement or prevention effects try to modify damage that would be dealt to a player, the player being dealt damage chooses the order in which they apply.
2023-02-04 Multiple instances of toxic are cumulative. For example, if a creature has toxic 2 and gains toxic 1 due to another effect, combat damage that creature deals to a player will cause that player to get 3 poison counters.
2023-02-04 Toxic doesn't change the amount of combat damage a creature deals. For example, if a 2/2 creature with toxic 1 deals combat damage to a player, that creature will deal 2 damage. The results of that damage are the player loses 2 life and gets a poison counter.