Needletooth Raptor MTG Card

Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Uncommon
Type	Creature — Dinosaur
Abilities	Enrage
Released	2018-01-19
Set symbol
Set name	Rivals of Ixalan
Set code	RIX
Power	2
Toughness	2
Number	107
Frame	2015
Layout	Normal
Border	Black
Illustred by	Winona Nelson

Key Takeaways

Enrage ability offers card advantage by potentially eliminating opponent’s creatures while maintaining board presence.
Indirectly accelerates resource growth by deterring unfavorable attacks or blocking from opponents.
Instant speed manipulation through other cards, adding a layer of flexibility and surprise to gameplay.

Text of card

Enrage — Whenever Needletooth Raptor is dealt damage, it deals 5 damage to target creature an opponent controls.

It hatches with its ferocity fully grown.

Card Pros

Card Advantage: Needletooth Raptor provides a strategic edge by threatening potential card advantage. When it enrage ability is triggered, it offers the potential to remove opposing creatures, possibly translating to a two-for-one situation where you preserve your creature and eliminate one of theirs.

Resource Acceleration: Although Needletooth Raptor isn’t directly related to resource acceleration, its presence on the battlefield can indirectly accelerate your board state by deterring opponents from attacking or blocking unfavorably, allowing your resources to flourish unimpeded.

Instant Speed: While Needletooth Raptor operates at sorcery speed, its ability to inflict damage can be manipulated at instant speed through other cards that trigger the Enrage mechanic; this flexibility allows for surprise interactions on your opponent’s turn, potentially disrupting their strategy and preserving your battlefield presence.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: While Needletooth Raptor doesn’t mandate a discard upon casting, it’s important to recognize that cards without built-in card advantage can lead to a depleted hand. Strategically, this means that every non-recurring card played should be impactful, and a 4-mana creature might not always make the cut when resources are scarce.

Specific Mana Cost: Needletooth Raptor requires a specific mana investment of three and one red mana. This cost can constrain deck-building options, relegating the raptor to decks capable of reliably producing red mana, potentially sidelining it from more versatile mana bases or multicolor strategies that don’t heavily feature red.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, Needletooth Raptor sits at a mana range where impactful and game-changing creatures or spells are often found. When evaluating the usefulness of a creature, one must also consider alternative creatures or spells at a similar cost that may provide immediate board presence or effects, which the Raptor, reliant on a board state to take full advantage of its enrage mechanic, might not guarantee.

Reasons to Include in Your Collection

Versatility: Needletooth Raptor slides easily into various deck builds, most notably those that benefit from enrage mechanics or require targets for direct damage spells to leverage its ability to destroy other creatures.

Combo Potential: This dinosaur synergizes well with any card that can repeatedly trigger its enrage ability, creating opportunities for board control and tactical creature removal.

Meta-Relevance: In a game that values creature interactions and combat, Needletooth Raptor maintains relevance. Its presence can deter opponents from attacking and shape the flow of the game, making it a practical choice for current and evolving metas.

How to beat

Needletooth Raptor is one of those distinctive creatures in MTG that can shape the battlefield with its enrage ability. When you encounter it across the table, it becomes clear that you’ll have to employ a strategy that avoids pinging it for minor damage, as doing so will only result in the loss of one of your own creatures due to its ability to deal 5 damage to a target creature an opponent controls once it’s enraged.

To navigate around this pesky raptor, consider using removal spells that can take it out in one go—bypassing the enrage trigger altogether. Board wipes are particularly effective as they clear the board without targeting individual creatures. Direct damage spells that dish out 4 or more damage can also do the trick, such as Shock and Lightning Strike, ensuring that the raptor won’t live to retaliate.

Another strategy to beat Needletooth Raptor is to outpace it with an aggressive deck that overruns your opponent before the Raptor can make an impact. Alternatively, for those favoring control decks, countering it before it hits the battlefield is also a sound approach. In essence, when facing this prehistoric threat, the key is to eliminate it swiftly and efficiently, or to sidestep its ability to wreak havoc altogether.

Cards like Needletooth Raptor

Needletooth Raptor stakes its claim within the realm of Magic: The Gathering as a fierce dinosaur, offering unique interactions compared to other creatures in its category. Its enrage ability, which deals 5 damage to a target creature when Needletooth Raptor is damaged, parallels the function of Ripjaw Raptor. Despite Ripjaw Raptor’s higher cost and strength, it lacks the direct removal capability, opting instead to draw a card when it’s injured. On the battlefield, this could mean the difference between eliminating a key threat or simply cycling your deck for more options.

Another creature worth mentioning in this context is Ranging Raptors. Although Ranging Raptors share the same mana value with Needletooth Raptor, they cultivate a different strategic advantage by ramping your land count when damaged, instead of controlling the board through damage output. This emphasizes a player’s ability to adapt their game plan according to their deck’s demands—control or acceleration.

In essence, while these dinosaurs share thematic ties and mechanics, Needletooth Raptor shines in its capacity to influence the board state immediately through its enrage trigger, underscoring its utilitarian role in decks centered around reactive strategies against opponents’ creatures.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Needletooth Raptor MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan, 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 Needletooth Raptor and other MTG cards:

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Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Needletooth Raptor has restrictions

Format	Legality
Historicbrawl	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Paupercommander	Restricted
Oathbreaker	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Commander	Legal
Modern	Legal
Vintage	Legal
Duel	Legal
Explorer	Legal
Timeless	Legal

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2018-01-19	If lethal damage is dealt to a creature with an enrage ability, that ability triggers. The creature with that enrage ability leaves the battlefield before that ability resolves, so it won’t be affected by the resolving ability.
2018-01-19	If multiple sources deal damage to a creature with an enrage ability at the same time, most likely because multiple creatures blocked that creature, the enrage ability triggers only once.