Strength of the Pack MTG Card
2018-01-19 - Number 145
2020-11-20 - Number 259
| Card sets | Released in 2 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 6 |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| Type | Sorcery |
Key Takeaways
- Swarms of wolf tokens can rapidly change board dynamics, providing a substantial numerical advantage.
- Instant-speed-like effects deliver surprise tactical shifts, despite Strength of the Pack’s sorcery nature.
- Card’s high mana cost and discard requirement may weigh against its impressive board impact.
Text of card
Put two +1/+1 counters on each creature you control.
The pack that ambushes, eviscerates, and devours together stays together.
Card Pros
Card Advantage: “Strength of the Pack” can create a significant number of wolf creature tokens depending on how many creatures you control, potentially flooding the board and overwhelming your opponent with new attackers or defenders.
Resource Acceleration: More creatures mean more power on the field, which can translate into faster victory. The wolves summoned can bolster your offensive capabilities or act as blockers, effectively accelerating your resource presence and board control.
Instant Speed: While “Strength of the Pack” is not an instant, its ability to drastically change the state of the board can catch opponents off guard during your turn, similar to the tactical advantages provided by instant-speed spells.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: A key downside to the Strength of the Pack card is that it necessitates players to discard another card for its activation. This can often lead to a difficult position, especially when your hand size is running low and discarding could cost you crucial gameplay options.
Specific Mana Cost: Deploying Strength of the Pack requires a precise combination of mana, including a dedication to green mana. This inflexibility may sometimes clash with multi-colored decks or strategies that rely on a diverse mana base, potentially restricting the card’s use for players with a more varied color palette within their decks.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: Boasting several effects, Strength of the Pack comes at a relatively high mana cost. When you consider the trade-offs in a fast-paced game, there may be alternate cards offering similar benefits or board presence for a lower investment, allowing players to maintain tempo and pressure on opponents more efficiently.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: Strength of the Pack is a unique card that operates well in a variety of decks. Whether you are building a commander deck focused on creating large quantities of tokens or a casual deck that amplifies the power of individual creatures, this card provides a substantial boost to your creatures’ strength.
Combo Potential: This spell scales impressively with the number of creatures you control, turning a full board into an immediate threat. It pairs excellently with cards that produce a swarm of tokens, unleashing the potential for a game-winning assault.
Meta-Relevance: In a metagame populated by creature-based strategies, Strength of the Pack can be the key card that tips the scales in your favor. By enhancing your creatures’ power and toughness, not only do you increase offensive capabilities, but also bolster your defensive line against opponents’ attacks.
How to beat
Strength of the Pack can be a formidable card in Magic: The Gathering when it’s leveraged properly. This card, which boosts the power of your creatures significantly, can turn the tide of the game into a massive onslaught. To tackle this surge in your opponent’s creature strength, it’s often wise to rely on countermeasures that can neutralize the benefit this card offers.
Removal spells that can clear multiple creatures at once, like board wipes, are an effective way to deal with the aftermath of a Strength of the Pack. Cards such as Wrath of God or Damnation can reset the board, thereby negating the buff provided. Including spot removal in your deck, which can deal with the most threatening creatures as soon as they grow too powerful, is also prudent; think Path to Exile or Fatal Push.
Another approach is to use your own team buffs or leverage cards with mechanics such as deathtouch, which provide an equal playing field regardless of the opposing creatures’ power. This can minimize the impact of Strength of the Pack and keep you in control. Utilizing these tactics, players can navigate the challenge posed by this power-boosting card effectively.
Cards like Strength of the Pack
Strength of the Pack shines as a notable card within the green spells in Magic: The Gathering, particularly for its ability to bolster your creatures’ power and toughness. In similitude to Strength of the Pack, Overrun provides creatures with a significant boost, granting not just a power and toughness increase but also trample, enhancing the potential for overwhelming combat phases. However, Overrun lacks Strength of the Pack’s persistency as it’s an effect that only lasts until end of turn.
Moving to Inspiring Call, we encounter another green spell that protects and empowers your creatures. While it provides an indestructible status to them, it lacks the static power increase provided by Strength of the Pack. Comparatively, Incremental Growth is a contender with its ability to spread a total of five +1/+1 counters across three creatures. Though it orchestrates a more tactical advantage, it doesn’t offer the potentially sweeping effect of Strength of the Pack that benefits every creature you control.
When juxtaposing these cards, Strength of the Pack stands out for its role in swarm strategies, empowering each creature you control uniformly and setting the stage for a dominant presence on the battlefield.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase Strength of the Pack MTG card by a specific set like Rivals of Ixalan and Commander Legends, 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 Strength of the Pack and other MTG cards:
- eBay
- TCG Player
- Card Kingdom
- Card Market
- Star City Games
- CoolStuffInc
- MTG Mint Card
- Hareruya
- Troll and Toad
- ABU Games
- Card Hoarder Magic Online
- MTGO Traders Magic Online
See MTG Products
Printings
The Strength of the Pack Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2018-01-19 and 2020-11-20. Illustrated by Tomasz Jedruszek.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018-01-19 | Rivals of Ixalan | RIX | 145 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek | |
| 2 | 2020-11-20 | Commander Legends | CMR | 259 | 2015 | Normal | Black | Tomasz Jedruszek |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where Strength of the Pack has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Historicbrawl | Legal |
| Historic | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Gladiator | Legal |
| Pioneer | Legal |
| Commander | Legal |
| Modern | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
| Explorer | Legal |
| Penny | Legal |
| Timeless | Legal |
