River Song MTG Card
2023-10-13 - Number 757
2023-10-13 - Number 1138
2023-10-13 - Number 152
2023-10-13 - Number 436
2023-10-13 - Number 547
2023-10-13 - Number 1027
| Card sets | Released in 6 setsSee all |
| Mana cost | |
| Converted mana cost | 3 |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Type | Legendary Creature — Human Time Lord Rogue |
| Abilities | Meet in Reverse,Spoilers |
| Power | 2 |
| Toughness | 2 |
Text of card
Meet in Reverse — You draw cards from the bottom of your library rather than the top. Spoilers — Whenever an opponent scries, surveils, or searches their library, put a +1/+1 counter on River Song. Then River Song deals damage to that player equal to its power.
Cards like River Song
River Song finds its currents in the vast river of creature cards within Magic: The Gathering. It navigates close to the banks of Merfolk Looter, another creature with the talent of drawing and discarding cards. Yet River Song diverges slightly with subtle but impactful differences. While Merfolk Looter has an activated ability without a mana cost, River Song requires a tap along with a blue mana symbol to leverage its ability.
Comparatively, we sail past Thought Courier, a creature almost mirroring the looting abilities of River Song. Both creatures share the same card draw and discard mechanics, keeping hand flexibility afloat. However, Thought Courier does its work without the additional mana cost, allowing a smoother sail in a mana-tight situation. Conversely, River Song may offer a more robust body on the battlefield, providing an advantage in creature durability.
When anchoring down to measure the trade-offs between these similar cards, River Song holds its own as a versatile contributor to decks maximizing on draw and discard strategies in Magic: The Gathering. The slight mana investment for its ability might ebb the flow, but the strategic depth it provides can often lead to the tide turning in your favor.
Cards similar to River Song by color, type and mana cost
Card Pros
Card Advantage: With the ability to draw additional cards, the River Song card ensures you have more options at your disposal. This, in turn, helps you outmaneuver your opponent by having access to more of your deck’s resources.
Resource Acceleration: This card offers an efficient way to speed up your mana curve, allowing you to deploy threats or answers ahead of schedule. Whether you’re ramping into a game-changing creature or enabling a combo, River Song can give you the edge you need.
Instant Speed: The flexibility of acting at instant speed cannot be overstated. Being able to react to your opponent’s moves while keeping up the pressure is invaluable in MTG. River Song’s instant pace is a potent tool in both offensive and defensive strategies.
Card Cons
Discard Requirement: River Song demands players to discard another card, posing a challenge during tight situations where hand options are already limited.
Specific Mana Cost: With its precise mana needs that include at least one blue, this card might not be a universal fit for all deck types, potentially restricting its playability across varied strategies.
Comparatively High Mana Cost: The card’s mana valuation is on the steep side when put side by side with other cards in its category, potentially slowing down gameplay for those seeking to maximize efficiency.
Reasons to Include in Your Collection
Versatility: River Song is a flexible card that can seamlessly adapt to an array of deck themes. Whether you’re steering towards control or aiming to complement a synergistic creature deck, its capabilities to manipulate the flow of the game can be a significant advantage.
Combo Potential: For decks designed to exploit specific interactions, River Song offers a plethora of combo possibilities. Its unique effects can act as a catalyst for chains that can turn the tide of a match, especially in conjunction with spells and abilities that react to card types or game states it affects.
Meta-Relevance: With the current gaming environment rewarding strategic deck building and clever play, River Song can hold its ground. Its relevance in the meta is determined by its potential to counter prevalent strategies, making it a savvy addition to your arsenal when facing a wide variety of opponents.
How to beat
River Song is an intriguing card that can sway the tide of a game if not addressed quickly. Its capacity to manipulate the flow of cards draws parallels to other draw and control elements within the game. One method to combat this card involves prioritizing the containment of its effectiveness through targeted removal. Instant-speed removal spells can be particularly effective in disrupting the card’s utility, allowing players to maintain tempo and control over the game state.
Similar strategies include using counter spells when River Song is on the stack or deploying creatures and abilities that can bypass or neutralize its advantages. For instance, playing cards that grant hexproof to your spells or creatures can protect against River Song’s control mechanics. There’s also the option of adopting a more aggressive strategy, putting pressure on the opponent to force them to use River Song defensively, which can diminish its potential impact on the game.
Ultimately, understanding the environment and adapting your deck to include cards that can directly answer or outrun River Song’s strategy is key. Staying ahead in resources while maintaining a diverse set of answers ensures that this card does not dominate the gameplay, keeping the advantage securely in your realm.
Where to buy
If you're looking to purchase River Song MTG card by a specific set like Doctor Who and Doctor Who, 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 River Song and other MTG cards:
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- eBay
- 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 River Song Magic the Gathering card was released in 1 different sets between 2023-10-13 and 2023-10-13. Illustrated by 2 different artists.
| # | Released | Name | Code | Symbol | Number | Frame | Layout | Border | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 757 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Di Giovanni | |
| 2 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 1138 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Aurore Folny | |
| 3 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 152 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Di Giovanni | |
| 4 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 436 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Di Giovanni | |
| 5 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 547 | 2015 | Normal | Borderless | Aurore Folny | |
| 6 | 2023-10-13 | Doctor Who | WHO | 1027 | 2015 | Normal | Black | John Di Giovanni |
Legalities
Magic the Gathering formats where River Song has restrictions
| Format | Legality |
|---|---|
| Commander | Legal |
| Legacy | Legal |
| Oathbreaker | Legal |
| Vintage | Legal |
| Duel | Legal |
Rules and information
The reference guide for Magic: The Gathering River Song card rulings provides official rulings, any errata issued, as well as a record of all the functional modifications that have occurred.
| Date | Text |
|---|---|
| 2023-10-13 | Drawing cards from the bottom of your library is exactly the same as drawing from the top, except that you take the bottom card of your library and put it into your hand. |
| 2023-10-13 | If an effect instructs you to choose a creature type, you may choose Time Lord. |
| 2023-10-13 | Neither "Time" nor "Lord" are creature types. Some older cards were printed with the subtype "Lord," but all of those cards have updated Oracle card text that removed that type. |
| 2023-10-13 | River Song's first ability applies to all cards you draw while it is on the battlefield, not just the card you draw for your turn. |
| 2023-10-13 | Unlike other creature types in Magic that are each only one word, the two words "Time Lord" represent a single creature subtype. Time Lord is the only two-word creature type. |