Rowdy Crew MTG Card

Rowdy Crew’s draw mechanic grants potential card advantage but at the risk of losing valuable cards. Its specific mana requirements and costly casting can limit its use in diverse decks. Despite risks, Rowdy Crew’s discard synergy can empower graveyard-based strategies effectively.

Ixalan Promos (PXLN)
2017-09-29 - Number 159s

Ixalan (XLN)
2017-09-29 - Number 159

Card sets	Released in 2 setsSee all
Mana cost
Converted mana cost	4
Rarity	Mythic
Type	Creature — Human Pirate
Abilities	Trample
Power	3
Toughness	3

Text of card

Trample When Rowdy Crew enters the battlefield, draw three cards, then discard two cards at random. If two cards that share a card type are discarded this way, put two +1/+1 counters on Rowdy Crew.

Cards like Rowdy Crew

In the spectrum of red creatures that shuffle your hand in MTG, Rowdy Crew finds itself in intriguing company. Bearing resemblance to cards like Goblin Lore and Burning Inquiry, all three share the chaotic trait of drawing and discarding cards at random. Rowdy Crew offers a unique spin — it requires you to discard two cards, and if they share a card type, it puts two +1/+1 counters on itself. This card selection process can significantly alter your gameplan, unlike Goblin Lore which draws and discards without any potential upside.

Another similar card is the notorious Risk Factor. While not exactly in the same vein of drawing then discarding, it presents your opponent with a difficult choice — take damage or allow you to draw cards, creating a psychological edge. Rowdy Crew’s true similarity here lies in the unpredictability and potential for a game-swinging moment. Then we have Magmatic Insight, which turns a specific discard, a land card, into an advantage by drawing two cards for one red mana at sorcery speed, offering a controlled yet lesser explosive potential compared to the Crew.

Assessing Rowdy Crew alongside these cards provides a view into its unique position in MTG. It balances risk with reward, making it a card that can both excite and intimidate any player looking to harness its power.

Cards similar to Rowdy Crew by color, type and mana cost

Krark-Clan Engineers - MTG Card versions

Shimatsu the Bloodcloaked - MTG Card versions

Card Pros

Card Advantage: When Rowdy Crew enters the battlefield, you get to draw three additional cards, providing a significant opportunity to have more options at hand than your opponent.

Resource Acceleration: Although Rowdy Crew doesn’t directly accelerate resources, its ability to sift through the top cards of your deck can inadvertently guide you towards key lands or mana-generating spells more quickly.

Instant Speed: While Rowdy Crew is not an instant, its cast timing during your main phase can still strategically prep you for upcoming moves, especially if you’re planning to disrupt opponents’ tactics during their turn with the fresh set of cards.

Card Cons

Discard Requirement: When casting Rowdy Crew, its trigger demands that you discard two cards at random, which can lead to an unfavorable loss of valuable cards from your hand, undermining your strategic plans.

Specific Mana Cost: This card’s casting cost includes two red mana, which may not be easily fulfilled in multi-color decks, thereby restricting its playability to mostly red or red-heavy decks.

Comparatively High Mana Cost: With a casting cost of four mana, including double red, Rowdy Crew’s impact on the game may not be as significant when weighed against other options in the same mana range, which could offer more immediate or flexible benefits.

Reasons to Include Rowdy Crew in Your Collection

Versatility: Rowdy Crew fits into a multitude of deck archetypes. Its requirement for discarding at random draws upon the game’s inherent unpredictability, making it a fun and adaptable choice for decks that can capitalize on varying graveyard strategies.

Combo Potential: While this card might not seem like an obvious combo enabler, its ability to discard might synergize with graveyard-based strategies or effects that trigger when discarding cards, allowing savvy players to set up powerful plays.

Meta-Relevance: As the MTG meta shifts, a card like Rowdy Crew can find its footing among strategies that favor aggressive playstyles or that utilize the graveyard as a resource, thereby creating new avenues for victory in your collection’s arsenal.

How to beat

Encountering Rowdy Crew on the battlefield can be a tough challenge for any Magic: The Gathering enthusiast. Key to overcoming this card lies in understanding its mechanics and the potential for card advantage it provides to your opponent. Rowdy Crew requires a player to discard two cards at random which, if played correctly, can turn the tides in your favor. One effective strategy is to put pressure on the opponent’s hand, making the discard drawback more potent. Cards like Thoughtseize or Duress can disrupt your opponent’s planned synergies, reducing the benefit they might get from Rowdy Crew’s triggered ability.

Tactically managing the board is another method. Removal spells that can target Rowdy Crew the moment it hits the field, such as Fatal Push or Path to Exile, help keep the board in your control. This preemptive approach to dealing with the Crew before its effect can be utilized is crucial. Additionally, graveyard manipulation with cards like Scavenging Ooze or Leyline of the Void weakens the potential recursive strategies that Rowdy Crew might facilitate in a longer matchup.

Ultimately, while Rowdy Crew brings a strong presence to the game, a calculated response that targets its weaknesses can effectively neutralize its impact and maintain your standing in the match.

Where to buy

If you're looking to purchase Rowdy Crew MTG card by a specific set like Ixalan Promos and 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 Rowdy Crew and other MTG cards:

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Printings

The Rowdy Crew Magic the Gathering card was released in 2 different sets between 2017-09-29 and 2017-09-29. Illustrated by Steve Prescott.

#	Released	Name	Code	Symbol	Number	Frame	Layout	Border	Artist
1	2017-09-29	Ixalan Promos	PXLN		159s	2015	Normal	Black	Steve Prescott
2	2017-09-29	Ixalan	XLN		159	2015	Normal	Black	Steve Prescott

Legalities

Magic the Gathering formats where Rowdy Crew 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

Rules and information

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

Date	Text
2017-09-29	Once Rowdy Crew’s triggered ability begins to resolve, no player may take other actions until it’s done. Notably, you can’t discard or cast any of the cards you draw to try to rig the results of the random discard.
2017-09-29	Rowdy Crew doesn’t get more than two +1/+1 counters if the discarded cards happen to share more than one card type.
2017-09-29	The card types that can appear on the discarded cards are artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, land, planeswalker, sorcery, and tribal (a card type that appears on some older cards). Legendary is a supertype, not a card type.
2017-09-29	The discarded cards just need to share one card type. For example, Rowdy Crew will get two +1/+1 counters if you discard an artifact creature and an enchantment creature.